Canadians are being asked to curb their enthusiasm despite the flattening of the COVID-19 curve.
Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam says we’re getting excited about the flattening of the curve a little too soon.
“This week, things have been a little flat. COVID curve flat that is and that has got us all excited about what that means for getting out of our houses,” she said.
There are 52,057 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Canada including the first reported case in Nunavut. There have been 3,082 deaths from the virus.
800,000 Canadians have been tested for the virus with about 7 per cent of those testing positive.
“We have to be very cautious going down the side of the epidemic curve. It would be a whole lot easier if this was a well-trodden path with many who have gone before us,” she said.
Tam said she’s also concerned about increasing numbers of COVID-19 in indigenous communities in several provinces.
“Already on this path, we’ve seen some worrisome transmission events emerging. Having learned a lesson about vulnerabilities in long term care homes, we’re now tackling introductions and spread in certain work settings and congregate housing,” she said.
Tam said there are plans to ramp up testing and contact tracing to find where chains of transmission are occurring.
