Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam is advising Canadians to continue to wear a mask, regardless of varying jurisdictional guidelines, as the country sees a resurgence of COVID-19 cases.
Speaking to reporters during a pandemic update on Tuesday, Tam also underlined the need to get boosted with a third COVID-19 vaccine dose to prevent against severe outcomes from the illness.
“Let me just emphasize all across Canada, doesn't matter where you are, it’s very likely that the Omicron variant, the BA.2 sub-lineage is spreading quite widely in your community. So doesn't matter where you are in Canada right now, I would advise getting that booster shot, masking and improving ventilation,†she said.
Tam added that a masking mandate might eliminate individual “guesswork,†but acknowledged that provincial public health authorities are trying to encourage good habits without forcing them on people.
“I think in different communities, depending on the context, the social cohesion, and other variables, each of those policies might work better under different circumstances. But I think people are keen to see and trust that the population are able to employ those layers of protection,†she said.
Asked whether the definition of “fully vaccinated†needs to change from two to three doses, Tam said it is an “ongoing discussion†but maintained the importance of getting a third shot.
“I think the message today is get up to date with your vaccination which includes a booster for the eligible population for all extensive purposes, that's 18 plus and [it] also can be offered to adolescents. So that is the most important message,†she said.
There’s been a gradual rise in COVID-19 cases nationwide since the end of March. However, officials say this was expected after some provinces lifted public health restrictions, including masking requirements and proof of vaccination.
As testing rates have decreased, local authorities have been tracking virus prevalence through municipal wastewater testing. At a national level, Tam said officials are trying to make more of that data publically available.
“We are trying to provide that information about the wastewater testing sites on a website, but I know we can do more as we are beginning to escalate the benefit of this tool ... Wastewater data right now covers just over 60 per cent of the population. We're aiming to do better, to try to get to that 80 per cent coverage, but it's not the easiest thing to interpret,†she said.
According to data tracked by CTVNews.ca, approximately 32.4 million first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered, 31.2 million second doses have been administered, and 18.3 million third doses have been administered.
Tam attributes Canada’s rather low booster shot rate to the fact that some Canadians might have felt a third shot was unnecessary after the latest dip in cases. She also noted that the National Advisory Committee on Immunization still advises those who test positive for COVID-19 to wait three months before getting the jab.
“So I think some of those factors may be playing into why we are not getting the level of boost that we're seeing. I also recognize that at the time of the initial effort in doing the boost campaign, it was in a very difficult period of time when vaccinators were getting infected. We had absenteeism from the public health and health system,†Tam said.
With the U.S. election widely predicted to be a close race, some believe American voters in Canada and overseas will be crucial in helping elect the new president about a month from now.
Canadian figure skater Nikolaj Sorensen has been suspended for at least six years for 'sexual maltreatment,' the Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner announced Wednesday.
As Hurricane Helene roared outside, the wind howling and branches snapping, John Savage went to his grandparents' bedroom to make sure they were OK.
Drug smuggling is the main industry for Mexican cartels, but migrant smuggling is turning into a financial windfall. In this fourth instalment of CTV W5's 'Narco Jungle: The Death Train,' Avery Haines is in Juarez where she speaks with one of the human smugglers known as 'coyotes.'
A B.C. man has been ordered to pay a total of $4,000 to a Coquitlam company and its two owners because of a negative review he posted on Google.
The Israeli military on Thursday warned people to evacuate a city and other communities in southern Lebanon that are north of a UN-declared buffer zone, signalling that it may widen a ground operation launched earlier this week against the Hezbollah militant group.
An Ontario family was planning a religious trip to Saudi Arabia that included 10 people, but when they were checking in for their flights, the family discovered some of their tickets were fake.
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An Ontario family was planning a religious trip to Saudi Arabia that included 10 people, but when they were checking in for their flights, the family discovered some of their tickets were fake.
Alberta will not allow the sale of liquor in grocery and convenience stores, the province announced on Wednesday.
Three suspects are now in custody, including the person who police say shot and injured an officer during a robbery investigation in midtown Toronto on Wednesday afternoon.
A B.C. man has been ordered to pay a total of $4,000 to a Coquitlam company and its two owners because of a negative review he posted on Google.
U.S. authorities charged five Chinese nationals with lying and trying to cover their tracks, more than a year after they were confronted in the dark near a remote Michigan military site where thousands of people had gathered for summer drills.
Iran's ballistic missile attack on Israel caused few casualties and little damage, but it marked a further escalation of tensions in the Middle East as Israeli forces battle Tehran's militant allies in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip. Here's what we know.
Liz Cheney, one of Donald Trump's fiercest Republican antagonists, will join Democrat Kamala Harris at a campaign event in Wisconsin on Thursday aimed at reaching out to moderate voters and rattling the former president.
Vietnam condemned China on Thursday while saying that Chinese law enforcement personnel assaulted 10 Vietnamese fishermen, damaged their fishing gear and seized about four tons of fish catch near the disputed Paracel Islands in the South China Sea.
Thousands sang, cheered and prayed as multiple preachers declared Donald Trump to be God's favoured candidate to defeat what one called the “forces of darkness.â€
A boat carrying scores of passengers capsized on Lake Kivu in eastern Congo on Thursday, killing at least 50 people, witnesses told The Associated Press.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is headed to France today to attend the Francophonie summit, where the shadow of a wider war in the Middle East will likely loom large over the meeting of French-speaking countries.
Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet says his ultimatum to the government stands, after the Liberals voted against a motion seeking money to boost seniors' benefits on Wednesday.
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A woman with the rare condition of two uteruses delivered twins, one from each womb, last month at a hospital in northwestern China, according to health officials and state media.
A medallion containing some of the original mould involved in the discovery of penicillin is expected to fetch up to US$50,000 when it goes up for auction later this month.
Amazon Web Services’ director of global artificial intelligence is encouraging Canada not to go it alone when it comes to regulating the technology.
The bracket for 2024's Fat Bear Week contest was revealed Tuesday night, but only after a deadly bear-on-bear attack at Alaska’s Katmai National Park and Preserve on Monday delayed the unveiling.
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A San Diego doctor became the third person to plead guilty in the case of Matthew Perry's fatal drug overdose, as prosecutors collect cooperators in an attempt to convict two bigger targets they say are responsible for the death of the 'Friends' star.
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Transat A.T. Inc. is preparing to lay off up to 80 workers as the tour operator struggles to turn its finances around, according to a preliminary notice sent to the Quebec government.
New data from Greater Vancouver and the Fraser Valley shows a surge in supply and drop in demand in the region's historically hot real estate market.
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What does New Westminster's təməsew̓txʷ Aquatic and Community Centre have in common with a historic 68,000-seat stadium in Beijing, an NFL stadium and the aquatics venue for the Paris Olympics? They've all been named among the world's most beautiful sports venues for 2024.
In less than a year, an Alberta woman has gone from gracing the stage at her first pageant to competing at the Mrs. Universe pageant in South Korea. She's making history by becoming the first Canadian veteran to compete internationally.
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Days after being suspended by FIFA, Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez produced heroics in front of the watching Prince William as Aston Villa sealed another famous win against Bayern Munich.
The claim to Shohei Ohtani's potentially lucrative 50th home run ball grew more complicated this week, with a second fan filing a lawsuit asserting he had possession of the historic baseball.
The men's final of this year’s China Open was billed as a battle between two titans and it definitely didn't disappoint.
Canadian-made Chrysler Grand Caravans have seen sales jump over the third quarter and calendar year. According to FCA Canada, sales were up by 79 per cent this quarter and up 85 per cent for the calendar-year to date.
A Pickering, Ont., student going to college to be a mechanic is shocked the engine in his two-year-old car will not be repaired under warranty after the dealership claimed he had been 'over-revving' the engine.
General Motors’ Cruise autonomous vehicle division will pay a US$1.5 million penalty after the unit failed to fully report a crash involving a pedestrian, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Monday.
The grave of a previously unknown Canadian soldier has been identified as a man from Hayfield, Man. who fought in the First World War.
Moving into the second week of October, the eastern half of Canada can expect some brisker fall air to break down from the north
What does New Westminster's təməsew̓txʷ Aquatic and Community Centre have in common with a historic 68,000-seat stadium in Beijing, an NFL stadium and the aquatics venue for the Paris Olympics? They've all been named among the world's most beautiful sports venues for 2024.
The last living member of the legendary Vancouver Asahi baseball team, Kaye Kaminishi, died on Saturday, Sept. 28, surrounded by family. He was 102 years old.
New data from Greater Vancouver and the Fraser Valley shows a surge in supply and drop in demand in the region's historically hot real estate market.
On Saturday night at her parents’ home in Delaware, Ont. the Olympic bronze medallist in pole vault welcomed everyone who played a role in getting her to the podium in Paris.
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New data from Greater Vancouver and the Fraser Valley shows a surge in supply and drop in demand in the region's historically hot real estate market.
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What does New Westminster's təməsew̓txʷ Aquatic and Community Centre have in common with a historic 68,000-seat stadium in Beijing, an NFL stadium and the aquatics venue for the Paris Olympics? They've all been named among the world's most beautiful sports venues for 2024.
An Ontario family was planning a religious trip to Saudi Arabia that included 10 people, but when they were checking in for their flights, the family discovered some of their tickets were fake.
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OC Transpo will be providing an update today on the Trillium Line LRT, including an anticipated start date for trial running.
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Regina city councillors heard an update from administration on the Lawson Aquatic Centre replacement at Executive Committee Wednesday.
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The jury at the trial of a second-degree murder suspect in Sudbury on Wednesday heard graphic details of the crime scene discovered in a Kathleen Street apartment on Boxing Day 2020.
An Ontario family was planning a religious trip to Saudi Arabia that included 10 people, but when they were checking in for their flights, the family discovered some of their tickets were fake.
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According to police, the police vehicle was parked on the shoulder in a construction zone with its lights activated when it was struck by a tractor trailer traveling east.
A drop-in shelter for women and gender-nonconforming Londoners living unsheltered is closing its doors in the Old East Village and transitioning to an outreach service.
Ward 1 Councillor Clare Riepma will be docked 15 days' pay and was sternly reprimanded for violating the City of Barrie's code of conduct on two separate occasions.
An Aurora, Ont. man who has maintained his innocence despite being convicted of killing his wife will learn his fate in a Newmarket courtroom on Wednesday.
Police responded to serious crash in Melanthon Township.
Police in Chatham are advising the public of a road closure. The intersection of Queen Street and Park Avenue is closed because of downed power lines.
WARNING: This article contains content some may find offensive. Reader’s discretion is advised.
Described as a "bubble on the edge of bursting," Windsor's emergency shelters are approaching maximum capacity much earlier than expected this year.
The moment the writ was dropped for the Oct. 19 election, candidates all over B.C. began putting up campaign signs. By the following day, many of those signs had already been stolen or vandalized, and that’s continuing today.
DoorDash is increasing fees in British Columbia in response to recently passed provincial legislation.
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A father in Kelowna is furious after his 13-year-old daughter was brutally beaten on Gyro Beach. He is calling for criminal charges in the devastating attack, which was caught on video by multiple bystanders.
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A northeastern Ontario jury is expected to hear closing arguments today in Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard's sexual assault trial.
City council in Sault Ste. Marie has decided to purchase the former general hospital site, with an eye on demolishing the property and selling it to a buyer serious about redevelopment.
A woman who has worked for Â鶹´«Ã½ Northern Ontario for 50 years was honoured Tuesday night with a lifetime achievement award.
He may not have logged the fastest time or even gone the full distance, but residents of a Newfoundland town agree the goat who unexpectedly joined the local weekend half marathon was the event's undisputed champion.
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A soccer game in England on Tuesday night drove a spike in online traffic across the Atlantic to a website launched by the Newfoundland and Labrador government.
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