Canada ‘may’ have passed peak of Omicron wave, says top doctor – CBC
Daily average of COVID cases in hospital still sky-high, Tam says
Jan 21, 2022
Canada may have passed the peak of the Omicron wave but the number of people hospitalized because of COVID-19 is now at its highest level since the pandemic began, Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam said today.
“In the weeks since the modelling update, there are early indications that infections may have peaked at the national level, including daily case counts, test positivity, Rt or the effective reproduction number and wastewater surveillance trends,” Tam said today.
Nationally, the average daily case count has decreased by 28 per cent since last week. Tam warned that, because lab testing can’t keep up with demand as Omicron spreads, that count may underestimate the actual number of cases.
Tam also said that with test positivity at 22 per cent and the seven-day average of daily cases at almost 27,000, COVID-19 is widespread throughout the country.
While the current wave may have passed its peak, Tam said hospitalization rates are still rising quickly and many hospitals across Canada are under “intense strain.”
Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-may-have-passed-omricon-peak-1.6323057
