TORONTO – Cooler weather and easing restrictions are contributing to an increase in COVID-19 infections in parts of Canada, Canada’s top health official said in an update on Friday. Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC).
Chief Public Health Officer Dr Theresa Tam said there was an 11% increase in daily new cases last week, but said bumps in Canada’s downward trajectory were expected as provinces continued to lift collection limits and colder temperatures pushed people to spend more. time inside.
“It looks like we are facing a bit of turbulence this week,” Tam said.
“In particular, the coverage is not the same everywhere, and where there are pockets of very low coverage, there is a higher risk of local outbreaks of viral activity in the weeks to come.”
Ontario and New Brunswick are among the last provinces to see their curves curve upwards. Over the past two weeks, the Yukon has seen an almost vertical spike in cases, while Quebec and Nova Scotia have also seen an upward trend. Number of new infections in Manitoba has also picked up in recent weeks, after a slow but steady rise since the end of summer. The province introduced new public health restrictions on Friday to reduce the number of new cases.
Overall, the number of people with serious illness in Canada remains stable.
Tam said the demographic with the highest number of new infections continues to be children under 12, who are not yet eligible for vaccination. They make up more than 20 percent of new daily cases, PHAC said last week, although they only make up 12 percent of the nation’s population. While most cases remain mild, serious illness has struck some children in rare cases.
A decision on whether or not to authorize the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for children aged five to 11 is expected within “one to two weeks,” Canada’s Chief Medical Advisor Dr Supriya Sharma said at the conference. Last week, the United States authorized the use of the Pfizer vaccine for this age group.
BREATHING “FINE AEROSOLS” SUSPENDED
Tam also reminded the public that the virus can linger and stay airborne as a fine aerosol, and stressed the importance of wearing a well-fitting mask with enough layers to filter out fine virus particles. when spending time in indoor public spaces, especially with poor ventilation.
“With a highly contagious Delta variant that continues to predominate, the risk of outbreaks of disease activity is likely to increase with more time spent indoors, especially where there are pockets of low vaccine coverage. she said, comparing it to how the expelled cigarette smoke lingers in an enclosed space and inhaling second-hand smoke near an infected person.
Signs of declining vaccine protection may also contribute to an increased risk of more serious disease, making maintaining proper masking an important measure, she added.
Over 85 percent of eligible Canadians are now fully immunized; just under 75 percent if children under 12 are included. But with some having received the vaccine more than six months ago, provinces and territories in Canada are now rolling out booster shots to vulnerable and eligible groups, including residents of long-term care facilities, people with compromised immune systems. and frontline health workers. Earlier on Friday, Health Canada said it had approved the recall of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine, Spikevax.
Tam said significant gaps in immunizations remained, however, with more than five million eligible Canadians still unvaccinated and more than 4.3 million children waiting for vaccines to be approved.
With the borders reopening, Tam also said the requirement for PCR or molecular testing before arrival for travelers entering Canada is still under review and there will be more information to come.
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