TORONTO (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 03rd March, 2021) The number of new coronavirus cases in Canada has plateaued, but the number of variant strain cases is increasing, Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam said on Tuesday.
Canadian health officials reported during the past seven-day period a daily average of 2,933 new coronavirus cases and 42 virus-related deaths, while the number of variant cases now exceeds 1,350, a near threefold increase since mid-February.
"Following a month-long decline in COVID-19 activity, daily case counts have levelled off and we are now seeing a moderate increase nationally," Tam said. "At the same time, the number of cases involving more contagious variants of concern, continues to increase."
Canadian health officials have identified 1,257 cases of the B.1.1.7 variant, which was first identified in the United Kingdom, 99 cases of B.1.351 variant first observed in South Africa and three cases of the P.1 variant, better known as the Brazilian variant.
Tam has previously said that public health officials are zeroing in on the B.1.1.7 variant as the strain is potentially able to displace the original coronavirus as the dominant strain in Canada.
