Covid-19: ‘Canada better prepared to tackle fresh cases in holiday season’

Of the entire Canadian population, 81% have received one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, while 76% are fully jabbed.

As the holiday season approaches in Canada amidst concerns over the Omicron variant of the Covid-19 virus, new federal modelling has predicted a sharp increase of fresh cases in January but health authorities also sounded a positive note about high vaccination rates greatly reducing severe outcomes.

Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (centre) visits a Covid-19 vaccination clinic for children at Scarborough Health Network’s Centenary Hospital in Scarborough, Ontario, on Friday. Of the entire Canadian population, 81% have received one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, while 76% are fully jabbed. (REUTERS)

New infections have been gradually increasing in Canada. Between December 3 and 9, the daily average was at 3,450, growing 22% over the previous week.

With transmission at these levels, modelling showed cases could double and another Delta-driven wave could result in four-fold rise, while an Omicron wave could make matters worse.

In a statement, Canada’s chief public health officer Dr Theresa Tam said “if spread of the Omicron variant were to accelerate and replace the Delta variant as the predominant variant in Canada” then it was “possible” there could be an “even more rapidly accelerating resurgence in cases”. There have, so far, been 87 cases of confirmed infection related to the Omicron variant.

However, the situation will be very different to the winter wave a year earlier. “Despite the challenges ahead with the continuing Delta-driven wave in Canada and emergence of the Omicron variant, we have more and better protections going into this holiday and winter season than previously,” she said.

A wide vaccine rollout and extensive coverage, “continue to give us an advantage over this virus, and while some reduction in protection is possible with the Omicron variant, Covid-19 vaccines are still expected to provide a level of protection, particularly against severe outcomes”, she said.

Of the entire population, 81% have received one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, while 76% are fully jabbed. With paediatric vaccinations having started, 17% of children aged between 5 and 11 have been administered one dose of an mRNA vaccine. In addition, booster doses have also commenced, and a wider population will be covered in January.”

Despite the challenges ahead, “we have more and better protections going into this holiday and winter season than previously”, the modelling presented on Friday noted.