The Public Health Agency of Canada reports that since the beginning of the pandemic there have been 1,178,986 cases of COVID-19 in this country and 23,965 deaths.
Chief Public Health Officer, Dr. Theresa Tam, says the short-term forecast predicts a slower increase in cases but a slight acceleration in deaths.
From what has been seen internationally, Dr. Tam expects strong and sustained measures are needed to suppress the growth of the more contagious variants.
The age group with the highest percentage of cases in Canada is the 20 to 29 year olds with with 19.9 per cent followed by 19 and under with 19.1 per cent.
Dr. Tam says, “As vaccine delivery ramps up at an accelerated pace, there is cause for optimism that widespread and lasting immunity can be achieved through COVID-19 vaccination.”