Canada’s chief public health officer is warning residents to proceed with reopening carefully.
Dr. Theresa Tam said there won’t be a grand reopening as the seasons continue.
“Until effective therapies or a vaccine is widely available, our aim must be to carefully balance the direct risks associated to COVID-19 epidemic activity with the unintended health, social and economic consequences,” she said.
There are now 79,491 cases of COVID-19 including 5,955 deaths.
“That means reopening to lessen negative consequences while maintaining core public health practices to keep COIVD-19 activity to a low level,” she said.
“For the spring and summer months, strict adherence to the Public Health basics are physical distancing, handwashing and cough etiquette must continue as the bare minimum,” she said.
4,342 or 51 per cent have now recovered from COVID-19.
1,372,000 residents have been tested with 5 per cent testing positive.
Tam said where COVID-19 activity is occurring, use of nonmedical masks or face coverings is recommended as an added layer of protection when physical distancing is difficult to maintain.
She said staying home when sick is a must, always.
Tam said there will be a federal, provincial, territorial special advisory committee on COVID-19’s recommendation on nonmedical masks on Wednesday.
She said we won’t get through this pandemic to fall and winter on hope alone.
