Dr. Theresa Tam – Canada’s COVID-19 Pandemic Update

Canada has flattened the curve of the Pandemic while countries struggle to combat its first wave

“There have been 111,697 cases of COVID-19 in Canada, including 8,862 deaths. 88% of people have now recovered. Labs across Canada have tested over 3,616,000 people for COVID-19 to date. Over the past week, an average of 42,000 people were tested daily, with 1% testing positive.

After months of being at home, everyone wants to make the most of the summer months, but this summer is not like any other. With the COVID-19 pandemic still active in Canada and worldwide, it means that how and where you choose to enjoy the summer will determine your risk for exposure to COVID-19.

Though our social, economic and recreational spaces are cautiously re-opening, we can’t afford to throw caution to the wind. Living with COVID-19 means we cannot eliminate all cases and clusters in Canada, so preventing epidemic acceleration depends on our actions, individually and collectively. To control COVID-19 during reopening, we must remain ever mindful of the risks and take care to maintain public health practices that work to keep case numbers low in our communities.

Being mindful of risks means considering possibilities for illness and severe outcomes for you and all your contacts (family, friends, others) and avoiding high-risk settings and situations as much as possible. Closed spaces, crowded places, and situations that put you in close contact with others, increase your risk of exposure to COVID-19 the most. The more time you spend in these spaces and the more people that are present, the greater the risk. To protect yourself and others, I urge everyone to avoid or strictly limit the time you spend in high-risk settings and situations.

Whether you are considering patio time, BBQs, or picnics, outdoor gatherings are better than indoors, and fewer people and limiting contacts in your small social bubble is best. Camping, swimming and field/beach sports can be great outdoor activities too but we need to be mindful of exposure risks in crowded areas or shared facilities, such as change rooms, rest rooms and canteens.

Whenever you step out of your social bubble, whether outdoors or indoors, be sure to maintain frequent handwashing or use a Health Canada-approved hand sanitizer and always take precautions like physical distancing or wearing a non-medical mask when you can’t keep 2-metres away from others. By following the advice of local public health authorities and continuing with these essential public health practices, we can make the most of the summer and maintain Canada’s collective effort to keep COVID-19 under control.”

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