Statement from the Chief Public Health Officer of Canada on September 19, 2020

September 19, 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 141,911 cases of COVID-19 in Canada, including 9,205 deaths. 87% of people have now recovered. Labs across Canada tested an average of 47,111 people daily over the past week with 1.4% testing positive. As of Friday September 18th, 2020, the average daily case count was reported as 849 cases being reported daily across Canada during the previous 7 days. As some provinces and territories do not report new cases over the weekend, the next update for the average daily case count will be provided next Tuesday, once these numbers have been compiled.

As I discussed in my remarks on Friday, the ongoing increase in the Canada's daily case count is an indicator of accelerated epidemic growth. This increases the demand on local public health authorities whose work is vital to interrupting new chains of transmission and managing the epidemic. Hence, accelerated growth increases the risk of COVID-19 spreading beyond manageable levels in areas where the virus is surging.

I urge all Canadians to take action now to slow the spread of the virus. In addition to strict adherence with personal protective measures (e.g. physical distancing, handwashing and wearing non-medical masks where appropriate), we must all reduce our number of contacts to a minimum. Most importantly, stay home and isolate yourself from others if you are experiencing any symptoms, even if mild.

As we shift more of our activities indoors, the risk of spreading is increased. When considering whether to attend an activity or event, remember that just because you might know the people attending, every person outside your household/close-contacts bubble significantly increases your risk of exposure to the virus. Limiting your in-person contacts to your existing consistent and trusted close-contacts bubble is safest. For more information on ways you can reduce your risk of infection and spreading the virus, read my backgrounder on COVID-19 Information and Resources."