Statement from the Chief Public Health Officer of Canada on August 24, 2020

August 24, 2020 - Ottawa, ON - Public Health Agency of Canada

In lieu of an in-person update to the media, Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer, issued the following statement today:

“There have been 124,896 cases of COVID-19 in Canada, including 9,073 deaths. 89% of people have now recovered. Labs across Canada have tested 5,115,490 people for COVID-19 to date. An average of over 48,700 people were tested daily over the past week, with 0.8% testing positive. Over the last several weeks, national daily case counts have ranged from 350 to 500 cases, with an average of 390 cases being reported daily during the most recent seven days.

As we continue our collective effort to limit the spread of COVID-19, we are closely monitoring disease activity indicators in order to inform, adjust and adapt our actions as needed. Nationally, average daily case counts have remained stable over the past three weeks and the number of hospitalizations and deaths remain low overall. However, increases in case counts in provinces west of Ontario over the last few weeks serve as reminders that the virus can emerge anywhere and we must not let down our guard.

Young adults aged 20 to 39 years continue to make up the highest proportion of cases reported in recent weeks. Learning to live in the time of COVID-19 will be an ongoing challenge for us all, but it is worth taking care to protect yourself and others as you work, study, socialize and go about your everyday activities in the community. While COVID-19 control measures can slow you down, COVID-19 can have a more harmful impact on you and those around you.

This week, additional video testimonials from young adults who have recovered from COVID-19 were published here on the Government of Canada website. While most young adults experience milder illness due to COVID-19, they can get severely ill and can spread the virus to others in their household and social circles who are at risk of severe outcomes. I encourage young adults to watch the testimonials to learn more about the experience of Canadians of similar age who have been impacted by COVID-19.  

We all have a role to play in keeping the spread of COVID-19 under manageable control by keeping our number of contacts low and taking precautions to reduce the risk of infection and prevent spread to others we care about. You can find additional information and guidance to increase your COVID-19 know how and help you make informed decisions to keep you, your family and our communities safer here.”