N.S. top doctor says a fourth wave of COVID-19 is inevitable

Dr. Robert Strang says the more people who are fully vaccinated, the less impact a fourth wave will have

HALIFAXtoday \  Chris Halef

Nova Scotia’s top doctor says a fourth wave of COVID-19 is inevitable in the province, but how severe it is will depend on how many people are vaccinated.

On Monday, the province announced it hopes to move to Phase 5 of its reopening plan on Sept. 15, but it will depend on vaccination rates.

Currently, about 70 percent of Nova Scotians have received both doses of COVID vaccine but the province’s goal is to have 75 percent of the overall population fully vaccinated before moving to the next phase.

Speaking at Monday’s COVID-19 update, Dr. Robert Strang said people need to move up their vaccination appointments to reach that goal, but we all also need to prepare for another surge of COVID-19.

“It’s only a matter of time before a fourth wave is here in Nova Scotia too,” said the chief medical officer of health. “We should expect to see increasing case numbers and localized outbreaks, largely in unvaccinated groups.”

Strang says the key to getting through the fourth wave is getting vaccinated.

“The more vaccinated we are, the less impact a fourth wave will have on people, our healthcare system and our economy,” he said. “We’re in good shape but we’re not where we need to be yet.”

The province had originally hoped to reach its 75 percent target by the end of August, but now expect to be around 72 percent at that point.

Strang says there are roughly 100,000 people who could get vaccinated who have not yet, adding it’s never too late to get your shot.