OTTAWA -- Canada has now recorded more than 400,000 cases of COVID-19 since the beginning of the global pandemic.

Today's bleak marker came after Saskatchewan reported 283 new cases of the virus today, bringing the national tally to 400,030.

The speed at which Canada reached the 400,000 mark is the latest sign of the accelerating pace of the pandemic across the country.

Canada recorded its 300,000th case of COVID-19 18 days ago on Nov. 16.

It took six months for Canada to record its first 100,000 cases of COVID-19, four months to reach the 200,000 threshold and less than a month to arrive at 300,000.

Canada's national death toll from the virus currently stands at 12,470.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 4, 2020.