Last week, Procurement Minister Anita Anand announced that Canada would receive at least 55 million doses of vaccine by the end of July, meaning 80 per cent of eligible Canadians would be able to book their shots in the days and weeks that follow?
“If 80 per cent of people get a vaccine by the end of July, or even mid-August, our ability to really get back to normal, especially before the winter time, is really preserved,†he said, speaking to CTV News Toronto Wednesday
“You look at places like Israel right now and they’re still not at 80 per cent and they’re basically declaring they’re back to normal and they’ve even given up masks,†he said
For context, Israel’s fully vaccinated population percentage, according to data collected by CTV News, sits at roughly 59 per cent
Meanwhile, only 13 per cent of Canadians are considered to be fully vaccinated after receiving both their first and second shots
If Canada can fully vaccinate 80 per cent of the population by the end of July, Chagla said the situation in schools would also improve
“Knowing that, at least in places struggling with the Delta variant like England, kids are going to transmit this, not necessarily get sick with it, having a significant amount of the population vaccinated will likely help reduce that burden in schools and make it much safer for them to operate,†he said
Between now and then, Chagla said that doses will need to continue to be administered as fast as they have been in the last few months and that enthusiasm among people to get vaccinated will need to remain high
Ontario shortens gap between COVID-19 vaccine doses with majority of residents fully vaccinated by end of summer