Dear Mr Brown,

I am wondering if you can advise if there are any developments with the pandemic in Canada and when you believe the travel restrictions will be lifted?

CS 

Dear CS,

Approximately 50 per cent of the population in Canada has had one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, which places Canada near the top of the global rankings. The Canadian Government has signed contracts with seven different vaccine providers.

Canada now ranks fifth in the world for share of population with one dose. Canada has given a higher percentage of its population at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine than the United States. However, fewer than five per cent have had the two doses needed to build immunity.

When it comes to second doses, Canada lags far behind its southern neighbour. About four per cent of Canadians are fully vaccinated, compared to 38 per cent of Americans.

Canada’s vaccination campaign was slower, compared to countries like Israel and the United Kingdom which started mass vaccination efforts early in the year. Now, eligibility is opening up rapidly across the country. Ontario announced last Friday that youths as young as 12 will be eligible for vaccination this weekend.

The vaccine uptake has been relatively even across the country. All 10 provinces have given one dose to at least 41 per cent of residents.

Officials imposed new restrictions or offered support to existing and emerging COVID-19 hot spots on Monday. Manitoba requested additional assistance from the federal government in the form of health workers and support staff.

In Newfoundland and Labrador, health officials imposed public health restrictions on a broader swath of the province’s north-east on Monday, placing communities under high alert.

Other parts of Canada, however, moved to loosen restrictions as the COVID-19 situation shows continuing signs of improvement.

Saskatchewan announced it would begin to relax its restrictions less than a month after crossing the threshold for step 2 of its reopening plan, which called for a first vaccine dose to be administered to at least 70 per cent of residents 30 and older.

The rolling seven-day average of daily cases has now dropped to 1,878, down from 2,430 last week. The total death tally related to the disease is 8,614. Hospitalisations continue to decline in Ontario, with 1,041 people being treated for the disease. Of those patients, 698 are in intensive care. This is the first time since mid-April that the number of COVID-19 patients in the ICU was below 700. The majority of infections continue to be found in the Greater Toronto Area.

Ontario remains under a stay-at-home order, which is set to expire on June 2; however, outdoor amenities such as golf courses and tennis courts reopened on Saturday. Outdoor limits for social gatherings and organised public events have also been expanded to up to five people.

Ontario expanded eligibility for the COVID-19 vaccine on Sunday, allowing youth aged 12 and up to get the shot. Ontario has administered eight million doses of COVID-19 vaccine thus far. 

Please visit JAMAICA2CANADA.COM for additional information on Canadian permanent residence programmes, including express entry, the study and work programme, visas or appeals, etc. 

Antonn Brown, BA, (Hons), LLB, MSc, RCIC, is an immigration counsel and an accredited Canadian education agent of JAMAICA2CANADA.COM — a Canadian immigration and education firm in Kingston. Send questions/comments to documents.jamaica2canada@gmail.com