Canada’s daily COVID cases 45% higher than a week ago as Omicron surges
Global News
As Omicron continues to spread, Canada has averaged at least 5,000 new COVID-19 cases daily over the last week -- a 45 per cent increase from the week before, Dr. Theresa Tam said.
Canada’s COVID-19 cases skyrocketed in the last week as the Omicron variant has rapidly spread across the country, Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam said Friday.
Canada has averaged more than 5,000 new COVID-19 cases daily over the last week — a 45 per cent increase from the week before, Tam said.
“We need to keep doing what we know has worked, but do it with greater speed, vigilance and perseverance, incorporating all of the improvements we’ve gained over the past two years,” she told reporters.
Beyond COVID cases alone, Canada has also tracked an increase in cases of the Omicron variant. Tam confirmed that 350 cases of the new strain have been identified collectively in 11 provinces and territories. A growing number of these cases aren’t linked to travel, she warned, meaning “community transmission has been established in several areas of the country.”
“Omicron cases have been reported in both vaccinated and unvaccinated people, as well as in previously infected people,” Tam said.
“However, it is important to stress that being fully vaccinated and then getting a booster, whether Pfizer or Moderna, is expected to provide a reasonable level of protection against infection and likely strong protection against severe illness.”
There were more than 43,000 active COVID cases across Canada as of Thursday. The federal government’s most recent hospitalization figures are from Monday, when at least 1,000 people were admitted to Canadian hospitals with COVID-19, including 453 in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), and 229 on respirators.
On Thursday, 19 people in Canada with COVID-19 died.
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