Ottawa, Sep 7 (IANS): There have been 131,495 cases of COVID-19 in Canada, including 9,143 deaths, with the trend of increased cases among younger people, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) said.

In terms of age, the trend of increased disease activity among younger individuals has continued for many weeks, with people under 40 years of age accounting for over 62 per cent of cases, said PHAC in a statement on Sunday, Xinhua news agency reported.

Among these, males and females aged 20 to 29 years continue to have the highest incidence rates, with 10.7 and 11.4 cases reported per 100,000 people, respectively. Incidence rates for males and females aged 30 to 39 years of age are next highest with 8.4 and 8.0 cases reported per 100,000 people.

The coronavirus outbreak settings included food, drink and retail venues that tend to draw in this younger age demographic.

PHAC also said labs across Canada tested an average of almost 46,000 people daily over the past week, with 0.9 per cent testing positive.

Early Sunday, Ontario province confirmed 158 new cases of COVID-19, with the majority of infections reported within the Greater Toronto Area, according to CTV.

Out of the 158 new cases, 79 are within the age group between 20 and 39, with 29 under the age of 20; 30 between 40 and 59 years old; and 12 between 60 and 79 years old. There are only eight over the age of 80.