China News Service, Toronto, September 21 (Reporter Yu Ruidong) Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on the 21st local time that Iain Stewart was appointed Director of the Public Health Agency.
Stewart has been chairman of the National Research Council of Canada since August 2016, and his original term was until 2023.
The National Research Council is Canada's largest official research and development organization, focusing on the application of innovative technologies.
The former Director of the Department of Public Health Tina Namisnyoschi was also announced as a senior official in the Office of the Privy Council.
She was in charge of the Public Health Department for only 1 year and 4 months and resigned recently.
According to Canadian media, she stated in a letter to employees that she wants to take a break and needs someone with sufficient energy and perseverance to take over.
The personnel adjustment of the Public Health Agency of Canada comes at a time when the new crown pneumonia epidemic has clearly rebounded in many parts of the country.
On the afternoon of September 15, local time, the faculty and staff of an elementary school in Toronto, Canada escorted the students who were out of school to the school bus.
According to the epidemic prevention plan, elementary schools under the Education Bureau of Toronto Public Schools will start school in batches for three consecutive days from this day and resume classroom teaching.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Yu Ruidong
Ontario, the most populous province, reported 425 new cases on the 21st, a new high in three and a half months.
The province has recently tightened the scale of personnel gatherings and will impose severe penalties on offenders.
The maximum number of people for indoor events or gatherings must be reduced from 50 to 10, and the maximum number of people for outdoor events or gatherings is reduced from 100 to 25.
But the new restrictions do not apply to places such as bars, restaurants, cinemas, banquet halls and schools.
The cumulative number of infections in Quebec, which ranks first in the country, reported 586 new cases on the 21st, the highest since late May.
Public health officials in the province said that the second wave of the epidemic has begun.
The risk level of the epidemic in cities such as Montreal and Quebec City has been adjusted back to the second highest.
This means that private gatherings other than extended families cannot exceed 6 people, weddings, religious gatherings and other public gatherings cannot exceed 25 people, and bars are prohibited from serving alcoholic beverages after 11pm.
Canadian Chief Public Health Officer Tan Yongshi reminded the public in a statement that the situation will only get worse if the best efforts are not made to slow the spread of the virus.
The public health department cannot solve this problem alone and requires everyone to work together.
She once again called for reducing personal contact, maintaining social distancing, and wearing masks.
As of the evening of September 21, Canada has reported a total of 145,415 cases, 125,534 cases have recovered, 9,228 deaths, and 10,653 active cases. (Finish)