Covid infections in Canada edge closer to US rate

The rate of Covid infections in Canada is edging close to - and may overtake - US levels for the first time.

It comes as Canada struggles to contain new Covid-19 variants and to ramp up its distribution of vaccines.

Many provinces are bringing in new virus mitigation restrictions as hospital admissions increase.

As of Tuesday, the US had fully vaccinated 19.6% of its population, compared with 8.5% in the UK and 2% in Canada.

"Around the world, countries are facing a very serious third wave of this pandemic," Prime Minister Justin Trudeau warned during a news conference on Tuesday. "And right now, so is Canada."