Remarks from the Chief Public Health Officer on June 29, 2020

Speech

June 29, 2021 | Ottawa, ON | Public Health Agency of Canada

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to create stress and anxiety for many Canadians, particularly those who do not have ready access to their regular support networks. Through the Wellness Together Canada online portal, people of all ages across the country can access immediate, free and confidential mental health and substance use supports, 24 hours a day, seven

Nationally, 7-day rolling averages continue to decline. Our current national case count is down to less than 640 new cases reported daily. On average 988 people with COVID-19 are being treated in our hospitals each day, including 486 in intensive care units and an average of 14 deaths are being reported daily.

But the big news is what is continuing to go up! And this past Sunday the City of Toronto rose to the top, when at a single vaccination clinic Torontonians stepped up to break through the Canadian one day record, and fly past the North American record, to score a worldwide record with almost 27,000 doses given during a day dubbed #VaccineDay!

People all across the country can take pride in this record. Because so many have stepped up to get vaccinated and encourage others, this is a winning shot for everyone! And though we still need to get more sleeves up for first and second doses, keep up with precautions as immunity builds across our communities, and listen up to public health advice for awareness of local COVID-19 risks, more and more of us are asking - when can we hug our loved ones? In particular, grandparents, aunts and uncles are looking for advice for when they can share hugs with the kids in their lives!

The answer is, because children under 12 are not eligible for vaccination yet, there is still a risk they can get infected with COVID-19 and pass the virus on to others. However, if you and everyone else around them are fully vaccinated, the risk is lower. By assessing everyone's risk and comfort levels, you can determine if additional personal preventive practices are needed when hugging or being close in-person, such as wearing masks and gathering outdoors.

During this time of transition, many people may feel more comfortable continuing with individual precautions such as mask wearing and physical distancing. Let's continue to support each other by respecting each other's personal risk comfort levels. As well, we should all remember that simple things like frequent handwashing and staying home when we have symptoms, also reduce risk of many infectious diseases and continue to be important.

So, let's keep working it up together to get Canadians protected and vaxxed to the max!

Read my backgrounder to access COVID-19 Information and Resources, including information on vaccination and ways to reduce your risk of infection and spreading the virus to others.

Contacts

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

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