“The end is definitely in sight, but we are not there yet. This third wave is more serious, and we have to stay there a few more weeks to make sure we can flatten the curve, drop the numbers again to give a chance for vaccines to take hold, ‘Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told a news conference in Ottawa on Friday.
The situation is worst in Ontario, Canada’s most populous province, where officials say the province is close to the ‘worst case’ forecasts for the third wave. The province came in danger on Friday of breaking a record for a single-day increase in cases and this week already set a record for admissions of intensive care units related to Covid-19.
“We are seeing more and more young people being hospitalized with Covid-19. So for young people: there are more contagious and more serious variants, even if you are younger, you can get sick very, very quickly,” Trudeau said. said.
Across the country, Canadian health officials say admission to the ICU alone has risen by more than 20% in the past week alone, as all of Canada’s most populous provinces threaten a third wave more to the health system than the last two.
“I can understand the frustration, the anxiety, the anxiety that Canadians across the country feel when they see these numbers rising. I share that. I think we all realize that we do not want to be in this third wave, but we’re here, ‘Trudeau said.
Vaccine explosion will not slow down new growth in some cases
Although Canada broke a record for the administration of vaccines this week, Dr. Theresa Tam, chief of Canada’s public health official, said the vaccine’s explosion would not slow down rapid growth in cases as more contagious variants spread across the country.
“Right now, my concern is … the ICUs are filling up, not just hospitalizations, because there is an absolute constraint on ICU capacity, not necessarily because of equipment, but because of people,” Tam told the news conference. of Friday said.
The province of Ontario, including Canada’s most populous city, Toronto, on Thursday imposed a provincial-wide home order for at least four weeks as the third wave threatens to overwhelm hospitals. Restrictions, however, have only moderately reduced new infections, despite the fact that cities like Toronto have been in a form of lockdown since the end of November.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford has declared the province’s third state of emergency since the pandemic began. Non-essential shopping malls, including shopping malls, will be close to personal shopping, with only grocery stores, pharmacies and garden centers open to the public.
Restaurant dining rooms, personal care services and gyms were already closed across the province as the provincial official closed many places last week but did not stop at home ordering.
Toronto and the adjacent Peel region moved students to virtual learning earlier this week just before a spring break. The Ford government says its priority is to keep schools open throughout the province.
Outside of Canada’s Atlantic provinces, the third wave of the pandemic is fighting hospitals in most of the country.
In a statement released on Wednesday, Tam underlined the threat that variants would spread and lead to more infections and serious diseases, especially among younger Canadians.
“While COVID-19 continues to affect people of all ages in Canada, infection rates are highest among those aged 20 to 39. We also see a greater number of adults under the age of 60 being treated for COVID-19 in the hospital, also in intensive care units, ”said Tam.