As Canadians celebrate their second holiday season amid the COVID-19 outbreak, CTVNews.ca is taking a look back at how the pandemic has progressed.
CTVNews.ca looked at COVID-19 pandemic data released by the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) back in December 2020, and compared it with recent figures, to see where the country stands when it comes to infections, deaths, hospitalizations and vaccinations.
Here’s a look at how the two years of the pandemic compare.
CASES
By Dec. 23, 2020, there were a total of 528,353 confirmed COVID-19 infections across the country, according to PHAC data.
In comparison, by Dec. 23, of this year, there were a total of 1,945,753 cases of the novel coronavirus, meaning more than 1.4 million cases were reported in the span of a year.
A total of 20,693 new COVID-19 infections were detected on Dec. 23, 2021, with 87,227 cases reported over the previous seven days in Canada.
The case rate of COVID-19 in Canada was 5,087 per 100,000 population as of Dec. 23, 2021.
As of Dec. 21 2021, the moving seven day average of per cent positivity of COVID-19 in Canada was 8.5.
By Dec. 23, 2020, a total of 521,509 COVID-19 cases had been detected across the country.
A total of 7,379 new cases were reported on Dec. 23, 2020. The seven-day average for that week was 6,769.
DEATHS
The first COVID-19 related death was reported in early March of 2020. Between March 8, 2020 and Dec. 23, 2020, there were a total of 14,642 COVID-19 related fatalities reported, according to the PHAC data.
In comparison, this year, the PHAC data shows that between Jan. 1, 2021 and Dec, 23, 2021, a total of 14,344 people died after contracting the disease
The most recent PHAC data shows that on Dec. 23, 2021 there were eighteen new COVID-19 related deaths.
What’s more, a total of 236 fatalities had been reported in the last 14 days in Canada, as of Dec. 28, 2021.
As of Dec. 23, 2021, there were a total of 30,131 COVID-19 related deaths in the country, since the pandemic began.
The majority of COVID-19 related fatalities in Canada over the course of the pandemic have occurred among those 80 years of age and older.
VACCINATIONS
By Dec. 26, 2020, 46,156 people in Canada had received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, according to the PHAC data.
Canada, lacking domestic vaccine manufacturing capabilities, has relied solely on vaccines from outside of its borders.
The first COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer-BioNTech was green-lit for use in early December, but doses didn’t arrive in Canada until Dec. 13, 2020.
In December 2020, the first doses that landed in Canada were administered to those at the highest at risk of severe illness from COVID-19, including the elderly, those living in long-term care homes and the immunocompromised.
A year later, 81.79 per cent of the country’s total population have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
The latest data released by PHAC on Dec. 23, 2021 shows that as of Dec. 18, 2021, a total of 31,280,780 people had received at least one shot.
What’s more, 76.49 per cent, or 29,253,025 people were fully vaccinated as of Dec. 18, 2021.
Vaccination efforts are continuing across the country, as health officials work to administer third doses to boost the public’s immunity as the new Omicron variant spreads.
HOSPITALIZATIONS
The data released by PHAC says that on Dec. 23, 2020, a total of 2,888 people were hospitalized across Canada with COVID-19.
Of those people, 699 were in an intensive care unit, while 364 individuals were on a ventilator.
The most recent available data from PHAC says that between Dec. 13 2021, and Dec. 20, 2021, the number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 increased from 1,085 to 1,201.
The numbers of COVID-19 patients in intensive care units and on ventilators also increased from 451 to 468, and 229 to 242, respectively.
Demands for government intervention in Air Canada labour talks could negatively affect airline competition in Canada, the CEO of travel company Transat AT Inc. said.
“The extension of such an extraordinary intervention to Air Canada would be an undeniable competitive advantage to the detriment of other Canadian airlines,” Annick Guérard told analysts on an earnings conference call on Thursday.
“The time and urgency is now. It is time to restore healthy competition in Canada,” she added.
Air Canada has asked the federal government to be ready to intervene and request arbitration as early as this weekend to avoid disruptions.
Comments on the potential Air Canada pilot strike or lock out came as Transat reported third-quarter financial results.
Guérard recalled Transat’s labour negotiations with its flight attendants earlier this year, which the company said it handled without asking for government intervention.
The airline’s 2,100 flight attendants voted 99 per cent in favour of a strike mandate and twice rejected tentative deals before approving a new collective agreement in late February.
As the collective agreement for Air Transat pilots ends in June next year, Guérard anticipates similar pressure to increase overall wages as seen in Air Canada’s negotiations, but reckons it will come out “as a win, win, win deal.”
“The pilots are preparing on their side, we are preparing on our side and we’re confident that we’re going to come up with a reasonable deal,” she told analysts when asked about the upcoming negotiations.
The parent company of Air Transat reported it lost $39.9 million or $1.03 per diluted share in its quarter ended July 31. The result compared with a profit of $57.3 million or $1.49 per diluted share a year earlier.
Revenue totalled $736.2 million, down from $746.3 million in the same quarter last year.
On an adjusted basis, Transat says it lost $1.10 per share in its latest quarter compared with an adjusted profit of $1.10 per share a year earlier.
It attributed reduced revenues to lower airline unit revenues, competition, industry-wide overcapacity and economic uncertainty.
Air Transat is also among the airlines facing challenges related to the recall of Pratt & Whitney turbofan jet engines for inspection and repair.
The recall has so far grounded six aircraft, Guérard said on the call.
“We have agreed to financial compensation for grounded aircraft during the 2023-2024 period,” she said. “Alongside this financial compensation, Pratt & Whitney will provide us with two additional spare engines, which we intend to monetize through a sell and lease back transaction.”
Looking ahead, the CEO said she expects consumer demand to remain somewhat uncertain amid high interest rates.
“We are currently seeing ongoing pricing pressure extending into the winter season,” she added. Air Transat is not planning on adding additional aircraft next year but anticipates stability.
“(2025) for us will be much more stable than 2024 in terms of fleet movements and operation, and this will definitely have a positive effect on cost and customer satisfaction as well,” the CEO told analysts.
“We are more and more moving away from all the disruption that we had to go through early in 2024,” she added.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
