Ontario in third wave of COVID-19, science advisors say
Posted March 16, 2021 9:49 am.
Last Updated March 16, 2021 9:50 am.
TORONTO (NEWS 1130) – Ontario’s science advisers say the province is experiencing a third wave of COVID-19.
The Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table says more transmissible virus variants of concern account for almost half of new cases and are driving growth. The group, which gives independent advice and analysis to the province, says almost two thirds of Ontario’s public health units are now experiencing “exponential growth” of the virus.
The province’s top doctor said Monday that Ontario could be going into a third wave but the extent of it remains to be seen.
On Tuesday, Ontario reported another 1,074 new cases of COVID-19 and 11 more deaths linked to the virus. Health Minister Christine Elliott says that 313 of those new cases are in Toronto, 199 are in Peel Region and 101 are in York Region.
More than 51,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in Ontario.
Related article: AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine now recommended for all adults
Meanwhile, Quebec is reporting 561 new COVID-19 infections and eight more deaths attributed to the novel coronavirus. Health officials say hospitalizations dropped by 20, to 533, and 91 were in intensive care, a drop of five.
The province says it administered 28,861 vaccine doses Monday, for a total of 774,600, representing slightly more than 9 per cent of the population.
Premier Francois Legault is holding a media briefing Monday evening, when he is expected to announce changes to public health orders, including the nighttime curfew in Montreal.
Nova Scotia is reporting two new cases of COVID-19 today and confirming four more variant cases.
The new cases are in the Halifax area, with one a close contact of a previously reported case and the other under investigation.
Health officials say the National Microbiology Lab has also confirmed four new variant cases from previously identified cases — two more of the B.1.1.7 variant, first detected in the United Kingdom; and two more of the B.1.351 variant, first identified in South Africa.
This brings the total number of confirmed variant cases in the province to 23.
The National Advisory Committee on Immunization says there is now enough “real-world evidence” to show the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine is both safe and effective for seniors.
The decision reverses a recommendation made by the body on March 1, when the panel of vaccine experts said AstraZeneca hadn’t included enough people over the age of 65 in its clinical trials.
NACI chair Dr. Caroline Quach said Tuesday that two studies of patients who received the vaccine in the United Kingdom have been released since then and show the AstraZeneca vaccine is both safe and effective for seniors, particularly against severe disease and hospitalization.
