Canada averaged more than a thousand new cases of COVID-19 a day last week, says the country’s top doctor.
According to Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s chief public health officer, an average of 1,175 new coronavirus cases reported each day in Canada over a seven-day period ending Sept. 25.
“Laboratories across Canada continue to test at a high rate, with an average of almost 70,000 people tested daily last week and 1.4 per cent of these testing positive . . . an average of 1,175 cases were being reported daily across Canada over a seven-day period,” said Tam in a press release issued Sunday.
As of Sept. 27, a total of 151,671 cases of coronavirus and 9,262 deaths have been reported in Canada, according to Health Canada. The country’s recovery rate is currently at 86 per cent.
Although Canada’s recovery rate is around 86 per cent, Tam warned Canadians about the consequences that come with a rise in the number of new cases and hospitalizations.
“Surges in cases, leading to increases in hospitalizations can quickly overwhelm public health and healthcare system resources in localized areas, while increasing the likelihood of spread to more areas,” said Tam.
Canada’s top doctor also stressed the need for people to take measures to protect themselves from infection.
“Every protective measure we can take matters to reduce the overall rate of infection in our communities. That is because every person we encounter brings a whole network of contacts history with them, so any all efforts to reduce the number, duration, and closeness of encounters makes a big difference,” she said.
Tam suggested people not only continue to practice physical distancing but also limit the amount of time and number of close contacts. She also recommended people consider opting for “lower risk” settings or situations, where public health measures are currently in place.
“Public health controls and policies reduce our risk of infection and spreading the virus, everything we do to consistently maintain personal protective practices helps to reduce the overall rate of infection,” she said.
Canada posted more than 8,000 new cases of COVID-19 between Sept. 21-27, according to the World Health Organization.
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