Canadian Officials Warn Pre-COVID-19 'Normal' Ways Off Even With Advent Of Vaccine

TORONTO (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 05th August, 2020) Canadian health officials said they disagree with the notion that daily routines will return to a pre-coronavirus normal even in the event of the introduction of a vaccine.

"People might think if we get a vaccine then everything 'goes back to normal, the way it was before,' and that's not the case," Deputy Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Howard Njoo told reporters on Tuesday.

Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam said the efficacy and the availability of a potential vaccine remains unknown at this time and public health experts see a vaccine only as a part of a wider response rather than a "silver bullet."

"We are planning, as a public health community, that we're going to have to manage this pandemic over the ... next two-three years during which the vaccine may play a role, but we don't know yet," Tam said.

As of Tuesday, Canada has reported more than 117,000 novel coronavirus cases and more than 8,950 virus-related fatalities.