COVID-19 spread shifts to seniors as outbreaks rise in long-term care homes: Tam
Posted October 10, 2020 3:38 pm.
Last Updated October 10, 2020 4:27 pm.
Canada’s chief public health officer says the spread of COVID-19 seems to be shifting towards seniors, while the hardest-hit provinces scramble to avoid a worst-case scenario for the second wave.
Dr. Theresa Tam says in a statement that while the summer saw cases concentrated in the 20 to 39 age range, infections are now increasing in older populations.
Tam says reports of outbreaks in long-term care and retirement homes have been rising in recent weeks, but seem to be more contained than the eruption of cases that overwhelmed several facilities in April and May.
However, she warns that older Canadians are at higher risk for COVID-19 complications, and any spread in care homes often has deadly consequences.
Tam’s statement comes as the Ontario and Quebec governments work to rein in surging case counts with new restrictions in regional hot spots.
Ontario reported 809 new cases and seven new deaths related to the virus on Saturday, while Quebec reported another 1,097 new cases of COVID-19 and 14 additional deaths.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 10, 2020.
The Canadian Press
