Canada confirms 20,002 new Covid cases in week

Ottawa: Canada confirmed 20,002 new cases of Covid-19 for the week ending Oct. 8, raising fears of a resurgence, health officials said.

The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) said on Friday that the total number of Covid-19 cases and deaths in Canada currently stands at 4,293,273 and 45,689 respectively, Xinhua news agency reported.

The average daily positives during the week was 12.9 percent, and the daily tests per 100,000 people were 57.

According to PHAC data, between October 3-10, the total number of hospital beds occupied by Covid-19 patients increased from 5,070 to 5,373.

A public health expert told the media that the impact of the new variants remains unknown and that the onset of flu season at a time when hospitalizations for Covid-19 are on the rise could put severe pressure on the local health system.

The federal government has lifted Covid-19 border restrictions since October, including mandatory vaccinations, testing and quarantine for international travelers.

Health Canada said vaccination remains one of the most effective tools to protect against the virus and that receiving booster doses as recommended will help protect people from serious illness and other complications from the infection.

According to Health Canada, all of the Covid-19 mRNA vaccines approved for use in Canada continue to be highly effective in preventing severe illness, hospitalization and death.