Despite the persistent presence of the highly contagious Omicron variant in Canada, COVID-19 is not expected to surge in the coming months as hospitalizations and deaths remain stable, federal health officials said.
Speaking at a media conference Tuesday, Canada’s chief public health officer, Dr. Theresa Tam, said nearly three years after the virus was declared a global pandemic, the country is at a point when COVID-19 activity has reached a “relatively steady state.”
“While uncertainty remains about the seasonal patterns of COVID-19, the current trends suggest we may not see any major waves in the coming months as we prepare for a potential fall and winter surge,” she said.
She added that intensive care unit admissions and deaths have stabilized and population immunity is at a high and stable level, thanks to a combination of vaccines and previous infections among the population.
However, despite the virus waning in Canada, Tam warned it will still continue to impact our health-care system, especially for older and immune-compromised Canadians.
“As we adjust our collective response and move toward the management of COVID-19 as a regularly occurring disease, planning for the fall must take into account the potential demand of COVID-19 and other repository infections on our health-care system,” Tam added.
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