COVID-19 situation has taken a turn for the better: Dr. Theresa Tam

Canada's chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam says the COVID-19 situation has taken a turn for the better in the country over the past month.

She says more than 22 million doses of vaccines have been administered across the country and Canada's efforts have gotten it over the peak of the third wave nationally.

Dr. Tam says average case counts are now less than half of what they were during the peak of the third wave in mid-April, with under 3,400 cases being reported daily over the past seven days.

Dr. Tam says the number of people experiencing severe or critical illness is also decreasing, though at a slower pace.

Health officials say they will consider the recommendations on hotel quarantine

Health officials say they will consider the recommendations of an expert report that called for Canada to drop a requirement for air travellers to quarantine for three days in a government-approved hotel.

Chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam says it's a topic of ``active discussion'' and officials will lay a path forward in the near future.

Dr. Tam says global vaccination coverage is not very high at the moment, but many countries are making significant progress.

She says officials will also consider how Canada is doing, because it is still in the middle of a third wave and it hasn't yet attained a good level of immunity in the population.

Health Minister Patty Hajdu says the issue of international travel is a delicate and contentious one and officials want to make sure that they protect Canadians at risk of importation of the virus.