Tam, hopeful, calls for new `resolve'

Canada is at a “critical point in the race” in a COVID-19 pandemic that Dr. Theresa Tam compared to a marathon Sunday.

The authorization of two vaccines in the past month offer hope that the end is in sight, Canada's chief public health officer said in a statement. But that hope comes after nearly a year and at a time when “the days are short and cold,” and many battle exhaustion and face hardship.

“We are partway through, but with the current momentum of the epidemic and continued high rates of infection in many areas of the country, now is the time to strengthen our resolve, regroup and make sure that we have the stamina to keep our pace and make it across the finish line,” Tam said.

Tam urged people to continue following public health advice that protects them from the virus, including new variants that have emerged in the U.K., Brazil and South Africa, and have left public health officials “deeply concerned.”

In Ontario, 2,417 new cases of COVID -19 were reported Sunday and 50 more deaths. A total of 1,436 people were in hospitals, with 392 of them in intensive care and 301 on ventilators. A total of 2,759 cases were newly resolved.

The province reported 4,427 daily doses of COVID-19 vaccine administered as of Saturday evening — down from 11,161 daily doses Friday — with the total administered reaching 280,573. A total of 62,881 vaccinations had been completed.

More than 48,900 tests were completed Saturday, Health Minister Christine Elliott tweeted. There were 785 new cases in Toronto, 404 in Peel, 215 in York Region and 121 in Niagara.

Since the pandemic began, there have been 255,002 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ontario.

Of those, 225,046 have recovered and 5,803 people have died.

Ottawa Public Health reported no new deaths from COVID-19 on Sunday and 76 new cases of the virus.

Active confirmed cases continued to decline, with 939 reported. That's down from 988 reported Saturday and from the 1,232 reported at the beginning of last week. There were 37 people hospitalized in Ottawa, six of them in intensive care.

Cumulative local COVID -19 cases totalled 12,929 with 11,571 cases resolved. The death toll stood at 419.

Councillors Keith Egli and Matthew Luloff will introduce a motion at city council Wednesday extending Ottawa's Temporary Mandatory Mask Bylaw until April 29. While vaccines are now being rolled out, it will be months before significant numbers of people can get a shot, said Egli, who chairs Ottawa's Board of Health.

It's very important that Ottawans “stay the course by wearing masks, being physically distant and staying close to home unless carrying out necessary tasks and trips.”

The mandatory mask bylaw first passed in July requires people to wear masks in all enclosed public spaces, such as recreational facilities, shopping malls, stores, restaurants and cafés, while using public transit and in the common areas of apartment and condo buildings.

Ontario's COVID -19 figures on Sunday included 15 new COVID -19 cases from the Eastern Ontario Health Unit, down from 29 a day earlier. Two cases were reported from the Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit and five cases from Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox and Addington Public Health.

There were again no cases reported from the Renfrew County and District Health Unit or Hastings Prince Edward Public Health.