Federal health officials have provided an update on the Covid-19 pandemic and Canada’s Chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam says the number of new infections is growing, mainly among the unvaccinated.

“During the month of August the average weekly rate of new COVID-19 cases was eleven times higher while the average weekly rate of hospitalizations was 39 times higher in unvaccinated people than vaccinated people.”

She says there are almost seven million people in Canada who are eligible for the vaccine, but have not yet had it.

Federal officials warn the continuing increase of Covid-19 driven primarily by the Delta variant could soon overwhelm health care facilities across the country.  Dr. Tam says more than 43 hundred new cases are being reported per day.  In the most recent analysis of wastewater in Saskatoon, which showed a 127 per cent increase

Meanwhile, federal officials say they are checking the data to see if a 3rd dose of Covid-19 vaccines may be needed after Moderna suggested a booster may be needed.

Chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam says they’re now waiting on that data but she says they are taking a very thoughtful approach to the data, including that provided by the manufacturer and other public health systems, before moving forward on a booster for the general population. CJGX