“The end is definitely in sight, but we are not there yet. This third wave is worse and we have to stay there for a few weeks to make sure we can flatten that curve, get rid of those numbers again, to give the vaccines a chance to catch, “said Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. during a press conference in Ottawa on Friday.
The situation is worst in Ontario, Canada’s most populous province, where officials say the province is approaching the “worst case” projections for the third wave. The province has come dangerously close on Friday to breaking a record for a single day of increasing cases and has already set a record this week for hospitalizations in intensive care units linked to Covid-19.
“We see more and more young people who are 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 “, said Trudeau.
Across the country, Canadian health officials say ICU admissions have risen by more than 20% in the last week alone, as all of Canada’s most populous provinces face a third wave more threatening to the health system than the last two.
“I can understand the frustration, the anxiety, the concern that Canadians across the country feel when they see these numbers grow, they share. I think we all recognize that we don’t want to be in this third wave, but we are here, “Trudeau said.
The launch of vaccines will not slow the new growth in cases
Although Canada broke a record for vaccine doses this week, Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s chief public health officer, says the launch of the vaccine will not slow the rapid growth of cases, as more contagious variants are spreading across the country.
“Right now, my concern is … the ICUs are filling up, not just the hospitalizations, because there is an absolute limit to the capacity of the ICU, not necessarily because of the equipment, but because of the people,” Tam said during the press conference. Friday.
The province of Ontario, including Canada’s most populous city, Toronto, has imposed a province-wide home order for at least four weeks starting Thursday as a third wave threatens to overwhelm hospitals. However, restrictions have only moderately decreased for new infections, despite the fact that cities like Toronto have been in a form of blockade since the end of November.
Ontario Prime Minister Doug Ford has imposed the province’s third state of emergency since the pandemic began. Non-essential retail stores, including malls, will approach in-person shopping, with only grocery stores, pharmacies and garden centers open to the public.
Restaurants, restaurants, personal care services and gyms were already closed throughout the province, as the provincial official closed many places last week, but stopped ordering a home stay.
Toronto and the adjacent Peel region moved students to e-learning earlier this week just before a previously scheduled spring break. The Ford government says its priority is to keep schools open throughout the province.
Outside the Atlantic provinces of Canada, the third wave of the pandemic is causing hospitals in most parts of the country.
In a statement released on Wednesday, Tam highlighted the threat of the spread of variants and the rise of severe infections and diseases, especially among young Canadians.
“While COVID-19 continues to have an impact on people of all ages in Canada, infection rates are highest among those aged 20-39. We also see an increased number of adults, under the age of 60, being treated for COVID-19 in the hospital, including in intensive care units, “Tam said.