Statement  from the Chief Public Health Officer of Canada on October 15, 2021

On October 15, 2021, Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer, issued the following statement on COVID-19.

October 15, 2021 | Ottawa, ON | Public Health Agency of Canada 

The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) continues to monitor COVID-19 epidemiological indicators to quickly detect, understand and communicate emerging issues of concern. The following is a summary of the latest national numbers and trends.

Since the start of the pandemic, there have been 1,673,408 cases of COVID-19 and 28,421 deaths reported in Canada. These cumulative numbers tell us about the overall burden of COVID-19 illness to date, while the number of active cases, now at 35,335, and 7-day moving averages indicate current disease activity and severity trends.

The latest national 7-day average of 3,168 new cases reported daily (Oct 8-14) is a decrease of 15% over the previous week. While the decline in national daily case counts is encouraging, there is still considerable regional variation, with some areas continuing to experience challenges where the virus is surging. Unfortunately, hospitalisation and critical care admission trends, primarily involving unvaccinated people, are still elevated nationally. Together with prolonged hospital stays this continues to place a heavy strain on local healthcare resources, particularly where infection rates are high and vaccination rates are low. The latest provincial and territorial data show that an average of 2,460 people with COVID-19 were being treated in Canadian hospitals each day during the most recent 7-day period (Oct 8-14). This includes, on average, 741 people who were being treated in intensive care units (ICU), and an average of 40 deaths were reported daily (Oct 8-14). It is hoped that maintaining strengthened control measures in heavily impacted areas will begin to reduce severe illness trends and ease the strain on the health system in the weeks to come.

During this fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, infections and severe outcomes have several key features:

• Nationally, the highly contagious Delta Variant of Concern (VOC), accounts for the majority of recently reported cases, is associated with increased severity, and may reduce the effectiveness of vaccines
• Most reported cases, hospitalisations and deaths are occurring among unvaccinated people
• Virus spread in areas with low vaccination coverage presents an ongoing risk for emergence of and replacement by new VOCs, including a risk of VOCs with the ability to evade vaccine protection.

Regardless of which SARS-CoV-2 variant is predominating in an area, we know that vaccination, in combination with public health and individual measures, continue to work to reduce disease spread and severe outcomes. In particular, evidence continues to demonstrate that a complete two-dose series of Health-Canada approved COVID-19 vaccines provides substantial protection. Based on the latest data from 12 provinces and territories for the eligible population, 12 years or older:

• From December 14, 2020 to September 25, 2021, 0.19% of fully vaccinated people became infected, with the majority of recent cases and hospitalizations occurring in unvaccinated or partially vaccinated people.
• In recent weeks (August 29 – September 25, 2021):
  • the average weekly rate of new COVID-19 cases in unvaccinated people was 8 times higher than in the fully vaccinated.
  • the average weekly rate of hospitalized cases in unvaccinated people was 26 times higher compared to fully vaccinated people.
  • note: the ratios above have decreased compared to last week’s update largely due to an update in the population estimates used (Statistics Canada, July 1, 2021; formerly July 1, 2020). The increase in the 2021 population estimates has resulted in a decrease in the calculated rate of new cases among unvaccinated people.

As of October 14, 2021, provinces and territories have administered over 57 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines, with the latest provincial and territorial data indicating that over 88% of people aged 12 years or older have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine and over 82% are now fully vaccinated. Age-specific vaccine coverage data, as of October 9 2021, show that over 86% of people 40 years or older have at least one dose and over 80% are fully vaccinated, while 83% of younger adults aged 18-39 years have at least one dose and 74%-76% are fully vaccinated.

As more of our activities move indoors, this fall and winter, we must strive to have as many eligible people as possible fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as quickly as possible to protect ourselves and others, including those who may not mount a strong immune response or who cannot get vaccinated. Implementing timed and targeted public health measures and maintaining individual protective practices will be crucial for slowing COVID-19 infection rates and reducing the impact on healthcare capacity. While our protection against COVID-19 has been bolstered by vaccines, we also need to think about the return of other respiratory infections. We can stay healthier by getting up-to-date with recommended vaccines, such as influenza and other routine vaccines for children and adults and maintaining basic precautions that help slow the spread of COVID-19 as well as other respiratory infections.

While COVID-19 is still circulating in Canada and internationally, core public health practices remain crucial: stay home/self-isolate if you have symptoms; be aware of risks associated with different settings; follow local public health advice and maintain individual protective practices. In particular, physical distancing and properly wearing a well-fitted and well-constructed face mask provide additional layers of protection that further reduce your risk in all settings, as well as getting the best ventilation possible in indoor spaces. Canadians are advised to continue avoiding non-essential travel outside of Canada; if you must travel, be aware of the requirements for visiting other countries and for returning to Canada.

For additional information regarding vaccination in your area, reach out to your local public health authorities, healthcare provider, or other trusted and credible sources, such as Canada.ca and Immunize.ca. Canada.ca provides a broad range of COVID-19 information and resources to help Canadians understand the benefits of being vaccinated against COVID-19 and find guidance on life after vaccination.

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. 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.

The calculation of the national 7-day moving averages of people in hospital (2,509) and in intensive care units (757) daily (October 8-14) above, erroneously included cumulative numbers rather than daily numbers for the Northwest Territories (NWT). The corrected national averages (excluding NWT numbers) for October 8-14th was on average 2,460 people with COVID-19 in hospital and 741 people in intensive care daily. In addition, a note has been added to describe the impact of updated (July 2021) Statistics Canada population estimates, which are now being used in the calculation of rates. In particular, the updated population denominators, which are higher than previously used estimates, impact the ratios comparing infection and hospitalisation rates in unvaccinated individuals versus fully vaccinated individuals.

Contacts

Media Relations
Public Health Agency of Canada
613-957-2983
media@hc-sc.gc.ca