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Third COVID-19 wave hits grim milestone in Canada as cases surge

Looking at the Johns Hopkins COVID-19 tracker, as of Thursday, Canada has 1,094,899 confirmed cases and 23,428 deaths reported. But Canada’s latest seven-day average was 8,444.7 cases, setting a new record, according to data tracked by CTVNews.ca.

Not only are several provinces reporting a spike in cases across the country, but Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is under fire as vaccinations lag far behind the U.S. vaccination rate.

“We’re certainly in a challenging position here in Canada. We’ve got our most populous provinces in the middle of a third wave,” Isaac Bogoch, MD, an infectious diseases consultant and general internist at Toronto General Hospital, says, per WebMD.

Dr. Bogoch noted that hospital capacity has been stretched to the limit in Ontario, and scheduled surgeries have been canceled due to the surge in coronavirus cases. “We’re certainly in a very precarious place.”

Public health officials point to the upsurge in cases identified as the B.1.1.7 variant, first discovered in the UK,. and the fact that Canada’s vaccination rate is less than half those of the U.S. About 15.2 percent of Canadians vs 35 percent of Americans have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

And the short supply of vaccines is another problem because getting that second dose within the recommended time limit has been extended because there are not enough doses available.

“We are stretching the time for vaccination between dose one and dose two to up to 4 months so we can get the first dose in arms quicker,” Bogoch said. “There has been pushback from certain groups, but I think based on the supply we have in Canada, in general, that makes sense.”

Provinces being strained by rising in cases
On Wednesday, Ontario reported 4,156 new COVID-19 cases and 28 deaths. The numbers pushed the province’s own seven-day rolling average to just over 4,000 daily cases.

Quebec’s hospitals are also being hit hard by a surge in cases, with 660 COVID-19 patients hospitalized. The province recorded 1,559 new cases of COVID-19 and seven more deaths Wednesday.

Alberta has the highest rate of cases, with health officials reporting 1,412 new infections and eight additional deaths. The province currently has 420 patients in hospitals.

And in British Columbia, hospitalizations reached a new level on Wednesday. B.C. confirmed 1,168 new cases and six deaths, with 397 people currently hospitalized.

Canada’s chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam said Tuesday that new cases are up 33 percent, hospitalizations grew 29 percent, and the number in critical care went up 24 percent over the past week. However, Dr. Tam also noted that more than 80 percent of Canadians over 80 – the most vulnerable – now being immunized.

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We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of our dear friend Karen Graham, who served as Editor-at-Large at Digital Journal. She was 78 years old. Karen's view of what is happening in our world was colored by her love of history and how the past influences events taking place today. Her belief in humankind's part in the care of the planet and our environment has led her to focus on the need for action in dealing with climate change. It was said by Geoffrey C. Ward, "Journalism is merely history's first draft." Everyone who writes about what is happening today is indeed, writing a small part of our history.

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