TORONTO -- The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) issued preliminary guidelines this month detailing what Canadians can expect to do this summer with fewer pandemic restrictions if certain vaccine targets are met.
However, infectious disease expert Dr. Abdu Sharkawy told CTV's Your Morning that the activities Canadians will be permitted to partake in will still depend on how each community is faring in the fight against COVID-19.
"The metrics that I think are most important are what's happening with our health-care systems capacity, what's happening in terms of people that are actually getting sick, and what impact is this having on institutional environments like schools and works settings," Sharkawy said in an interview on Thursday.
PHAC said in a press briefing on May 14 that if 75 per cent of Canadians eligible for vaccines have had one dose and 20 per cent have had a second dose, summer can include camping, hiking, picnics, and patios, but crowds should still be avoided.
By fall, if 75 per cent of those eligible for a vaccine have been fully vaccinated, expect to be able to gather indoors with people outside your household, participate in indoor sports, and attend family gatherings.
Sharkawy said that certain measures such as physical distancing, hand washing and masking may continue past the federal government’s targets if hospitals continue to struggle with infection rates.
"We have to look at what's going on in our community -- that's really the most important thing to go by in terms of what activities are going to be permissible or not, versus whether you have a vaccinated status or not," Sharkawy said.
Although, he says Canadians may see restrictions lifted even sooner if those factors are under control.
"If all of those things are going very well, I don't know that that number of 75 per cent is the benchmark that we have to go by, but it's a good place to start and it's a very decent I think objective to aim for so that we can achieve that goal as quickly as possible," Sharkawy said.
Sharkawy says the federal government's reopening guidelines are meant to "incentivize" as many Canadians as possible to "get their first dose to provide at least some protection as widely as possible to every spectrum of our population."
"But it's not a number that is necessarily set in stone in terms of what may be safe," he added.
With a partially vaccinated population, Sharkawy said the easing of restrictions in Canada will be "tricky." However, other countries have done so.
In the United States, 40 per cent of the population is fully vaccinated and 49 per cent have had at least one dose, according to data tracked by Johns Hopkins University.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has provided the country with extensive guidelines about what citizens can and can't do once vaccinated. On May 13 the CDC further clarified that fully vaccinated Americans do not need to wear masks outdoors, nor do they need to wear them indoors in most settings if local and state laws allow it, and will not need to physically distance in most settings either.
As well, certain business have created sections for vaccinated and non-vaccinated Americans including restaurants, theatres and sports stadiums.
However, Sharkawy says Canada will likely take a more cautious approach.
"It's going to be very difficult to legislate or logistically decide who gets access to what based on their vaccination status," Sharkawy said.
When considering ditching the masks, Sharkawy said Canada may not be far off if the country hits its summer vaccine targets and COVID-19 transmission is controlled.
He said when spending time outdoors, it is "very reasonable" for those who have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine to not have to wear a face mask unless in close contact with someone.
Health officials say more guidance is coming for Canadians who have only received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, including the possibility of multiple household bubbles.
Those who are fully vaccinated should have even more freedom, Sharkawy said.
"If you're fully vaccinated, it makes very good sense that within two weeks afterwards, pretty much anything should be relatively safe to do," Sharkawy said.
With files from CTVNews.ca's Sarah Turnball
