OTTAWA—Canada could be on track for a “Delta driven” fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Public Health Agency of Canada predicted Friday, as Ottawa moved to extend some pandemic support measures for Canadians and employers buffeted by the crisis. “(That) could mean that reopening is proceeding too quickly, before enough people have developed immunity through vaccination, and we could expect to see a sharp resurgence by the end of the summer,” said Chief Public Health Officer Theresa Tam. The Delta variant has been identified as the most transmissible variant of concern, with Canada reporting a fivefold increase in the proportion of Delta cases in June alone. The Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB), the Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit and the Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit will also be extended to the same date. The modelling showed that in most cases, hospitalizations or death from COVID-19 has occurred among unvaccinated people.

Source: thestar July 30, 2021 16:13 UTC