Healthcare systems across Canada are still very fragile from efforts needed to fight Covid-19, even as signs suggest a fourth wave is starting to recede, a top medical official said.

Chief Public Health Officer Theresa Tam said it was important for health workers to get vaccinated and prevent hospitals from becoming overwhelmed.

“Everybody's exhausted. And if healthcare workers have to go into quarantine for example, after exposure, the system simply isn't going to be sustainable,” she told a briefing. “Our health systems are still very fragile.”

Official data show that as of Oct 8, 81 per cent of Canadians aged 12 and over have received two shots against Covid-19, Reuters reports.