COVID-19 rates in Ontario children surging in sixth wave
COVID-19 rates among Ontario children are surging amidst a wave of cases that is sending more children to the emergency room, according to Ontario figures.
Physicians say schools are likely a place where the disease is spreading fast, urging a return to mask mandates that might provide a barrier to rapid spread in an environment where anyone who is under five is not eligible for vaccinations.
“We’re not in a good place,” Dr. Brett Belchetz, an emergency room doctor, told CTV News Toronto in an interview. “Most schools unfortunately, are a perfect breeding ground for infection. They’re small, closed, crowded crowded spaces and when you’re in a space like that where no one is wearing a mask and you’re talking about an airborne disease that can easily traverse the distance between students, one child with COVID is likely to make many others sick.”
Provincial data shows COVID-19 rates of vaccinated five to 11 year olds have risen about 60 per cent in the past two weeks. Rates for unvaccinated five to 11 year olds have gone up about 76 per cent in that time.
And COVID-19 rates for those under five, who are not eligible to be vaccinated, have more than doubled, rising 108 per cent in the past two weeks.
Emergency room physician Dr. Steve Flindall says he is seeing many people come in under five years old.
“It’s very frustrating. We keep going through this over and over again,” Flindall said, adding that putting unvaccinated children in school with no mask mandate is “like putting fire to tinder.”
“We’ve got to get masks back in place for public settings, especially schools,” he said.
Provincial data says some 75 children have been admitted to hospital between March 21 and April 4, with 55 of them under five years old.
In Toronto’s SickKids hospital, there are 10 paediatric cases. In McMaster, there are less than five. In CHEO, a paediatric hospital and research centre in Ottawa, there are seven children admitted.
Last week’s COVID-19 admissions were the highest since the fifth wave in January, the hospital said, with more than 58 per cent of all admissions COVID-19 related.
Provincial data says one child has died in Ontario from COVID-19 in the past two weeks.
Ontario Health Minister Christine Elliott said the surge was anticipated when the province removed mask mandates last month.
“With the antiviral medications coming into greater supply across the province, and knowing that we have the capability in our hospitals to manage this, this is something we’re sure we’re able to get through, there is no cause for panic, that this was anticipated,” she said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
7 surveillance videos linked to extortions of South Asian home builders in Edmonton released
The Edmonton Police Service has released a number of surveillance videos related to a series of extortion cases in the city now dubbed 'Project Gaslight.'
Ukraine uses long-range missiles secretly provided by U.S. to hit Russian-held areas, officials say
Ukraine for the first time has begun using long-range ballistic missiles provided secretly by the United States, bombing a Russian military airfield in Crimea last week and Russian forces in another occupied area overnight, American officials said Wednesday.
Pilot reported fire onboard plane carrying fuel, attempted to return to Fairbanks just before crash
One of the two pilots aboard an airplane carrying fuel reported there was a fire on the airplane shortly before it crashed and burned outside Fairbanks, killing both people on board, a federal aviation official said Wednesday.
Manitoba government tables bill to end ban on homegrown recreational cannabis
Manitoba is planning to lift its ban on the home growing of recreational cannabis.
All Alberta wildfires to date in 2024 believed to be human-caused: province
There are 63 wildfires burning in Alberta's forest protection area as of Wednesday morning and seven mutual aid fires, including one in the Municipal District of Peace.