Canada’s top doctor said Friday that indicators show decreasing transmission of COVID-19 in many areas of Canada.
Dr. Theresa Tam, chief public health officer of Canada, said that wastewater data is showing signs of a plateau or post-peak decline in several areas for Canada’s sixth wave of the virus.
“Currently, lagging severity trends such as hospitalizations are still elevated but beginning to decline in some jurisdictions,” she said during a press conference.
She said the warming weather will allow “time for recovery” in Canada, but the path ahead may not be smooth as absenteeism still has put a strain on health care.
Tam also warned of a “comeback” of other infectious diseases in Canada and around the world, including influenza and measles. She said Canada is reporting increased influenza activity in recent weeks but has not reported any measles cases.
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WHO, though, has reported a 79 per cent increase in worldwide measles cases in the first two months of 2022 compared with last year. Tam said if Canadians travel more, it is “definitely a risk.”
Both measles and influenza are vaccine-preventable diseases and Tam said missed or delayed vaccinations during the pandemic are a “key factor” in the rising cases, though she doesn’t think the lower vaccinations are due to hesitancy but not being able to get an appointment.
“Canada had limited domestic measles during the pandemic and we need to keep it that way,” she said.
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