Five years ago, the World Health Organization declared a global pandemic of the novel coronavirus, setting off a series of policies that transformed Canadians' lives for years.
The WHO's declaration followed months of warning signs about the dangers of COVID-19, including mass lockdowns in China and Italy, and served as a wake-up call for many Canadians.
"It really highlighted that it was not a situation that was confined to one area, one city — it really was a national and international response that was required," said Dr. Na-Koshie Lamptey, Toronto’s acting medical officer of health.
"And so you saw the mobilization of societal resources to fight it."
In the weeks and months that followed, Canadian governments moved to shut down schools and offices, limit travel and ban social gatherings, while offering unprecedented financial lifelines to help people and businesses weather the crisis.
Flags flew at half-mast Tuesday over the buildings of the provincial legislature in Quebec City to mark the date, designated as a day of remembrance in the province for the victims of COVID-19.
"It was a difficult time for everyone, a time of effort and sacrifice," Premier François Legault said Tuesday in a social media statement. "But it was also an opportunity for the people of Quebec to demonstrate their solidarity and courage."
The pandemic turned public health officials into household names as people across Canada sought to keep up with the latest advice and regulatory changes.
The importance of effective communication, both with the public and between government divisions, was one of the many lessons to come out of the pandemic, said Lamptey, the Toronto public health official.
Clear communication builds trust so that people can better contribute to the collective emergency response, she added.
Looking back on the crisis, it's important to recognize the significant sacrifices made by health-care staff and other essential workers to protect the well-being of others, and honour those whose lives were lost to the virus, she said.
As the level of immunity has increased through vaccines and people recovering from the disease, the impact of the virus has changed, but it can still have serious consequences for older adults and those with chronic medical conditions, she said. As well, many people continue to experience long-term effects of COVID-19, she added.
The virus has claimed tens of thousands of lives in Canada alone, many of them people in long-term care.
The WHO lifted the global COVID-19 emergency in May 2023, noting the illness had been on a downward trend for more than a year.
