Canada faces third wave as variants leave young people in intensive care

Canada is facing a devastating third wave of Covid-19 driven by new variants, it has been reported.

For the first time since the pandemic began, Canada’s case numbers have surged past the US.

According to data from Johns Hopkins University, 207.3 per million Canadians have now tested positive for coronavirus, compared to 206.7 per million in the US.

The latest wave appears to be affecting young people a lot worse, with patients as young as 20 being admitted to ICU.

In Ontario, the British variant is spreading fast and case numbers are reaching record levels.

Meanwhile, in British Columbia, there has been a major outbreak of the Brazilian variant.

On Monday, the country recorded a record 10,859 new cases, a spike which experts have blamed on the premature easing of restrictions.

Dr Eddy Fan, of Toronto’s University Health Network, told The Times that Covid patients in intensive care are getting younger.

“Things are unfortunately, extremely challenging,” he said.

“Patients coming to the hospital, and certainly in the intensive care unit, now are younger. Many of them have been previously quite healthy.

“In my ICU we’ve seen some 20-year-olds and certainly 30, 40, 50-year-olds. It’s a shift in the demographic downwards towards younger patients.”

Opposition MPs blamed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for a slow vaccine rollout which has only seen 20 per cent of Canadians vaccinated.

New Democrat Party leader, Jagmeet Singh, claimed the country was “on fire”

“It’s not good enough to sit on the sidelines,” he added.

Mr Trudeau’s claimed that the UK is facing a “very serious third wave” on Thursday.

He referred to the UK’s successful vaccine roll out as he tried to justify keeping tough restrictions on Canadians.

The premier told the Canadian parliament: “We know for example that the UK is ahead of just about everybody else on vaccinations and yet they maintain very strong restrictions and are facing a very serious third wave.

“Vaccinations on their own are not enough to keep us safe.”

Asked about the comments, Boris Johnson’s official spokesman told journalists: “I don’t have a specific response forJustin Trudeaubut I think the case data speaks for itself with this.”

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