Dr. Tam warns of a second outbreak: 'It may only take one new case'

Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada's Chief Public Health Officer, warned Canadians that a second outbreak of COVID-19 is possible and could result from just a single new case. This would mean that much of Canada's progress could be in vain, according to CTV News.

“Even though the epidemic growth has slowed considerably across the country, and we can now see these hopeful signs, this is the part where we gather our strength and resolve to continue our efforts, because it may only take one new case of COVID-19 to spark an outbreak, or renew epidemic growth that could change our trajectory,” said Dr. Tam during the daily press briefing in Ottawa.

On Friday, while speaking on the issue, Prime Minister Trudeau said, "After months of hard work, people are finding themselves right back where they started,” The Prime Minister also noted that new cases of COVID-19 are growing in countries where the lockdown restrictions have been loosened, which he feels serves as a cautionary tale for Canadians as the country begins to reopen.

Experts believe the first case of COVID-19 to enter Canada was at the end of January, 2020, with a man in his 50's who was returning to Toronto from Wuhan, China. Within five months, the number of confirmed cases in Canada is almost 100,000. Of that number, over 60 percent of those cases are now deemed to have been resolved. As of Tuesday, the total death toll for Canada as a result of contracting COVID-19, sits at 8,213 people.

“It's been a big part of what has united and driven us to make sacrifices to stop the virus from doing even more damage. So for those moments that we're tired of this new way of life, it helps to look back at what we've sacrificed,” said Dr. Tam, who warned Canadians that COVID-19 is "very much still with us" and that the consequences of that are still very serious for a number of people in this country.

Dr. Tam is asking that Canadians not to get too complacent and to continue to adhere to the public health regulations such as maintaining good physical distancing and keeping a small social bubble. Dr. Tam asks that Canadians continue to wear non-medical face masks while out in public and to frequently wash and sanitize their hands. Also, it's important for people to stay home as much as possible and to self-isolate if they believe they may have symptoms related to the virus.