Canada Says Delta Variant “Fearsome Enemy” at Start of Fourth Wave

OTTAWA, July 30 (Reuters) – Canada must vaccinate as many people as possible and carefully relax public health measures as the number of COVID-19 cases rises at the start of what could be a fourth wave, said Friday the country’s top health official.

The increase in the number of cases suggests that “we are at the start of the fourth wave driven by Delta, but the trajectory will depend on a continued increase in fully immunized coverage and the timing, pace and extent of the disease. reopening, ”said Theresa Tam, chief public health officer. journalists.

“Delta is a formidable enemy,” she added. Earlier, a Washington Post report said the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention described the variant as being as transmissible as chickenpox. Read more

Among the variants detected in Canada, the delta more than quintupled in June, Tam said.

Nationally, the seven-day moving average of cases is 93% lower than it was at the peak of Wave 3, but the average is rising again, official data shows.

Meanwhile, Canada has extended its key pandemic support measures, including business subsidies to pay salaries and rent, by about a month until October 23.

Businesses had been pushing for an extension just as the Liberal government appears ready to call for an early vote in September. Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland said the measures were still needed as the economy was still reopening. Read more

Earlier on Friday, Statistics Canada said economic growth jumped 0.7% in June as health restrictions were lifted after the third wave. Read more

If health restrictions are relaxed too quickly before more of the population is fully vaccinated, “we could expect a strong resurgence by the end of the summer,” Tam said.

Over 81% of Canadians eligible for vaccines have received a single injection and over 66% are fully immunized. But some 6 million people still need to be vaccinated, she said.

She noted that Britain has seen a sharp increase in the number of new cases, but that they are now decreasing as more people are vaccinated.

“The international experience with Delta-entrained waves underscores the need for a gradual and cautious lifting of restrictions until full immunization coverage is high in the entire population,” Tam said.

Reporting by Steve Scherer; Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise

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