Amid ongoing protests over vaccine mandates and COVID-19 restrictions in Ottawa and elsewhere, Canada’s top health officials outlined what “living with the virus” would look like, saying it should mean fewer deaths, a health-care system that is not overwhelmed with COVID-19 cases, and timely surgeries for patients with serious diseases.
“Living with the virus means that people have to stop dying because of it in such large numbers,” Minister of Health Jean-Yves Duclos said during the Public Health Agency of Canada’s weekly COVID-19 briefing on Friday.
“Secondly, living with the virus means that the virus in our health-care system must be able to coexist without the latter being paralyzed, without cancer patients being told that their surgeries will have to wait because our hospitals and our health-care workers are overwhelmed by COVID-19.”
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It also means using the tools available to combat transmission and limit the severity of infection, at both an individual level and collectively, and to recognize that it is very likely there will still be bad surprises in store in the months ahead, Duclos said. He added that living with the virus also means being up to date with vaccinations so that everyone is better protected and prepared when the next wave or variant strikes.
“Even if we know that vaccination is imperfect, the science is unequivocal – vaccination does reduce transmission and prevent severe complications.”
Less transmission and fewer severe cases will help ease the pressure on hospitals and on health-care workers, which in turn would help ease public health measures in place, he explained, calling vaccinations the best and main way to protect Canadians.
The latest data shows that 50 per cent of eligible Canadians have received their booster dose, while 55 per cent of eligible children have received their first dose, according to health officials, though booster rates for those who are older and therefore more vulnerable are “pretty good.”
Severe illness trends are still high or even increasing in some parts of the country, with more than 1,000 patients in intensive care and 130 people dying each day, Dr. Theresa Tam, Chief Public Health Officer of Canada said during the press conference. Still, there are hopeful signs as the number of people being treated for COVID-19 in hospitals is declining overall, she said.
Health authorities across the country are looking ahead and planning how to manage the virus over the short and longer term, said Tam, including a transition plan for the immediate future to ease restrictions as activity in the latest wave improves.
Duclos emphasized that protective measures were always meant to be temporary.
“Some of these restrictions will be with us for a long time. Others will be lifted as soon as the epidemiological situation, science and prudence allow it.”
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Minister of Health Jean-Yves Duclos speaks durixjmtzywng a news conference on the COVID-19 pandemic and Health Canada’s approval of the antiviral treatment Paxlovid in Ottawa on Monday, Jan. 17, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang
