Prime Minister Justin Trudeau warned Canadians that public health measures, including restrictions on internal social gatherings, would have to continue for weeks, as new variants of Covid-19 and a slow release of the vaccine, would risk a dangerous third wave of the virus.
“We have to keep taking strong public health measures,” said Trudeau during a news conference on Friday, adding, “otherwise, we could see a third wave that is even worse than the second or the first, and I know that this is not the news you want to hear. “
Canadian public health officials released an alarming new model on Friday, indicating that even current public health measures will not be enough to contain a third wave if fueled by faster-spreading variants of Covid-19.
“We need to make sure that, even when provinces seek to loosen certain restrictions, other restrictions are maintained and there is an ability to … respond quickly when variants appear,” said Trudeau.
The new model highlights the fact that “worrying variants” have now been detected in all provinces and continue to spread. Based on projections released by public health officials, current public health measures would not be sufficient to stem the spread of the virus until spring, if new, more contagious variants emerged.
“A resurgence is very likely if people abandon public health measures now. What you want to do is keep avoiding this yo-yo effect up and down. You need to avoid complete blocks and curfews and all that, trying to maintain a strong level of public health measures, ”said Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s director of public health at a model presentation on Friday.
The province of Ontario announced on Friday that the city of Toronto and one of its neighboring regions will remain in a blockade, with an order to remain at home until at least March 8, as the threat of new variants continues to concern health authorities.
Canada remains very vulnerable to a third wave, as new variants of Covid-19 continue to spread and the vaccine’s launch remains painfully slow across the country.
“We need more vaccines, more vaccines will solve big problems,” said Doug Ford, the Ontario premier at a news conference in Toronto on Friday.
Like other provinces and territories across Canada, Ontario was able to vaccinate the vast majority of residents and employees in long-term care homes. These residents continue to represent the most vulnerable to Covid-19 in Canada.
But there was no significant vaccine implantation in other vulnerable groups, except indigenous communities. The commander leading the vaccine launch in Ontario characterized the situation as a “vaccine drought”.
“We didn’t waste our time while we were in that drought, with a minimal amount of vaccines to use, which we have done in preparation for the day when they come the most,” retired retired general Rick Hillier told a news conference in Toronto Friday.
Hillier said his vaccination task force will now prioritize health professionals “who deal with patients”, among other risk groups, and said he expects a shortage of vaccine doses to improve in the coming weeks.