Canada Braces for Delta-Pushed 4th Wave of COVID-19 Pandemic

Canada sees a surge in new COVID-19 cases.
Community-wide contact rates are rising too quickly with the ongoing reopening efforts.
The epidemic can develop into early September.

Canada’s chief public health officer warned the country appears to be at the beginning of the delta-fueled fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer Theresa Tam

“The updated longer-term forecast shows how the epidemic could develop by early September. It indicates that we are at the beginning of the fourth wave driven by the delta, but the course will depend on the continued increase in fully vaccinated coverage and the timing, pace and extent of reopening, ”Theresa Tam said at a press conference in Ottawa.

“I think we’re in a bit of a precarious period right now with these people trying to get the vaccines and reopen them,” she said.

“Once that balance is upset, and with a highly transmissible virus, it doesn’t take much, in some cases you will see an increase.”

After weeks of sustained decline in new cases of COVID-19, Canada is seeing a surge in new COVID-19 cases and thousands more infections are forecast if contacts are not contained, according to the National Models (PHAC) released by the Canadian Public Health Authority on Friday.

The seven-day moving average of 594 new cases reported daily (July 22-28) showed a 39 percent increase over the previous week, the PHAC said on Thursday.

The national modeling released by the PHAC on Friday showed the serious threat posed by the highly contagious Delta variant and the risk of propelling the country into the fourth wave.