COVID-19 hospitalizations, cases continue to rise in most provinces amid 6th wave

As of Monday, the seven-day average of daily lab-confirmed cases has jumped nearly 50 per cent from just two weeks prior, while hospitalizations are up 30 per cent.

COVID-19 hospitalizations and cases are on the rise once again across Canada, according to public health data, as the reality of a sixth wave of the pandemic begins to take shape.

As of Monday, the seven-day average of daily lab-confirmed cases sits just above 9,843, a nearly 50 per cent jump from just two weeks prior.

Hospitalizations are also rising, with 4,876 people currently receiving care, up 17 per cent since last week and about 30 per cent above the number two weeks ago. Of those patients, 394 are in intensive care, a slight uptick since late March.

Although every province except Ontario and Quebec has moved from reporting COVID-19 data daily to now posting weekly updates, a majority of jurisdictions in Canada is seeing a rise compared to last month.

Canada’s chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam and her provincial counterparts have said an even more transmissible subvariant of Omicron, dubbed BA.2, is behind the current wave.

Ontario and Quebec have both seen cases rise between 10 and 20 per cent over the past week, while hospitalizations are up around 30 per cent in both provinces.

Yet provincial officials, who have approved the lifting of nearly all public health measures brought in to combat previous waves, have said they will not reimpose those restrictions even as cases and hospitalizations surge.

In his first press conference in nearly five weeks, Ontario’s chief medical officer of health Dr. Kieran Moore said Monday the province will not bring back its mask mandate, despite public health indicators worsening.