For the second time this week, Canada has reported under 1,000 new COVID-19 cases.
Health officials on Monday confirmed 805 new novel coronavirus infections, pushing the country’s total case count to 1,404,093.
Tuesday’s new daily cases marked the lowest daily increase since Sept. 15 of last year, when 793 new infections were recorded.
Data compiled by Global News shows that as of Monday, the seven-day average of new cases was 1,305.7, the lowest it has been since Sept. 26, 2020.
As of 8 p.m. ET on Tuesday, a total of 29,901,453 COVID-19 vaccines had been administered across Canada.
According to Vaccine Tracker Canada, 74.35 per cent of eligible Canadians have now received at least one dose, while 15.76 per cent have had both shots.
More than 447,000 doses were administered in Canada on Tuesday, as the country inched closer to its vaccination target.
Federal modelling done in April and May suggested that if 75 per cent of eligible Canadians — those 12 years old and above — had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and 20 per cent had two, provinces could safely begin easing restrictions on public movement without overwhelming hospitals again.
However, speaking at a press conference on Tuesday Canada’s top doctor Theresa Tam, said the country’s vaccination target could change as the Delta variant spreads.
Tam said when the modelling was done, the Delta variant — first discovered in India — was not included.
Delta is the most infectious “variant of concern” and is believed to be the COVID-19 strain circulating most widely across the country.
“If we model the Delta variant now and put that into that model … it does mean that even higher vaccination coverage would be even better at protection against the hospitalizations and overwhelming the health system,” Tam said.
Tam also said two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine have proven more effective against the Delta variant, and the country should aim for full vaccination as soon as possible.
Tam also told reporters there is “no one-size-fits-all approach” when it comes to what Canadians who are vaccinated can do.
The federal government has not yet issued guidance on what those who have received one shot, or both, can do safely.
New cases in the provinces
In Ontario, 296 new cases were detected, and health officials said 13 more people have died.
Meanwhile in Quebec, 105 new infections were reported and provincial health authorities said four more fatalities had occurred.
In Atlantic Canada, seven new cases were detected.
New Brunswick reported three new infections, while Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador each saw two more cases.
None of the Maritime provinces or Newfoundland and Labrador added any new fatalities on Tuesday.
Further west, in Manitoba, 115 more people have fallen ill and two more people have died.
Meanwhile, in Saskatchewan, 47 new cases were detected and four more fatalities have occurred.
In Alberta, 127 more people have contracted the coronavirus, while health officials in British Columbia reported 108 new cases.
Four more people have died in Alberta after testing positive for COVID-19, health authorities confirmed.
No new cases or fatalities were reported in Canada’s territories on Tuesday.
Global cases
To date, 176,528,547 people worldwide have contracted the novel coronavirus, according to the latest tally from John’s Hopkins University.
Since the virus was first detected in Wuhan, China, in late 2019, it has claimed 3,817,715 lives globally.
— With files from The Canadian Press