 |
| Vaccination rollout in Canada got off to a slow start but is now picking up. (Photo by= Reuters) |
[Asia News Communication = Reporter Reakkana] The rate of coronavirus infections in Canada's biggest province has reached a new record as hospitals warn they’re close to being overwhelmed. BBC reported that a panel of experts say infections in Ontario could increase by 600% by June if public health measures are weak and vaccination rates do not pick up.
Last week, for the first time since the pandemic began, Canada registered more cases per million than the US. About 22% of Canadians have now received a first vaccine dose. That compares to 37% in the US. Now, Ontario introduces strict new public measures. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the federal government would help Toronto, the largest city in the country, which has been hard-hit by the latest surge.
New variants - especially the UK variant, B1.1.7 - account for more than two-thirds of infections in Ontario. Even with vaccinations progressing, the expert panel warned that the number of new cases in Ontario could go as high as 30,000 a day - in a province with 14 million people, 38% of the total population of Canada. The expert panel said the best-case scenario would bring new cases down to about 5,000 a day, but only with considerably more stringent public health measures than the ones now in place.
