Across Canada, regions are dealing with rising COVID-19 cases.
More than 70 Alberta doctors are calling for a ‘sharp lockdown’ with the growing cases of COVID-19 in their province.
Manitoba announced Tuesday a renewed lockdown of non-essential businesses would begin this week while Ontario reported almost 1,400 COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, a new single-day record high.
Infectious diseases expert Dr. Isaac Bogoch recently joined The Morning Show to break down the latest headlines.
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What are circuit breakers?
Dr. Bogoch says circuit breakers are lockdowns necessary in provinces with high cases that ‘continue to grow rapidly.’
Currently, in Alberta, this is an option that is being considered.
“It is the last resort you go to protect your health-care system,” he said.
Will Canada get a vaccine soon?
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on Monday that he is hopeful Canadians will receive the COVID-19 vaccine by 2021.
Pfizer released an early snapshot of its Phase 3 trials for its coronavirus vaccine Monday and said the results look promising with data suggesting it’s 90 per cent effective at preventing the virus.
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While it is “exciting news,” we don’t know if it will really be effective, Bogoch said.
He says the available data does seem promising saying “there is room for cautious optimism.”
He says Canadians can expect to get a vaccine in 2021. However, the “pinch in the health-care system” calls for revising the safety measures to curb the spread of COVID-19.
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Recent research from the U.S. shows an infection rate of 20 per cent was found among grocery store workers, increasing exposure risk.
“A lot of the times we see infections in break rooms,” he said.
“We need to be vigilant every step of the way; not just in high-risk places but crammed breakrooms.”
To learn more about the latest COVID-19 headlines, watch the full video above.