Coronavirus latest: Canada on verge of deadly fourth wave, top doctor warns

Canada was facing the beginning of a potentially deadly fourth wave of coronavirus, the nation’s top medic warned on Tuesday.

Four variants of concern — Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Delta — are spreading, but Delta accounts for the majority of recently reported variant cases nationwide, Theresa Tam, Canada’s chief public health officer, said.

“The latest epidemiology and modelling update shows that we are at the start of a Delta-driven fourth wave,” she said. “The trajectory will depend on ongoing increase in fully vaccinated coverage and the timing, pace and extent of re-opening,” Tam added. 

She said cases would be concentrated largely in younger unvaccinated people. However, further spread could extend into older unvaccinated populations. 

“Both higher overall case volumes and older age of cases could ultimately lead to an increase in severe illness outcomes, including hospitalisations, with the potential to exceed healthcare capacity,” Tam warned.

Since the start of the pandemic, there have been more than 1.4m cases of Covid-19 in Canada, with more than 26,000 deaths.

“This reaffirms the need to take a cautious approach to relaxing public health measures, to remain vigilant and responsive to signs of resurgence, and to continue to increase first and second dose vaccination coverage,” said Tam. 

She said an increase in fully vaccinated coverage above 80 per cent across all age groups, particularly in the 18-39 year olds where most of the transmission is occurring, could “significantly reduce the size and impact of the resurgence”.