There are rising concerns in Canada about a second wave of the coronavirus (COVID-19) as cases spike in some provinces, according to officials.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau went as far as to warn that the county is at a crossroads of the pandemic.
“In our four biggest provinces, the second wave isn’t just starting, it’s already underway,” Trudeau said. “The numbers are clear. Back on March 13, when we went into lockdown, there were 47 new cases of COVID-19. Yesterday alone, we had well over 1,000.”
Canada’s numbers show a recent rapid growth in coronavirus cases after a summer of consistently low numbers. As is the case in many countries, the virus is spreading amongst young people.
About two-third of all the new COVID-19 cases in Canada are in people under 40 years old.
“We’re on the brink of a fall that could be much worse than the spring,” Trudeau said. “I know this isn’t the news that any of us wanted to hear, and we can’t change today’s numbers, or even tomorrow’s. Those were already decided by what we did or didn’t do two weeks ago.”
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Trudeau urged Canadians to take steps together and get the second wave under control. Canadian Thanksgiving is fast approaching on Oct. 12.
“It’s all too likely we won’t be gathering for Thanksgiving,” Trudeau said. “But we still have a shot at Christmas.”
Trudeau said Canadians have to continue to wear masks and limit social interactions. He also urged everyone to use a COVID-19 alert app that allows those who have tested positive to anonymously tell their close contacts.
To date, Canada has lost 9,285 people to the coronavirus.