In a first, Canada’s COVID infection rate surpasses the US

About a third of Americans are now fully vaccinated, compared with close to 3 percent of Canadians.

Canada’s coronavirus infection rate surpassed that of the United States for the first time since the pandemic began, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) said on Wednesday, amid a spike in cases and stalled vaccination efforts across the Americas. Ontario, Canada’s most populous province, reported over 3,500 new COVID-19 cases on Monday and a 10.9 percent positivity rate – an all-time high, according to Canadian media. In response, the province requested assistance from the nation’s armed forces. Meanwhile, cases have been on the decline in the US, after the nation began making headway in its vaccination campaign. About a third of American adults are now fully vaccinated, according to official figures and on Tuesday, the US eased its mask wearing guidelines.