Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam responds to a question during a news conference in Ottawa, Friday, Aug. 14, 2020. She's warning of a possible severe increase in COVID-19 cases this fall as more businesss open up and people spend more time indoors (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld)

Stay vigilant: Top health official warns of ‘possible’ fall peak of Covid cases

In a press conference today, Chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam and deputy public health officer Dr. Howard Njoo presented new modelling projections, indicating a theoretical surge in cases, worse than that experienced so far.

In the press conference she gave no numbers but said, it could be “ “something that’s at least several times worse than your previous experience.”.

Officials say they’re planning for a relatively steady number of cases but are also planning for a “worst case” scenario with a spike of COVID cases along with those from the expected flu season and colds, which could put severe strain on hospital resources.

As testing of the public continues the number of “positive” results is climbing, actual sickness requiring hospital care is not keeping pace.

Toronto, Canada’s largest urban centre, was one of Canada’s hotspots for the disease and people there have come under criticism for large gathterings,which they said would spread the disease. Yesterday however, the Toronto university health network (UHN) comprising several of Toronto’s major hospitals, reported for the first time in months, they had no COVID patients.

Health officials urged Canadians to maintain health guidelines like physcial distancing and handwashing and urged people to download the government’s new COVID tracking app.

She said the idea was for the health system  to “overplan” with modelling showing peaks and valleys of COVID cases until January next year.

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