Time of crisis and transition

PUBLIC HEALTH LEADER STEPS DOWN, COVID CASES CLIMB AMID RETURN TO SCHOOLS

The president of the Public Health Agency of Canada is stepping down from her role as the country appears to be headed into the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tina Namiesniowski said in a letter to staff Friday that after six months of responding to the crisis, “none of us are superhuman” and that she needs to take a break.

She said she did not want to leave the federal public health agency without leadership at such a crucial time and so she is stepping aside so that someone else can take over.

She also thanked Canada's chief public health officer, Dr. Theresa Tam, for being a “rock” and says they've made “an exceptional team.”

A Health Canada spokesman says a replacement for Namiesniowski, who had only been in the role since May 2019, will be announced next week.

The resignation comes as public health officials warn that rapid increases in new COVID-19 cases could quickly spiral out of control.

Tam said it's too soon to declare a second wave of the pandemic in the country, but daily case counts are increasing at an alarming rate.

“This situation increases the likelihood that we could lose the ability to keep COVID-19 cases at manageable levels,” she said. “Now is the time for Canadians to redouble their efforts with personal precautions that will slow the spread of the virus.”

By early Friday afternoon, Canada was reporting 141,605 confirmed cases, including 9,201 deaths and 123,461 resolved.

Among the cases is Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-françois Blanchet, who announced that he tested positive for COVID-19.

In a statement Blanchet said he feels healthy and will stay in isolation at his Shawinigan, Que., home until Sept. 26.

Blanchet's wife, Nancy Déziel, tested positive for the illness earlier this week.

The provinces have a role to play, Tam noted, ideally by taking a targeted approach to stem outbreaks on a regional basis.

To that end, Quebec announced Friday it would send police officers to 1,000 bars across the province over the weekend, with particular focus on eight regions that have seen a marked rise in cases and could face further restrictions if the trend isn't reversed.

“The goal behind this operation is to help our regions to go back to green and remain green for those that are already green,” Public Security Minister Geneviève Guilbault said in Quebec City, referring to the province’s colour-coded reopening framework.

The province, which has been the hardest hit by the coronavirus, announced 297 new cases on Friday.

Ontario, meanwhile, reported 401 new cases — a daily increase not seen since June. Health Minister Christine Elliott said 70 per cent of the new cases are in people under the age of 40.

The province reported 11 new COVID-19 cases related to schools, including at least five among students.

That brings the total number of schools with a reported case to 60 out of Ontario’s 4,828 publicly funded schools.

One school in Pembroke, Ont., remains closed due to an outbreak.

On Thursday, Premier Doug Ford announced that Ontario was hiking fines for those organizing large social gatherings to $10,000 and cutting down the maximum size of gatherings in three hot spot regions.

In Toronto, Ottawa and Peel region, only 10 people will be allowed to gather indoors — down from the current limit of 25 — while the number for outdoor gatherings will drop to 25 from 100.

EVERY CANADIAN KNOWS WHAT TO DO ... IN TERMS OF THE MEASURES THEY CAN UNDERTAKE THEMSELVES.

Ford told reporters in Ottawa Friday that the measure would soon be expanded to more regions, because some mayors have requested it.

Both Ontario and Quebec have repeatedly pointed to private gatherings and house parties as the source of the spike, and public health officials urged people to be mindful of their decisions.

“Every Canadian knows what to do, I would hope now, in terms of the measures they can undertake themselves,” said Dr. Howard Njoo, the country’s deputy chief public health officer.

“And so it’s just a matter of us maybe looking in the mirror and seeing what it is that we could or should be doing in our daily lives, who we interact with, how we conduct our day-to-day activities, and I think that’s how we’re going to beat this virus.”

Soaring case numbers are not limited to the two provinces that have been hardest hit by the virus.

British Columbia reported 165 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday — an all-time daily high for the province.