Covid Reported Cases Highest Per Capita In Atlantic Canada N.W.T.

Experts say the high number of cases in these areas is likely due to the fact that some of these provinces have fewer restrictions on who is eligible for the COVID-19 test.
According to the CTVNews.ca monitoring program that compares provinces and territories of Canada with US states, Prince Edward Island reports an average of 350.6 daily cases in the last seven days since Saturday.  That translates to 2,216.6 cases per million, which is more than any other jurisdiction on either side of the border.
The Northwest Territories rank second on the list, averaging 88.3 cases per day.  This equates to 1,996.1 cases per million.  Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick follow, reporting 757.6, 612.1 and 567.0 cases per million, respectively.
The looser test criteria in some of these counties “would explain much of the difference, possibly the whole,” Colin Furness, an infectious disease epidemiologist at the University of Toronto, told CTVNews.ca in an email Friday.
However, the NWT still has the second highest number of COVID-19 cases per capita, despite strict eligibility criteria for on-site PCR testing.  Furness said the “lower immunity of the population in areas that were successful with COVID in the first many waves” may be another factor in explaining the high incidence reported in those areas.
In late 2021, when COVID-19 cases increased across Canada due to the increase in the Omicron variant, many provinces began to restrict access to laboratory testing as testing capacity became strained.
In provinces such as Ontario, Quebec, BC and others, only health care workers, people in long-term care homes, people with immunosuppression, pregnant women and others considered to be at higher risk of COVID-19 are eligible for examination in a preventive clinic.  Anyone else showing symptoms of COVID-19 is encouraged to stay home and use a quick home test.
However, at PEI, clinical trials for COVID-19 are available for anyone who has symptoms or has already tested positive at home.  The PEI’s top doctor has also attributed the highest cases in the province to wider access to examinations.
“At PEI, we had much better access to COVID-19 testing compared to other provinces and territories, as we tested more people. It is not really accurate to compare our case rates directly with other jurisdictions,” said Director of Public Health. of PEI Officer Dr. Heather Morrison said during a media briefing on COVID-19 last month.
In Nova Scotia, anyone who is symptomatic and has previously tested positive for rapid screening is eligible for PCR.  New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador have more restrictions on who is eligible for a PCR test, but residents who test positive can report their positive results in their provinces online.