Canada Confirms Twenty-Three Coronavirus Variant Cases

As the resurgence of COVID-19 activity continues in Canada, we track a range of epidemiological indicators to monitor where the disease is most active, where it is spreading and how it is impacting the health of Canadians, announced Dr. Theresa Tam, the Chief Public Health Officer of Canada.

On January 13, 2021, Dr. Tam published the latest summary on national numbers and trends and the actions taking to maintain COVID-19 at manageable levels across Canada.

‘Since the start of the pandemic, there have been 17,233 deaths reported in Canada; this cumulative number ‘tell us about the overall burden of COVID-19 illness to date.’

Many areas in Canada continue to report high infection rates, such as near the Toronto and Montreal cities.

‘Given the recent emergence of SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus variants of concern, which appear to be associated with an increased risk of spread, Public Health Agency of Canada's PHAC has been working with provinces, territories, and international partners to enhance monitoring for the presence of any virus variants in Canada,’ added Dr. Tam.

As of January 13, 2021, Canadian provinces and territories have reported 22 cases of the B.1.1.17 (United Kingdom) virus variant and one case of the 501Y.V2 (South Africa) virus variant.

‘With the current momentum of the epidemic and continued high rates of infection in many areas of the country, rapid accumulation of cases will continue until we can make significant progress in interrupting spread.’

‘We will need to double-down on our efforts, to avoid more tragedy and prepare the ground for the best possible outcome as more COVID-19 vaccines become available to Canadians in the coming months,’ concluded Dr. Tam.

Given these virus variants have been reported in multiple countries, the Government of Canada continues to advise Canadians against non-essential travel outside of Canada.

Starting on January 6, all air passengers five years of age or older, including Canadians, must show a negative PCR test result taken within 72 hours before boarding their scheduled departure to Canada.

Furthermore, Canada stated: ‘As foreign governments implement strict travel restrictions and as fewer international transportation options are available, you may have difficulty returning to Canada or may have to remain abroad for an indeterminate period. Many countries continue to have strict travel restrictions in place, and the availability of international transportation options remains limited.’

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