As Canada approaches zero COVID-19 deaths, officials fear reopening the spike, the U.S. risk.

OTTAWA / MONTREAL (Reuters) – Canada’s efforts to flatten the curve for coronavirus cases have put the country on the cusp of zero COVID-19 deaths for the first time since March, but officials see worrying signs of a further surge as the provinces lift the restrictions.

For months, Canadians followed strict public health standards for the social movement, as the 10 provinces quickly shut down much of the economy, increased testing, and increased space in intensive care units.

Some provinces limited internal travel, while Ottawa banned international visitors, closed the land border to non-essential travel with the United States, which has become a global epicenter of a pandemic, and deployed military personnel to severely affected nursing homes. .

Canadian deaths rose from eight to 8,798 according to government data on Tuesday night, while the total number of cases increased by 331, to 108,486. By contrast, the United States recently set a one-day record in new cases at 60,500, as the national number of deaths rose to more than 135,000.

But health experts and politicians worry that the sacrifices made by Canadians could be jeopardized as the economy progresses to a full reopening, including schools, especially in central Canada, and US authorities fight to contain the spread south of the border.

“Everyone is preparing for a potential spike in cases. … I think that’s inevitable, “said Dr. Isaac Bogoch, an infectious disease specialist at Toronto General Hospital.

“Opening the economy is not a linear path. There will be setbacks (and) we will very likely have to re-impose public health restrictions in certain areas due to an unacceptable number of new cases. ”

Quebec coronavirus cases are starting to rise, and public health officials have tracked outbreaks for house parties and a suburban Montreal bar. In Ontario, an outbreak at a nail salon forced hundreds to quarantine, while British Columbia, which has reported few new deaths in recent weeks, is seeing an increase in cases as people expand their circles. social.

“We did a lot of work to keep the number of cases down,” said Alex Magdzinski, a Montreal nurse who treated patients with COVID-19 in a nursing home. “All health workers are asking (people) to make minimal effort.”

Magdzinski said he is seeing repeated cases of people in Canada’s second largest city abandoning social distancing measures.

Quebec has made wearing masks compulsory in indoor public spaces, while other Canadian cities have enacted similar statutes.

“We just need to look south of the border to see how bad things can be,” Alberta Prime Minister Jason Kenney said Monday, urging residents to “remain vigilant and disciplined” after large crowds gathered. in parks and on a popular lake over the weekend.

The Canadian provinces, most of them with right-wing governments that normally oppose liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, have been working closely with Ottawa on a coordinated approach to the outbreak.

In the United States, the response has become politicized with Republican President Donald Trump targeting opponents at the state and municipal levels. Critics also complained that the White House did a poor job of helping distribute crucial equipment.

“They have been reckless. They advanced too fast, ”Ontario Prime Minister Doug Ford told reporters on Tuesday as the province prepares for its third and final reopening stage.

The two nations have banned non-essential ground travel since mid-March, but Trudeau is being pressured by Canadian business leaders and US lawmakers to loosen restrictions. Opinion polls show that a large majority of Canadians and provincial leaders want the border to remain closed.

Air Canada (ACT) urged the Canadian government in a statement on Wednesday to replace quarantine restrictions on travelers from countries with a low risk of COVID-19 with alternatives to curb the spread of the virus, although the carrier “does not propose to reduce border restrictions on states United at this time. ” ”

This month, at least five inbound flights from cities in Florida, Texas and North Carolina had passengers with confirmed cases of coronavirus on board, according to data from the Canadian government.

“Don’t get me wrong,” said Ford. “I love Americans. I don’t want them up here right now. ”