OTTAWA, ON, April 17, 2021 /CNW/ -
The COVID-19 pandemic
continues to create stress and anxiety for many Canadians,
particularly those who do not have ready access to their regular
support networks. Through the Wellness Together Canada online
portal, people of all ages across the country can access immediate,
free and confidential mental health and substance use supports, 24
hours a day, seven days a week.
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One year ago, the Government of Canada launched the Wellness Together Canada
portal to provide free and confidential mental health, substance
use, and well-being supports, from self-assessment, information and
practical tools, to peer support and confidential sessions with
social workers, psychologists and other professionals. A year
later, with emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern and various
levels of restrictions still in place across the country, many
challenges and difficulties associated with the COVID-19 pandemic
remain, creating stress and anxiety for many people in Canada, particularly those who do not have
ready access to their regular support networks. Wellness Together
Canada (WTC) continues to be available for people of all ages, 24
hours, seven days a week and is designed to be used on demand: you
get to choose what you need, when you need it. The portal offers
services in both official languages and phone counselling is
available in more than 200 languages and dialects, through
instantaneous interpretation. As of April
12, over 1.1 million individuals across all provinces and
territories have accessed the WTC portal in over 3.5 million web
sessions. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a profound impact
on our lives, you can find support at Wellness Together Canada, it
is just a call or click away.
As COVID-19 activity continues in Canada, we are tracking a range of
epidemiological indicators to monitor where the disease is most
active, where it is spreading and how it is impacting the health of
Canadians and public health, laboratory and healthcare capacity. At
the same time, the Public Health Agency of Canada is providing Canadians with regular
updates on COVID-19 vaccines administered, vaccination coverage and
ongoing monitoring of vaccine safety across the country. The
following is the latest summary on national numbers and trends, and
the actions we all need to be taking to reduce infection rates,
while vaccination programs expand for the protection of all
Canadians.
Since the start of the pandemic, there have been 1,106,062 cases
of COVID-19, including 85,319 active cases and 23,541 deaths
reported in Canada; these
cumulative numbers tell us about the overall burden of COVID-19
illness to date. They also tell us, together with results of
serological studies, that the vast majority of Canadians remain
susceptible to COVID-19. As vaccine delivery ramps up at an
accelerated pace, there is cause for optimism that widespread and
lasting immunity can be achieved through COVID-19 vaccination. We
now have multiple safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines with unique
advantages that are authorised for use in Canada. Vaccine coverage is increasing across
Canada, with benefits being seen
in prioritized high-risk populations. Ramp up of vaccine
supply and acceleration of vaccination programs will return further
benefits to protect more Canadians, over the coming weeks and
months. As of yesterday, provinces and territories have
administered over 9.4 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines and are
further expanding programs as supply ramps up at an accelerated
pace.
However, with the current acceleration of COVID-19 activity
and a concerning rise in the proportion of cases that involve more
contagious variants of concern, strong public health measures and
individual precautions must be sustained where COVID-19 is
circulating. The latest national-level data show a 7-day
average of 8,669 new cases daily (Apr
9-15), a 26% increase compared to the previous seven days.
For the week of April 4-10, there
were on average of 124,247 tests completed daily across
Canada, of which 6.5% were
positive for COVID-19, an increase from 5.1% the week prior.
Sustained high infection rates are also impacting COVID-19 severity
indicators, particularly in areas with elevated disease activity.
The rise in severe and critical illnesses is placing renewed strain
on the health system and healthcare workforce. Provincial and
territorial data indicate that an average of 3,428 people with
COVID-19 were being treated in Canadian hospitals each day during
the most recent 7-day period (Apr
9-15) representing a 34% increase over last week. This
includes, on average 1,049 people who were being treated in
intensive care units (ICU), which is 22% higher than the previous
week. Mortality trends are also increasing, with a 7-day average of
41 deaths reported daily, which is 38% higher than the week
prior.
While COVID-19 continues to impact people of all ages in
Canada, infection rates are
highest among those aged 20-39 years of age. As well, we are seeing
an increased number of adults under the age of 60 years being
treated for COVID-19 in hospital, including in ICUs. This is a
reminder that serious illness can occur at any age and
evidence indicates that variants of concern can be associated with
more severe illness and increased risk of death. In addition,
circulation of COVID-19 in younger, more mobile and
socially-connected adults is an ongoing risk for spread into
high-risk populations and settings and several jurisdictions have
highlighted social gatherings as an important driver for spread. As
of April 15, a total of 51,643
variant of concern cases have been reported across
Canada, including 49,365 involving
B.1.1.7 variants, 1,882 P.1 variants and 396
B.1.351 variants. Although B.1.1.7, continues to account for
the majority of variants of concern in Canada and has likely replaced the original
virus in some areas, there has been a concerning rise in P.1
cases in recent weeks. Early evidence suggests that the P.1 variant
may reduce the effectiveness of vaccines, making it even more
important to control its spread.
Canadians are urged to remain vigilant, continue following local
public health advice, and consistently maintain individual
practices that keep us and our families safer: stay
home/self-isolate if you have any symptoms, think about the
risks and reduce non-essential activities and outings to a minimum,
avoid all non-essential travel, and maintain individual protective
practices of physical distancing, hand, cough and surface
hygiene and wearing a well-fitted and properly worn face mask as
appropriate (including in shared spaces, indoors or outdoors, with
people from outside of your immediate household).
Canadians can also go the extra mile by sharing
credible information on COVID-19 risks and prevention
practices and measures to reduce COVID-19 in communities and by
downloading the COVID Alert app to break the cycle of
infection and help limit the spread of COVID-19. Read my
backgrounder to access more COVID-19 Information and Resources on
ways to reduce the risks and protect yourself and others, including
information on COVID-19 vaccination.
SOURCE Public Health Agency of Canada