About 1 in 3 eligible Canadians has had at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, the country’s Minister of Public Services and Procurement Anita Anand said during a news conference Tuesday.
Anand added that more than 16.8 million vaccine doses have arrived in Canada and more than 14 million of those doses have been administered to date. She also noted that the country is on track to receive at least two million vaccine doses per week for each week in May and said that number is expected to increase in June.
Canada has recorded more than 1.2 million cases of Covid-19 and about 24,300 deaths since the pandemic began, Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s chief public health officer, said Tuesday. The country is still reporting an average of 7,900 new Covid-19 cases and approximately 47 new deaths daily, she said.
“We are making progress nationally, but there are still a few tricky spots,” Tam said.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau applauded Covid-19 case counts falling within First Nations communities, with current active cases at one-sixth of the level of what they were back in January.
Trudeau also announced that the country plans to invest $6 billion in indigenous infrastructure projects to “close gaps that far too many people still face.”
“Together we can and we will continue to move forward,” Trudeau said.
When asked about whether Canada would be requiring any sort of “vaccine passport” in the future and whether he was aware of any requirements the United States might institute, Trudeau cautioned that “this is not the time to travel. We haven’t reached that point yet.”
Trudeau acknowledged that as countries begin to open their borders and people start traveling again, “it would make sense for [Canada] to align with partners around the world on some sort of proof of vaccination or vaccine certification.”
“We are now working with allies, particularly in Europe, on that, but ultimately it is up to every country to determine what requirements they expect from incoming travelers,” Trudeau said, adding that he “can’t speak for the United States and the choices they might make around who to welcome into their country.”
CNN’s Tanika Gray contributed reporting to this post.