‘We can have a one-dose summer’: Trudeau says health measures will stay until more Canadians vaccinated

OTTAWA – The prime minister says COVID-19 restrictions need to stay in place if we want a chance at a summer where we can meet up with friends and family over drinks and barbecues.

Justin Trudeau is urging everyone to double down on their efforts to make that happen, including by getting vaccinated if they can.

“We can have a one-dose summer but for that two things need to happen,” he said Tuesday. “First, restrictions need to remain in place until cases go way down with more screening, testing, and contact tracing. We need to successfully limit community transmission.”

In addition to this, Trudeau echoed what Canada’s top doctor had to say, stressing that we also need to have at least 75 per cent of Canadians vaccinated with a at least first dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

“A one-dose summer sets us up for a two-dose fall when we’ll be able to talk about going back to school, back to work, and back to more normality. That’s what the coming months could look like,” he explained.

According to the prime minister, almost 50 per cent of eligible adults in this country have received at least one shot, pushing Canada into the top three of the G20 when it comes to daily vaccinations

“By the summer, we’ll have enough vaccines so that every eligible Canadian will have gotten their first dose,” he said, adding Canada is still on track to receive enough vaccine by September to ensure every Canadian will have access to both doses.

About 85 per cent of vaccine doses given out as of May 1 were Pfizer or Moderna and more than 88 per cent of doses expected in the next two months are the same.

Trudeau reiterated his promise that Canadians over the age of 12 should have access to their first dose before the end of June.

While the COVID-19 situation is trending in the right direction in parts of Canada, the country’s top doctor said Tuesday there are still some areas of concern.

“Over the past seven days, and average of 7,275 cases have been reported daily, and the number of people experiencing severe and critical illness remains high,” Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam said. “On average, 4,000 people with COVID-19 were being treated in our hospital each day, including over 1,400 in intensive care units.”

She said there were an average of 49 deaths each day.