Hamilton, Peel Region confirm first cases of COVID-19 Omicron variant
Health officials in Hamilton and Peel Region confirmed Saturday their first cases of the Omicron coronavirus variant.
In a news release issued Saturday evening, Peel Public Health said the region’s first case was identified in an individual who is a close contact of a travel-related case in Halton Region.
The health unit said that the person is isolating at home and added that the risk of further spread is low.
“With variants like Omicron emerging around the world, residents must continue to mask, socially distance, and get tested and isolate when sick,” Dr. Lawrence Loh, Peel Region’s medical officer of health, said in a statement.
“More importantly, I encourage you to get two doses of the vaccine as soon as possible. Those eligible for a third or booster dose are encouraged to get their additional dose as well.”
Earlier in the day, Hamilton also reported its first case of the Omicron variant of concern.
Hamilton Public Health Services (HPHS) announced Monday that there were two suspected cases of the Omicron variant after two individuals tested positive for COVID-19 following a trip to South Africa.
On Saturday morning, Public Health Ontario confirmed that one of those individuals tested positive for the variant, which was first discovered in southern Africa last week.
“The result for the second case under investigation is in the process of being sequenced and expected in the coming days,” HPHS said in a press release.
The two individuals and their close contacts are self-isolating and HPHS is conducting case and contact management.
“It’s important for the community to remain calm and have confidence that all levels of government will follow the science as it relates to the Omicron variant,” Dr. Ninh Tran, Hamilton’s associate medical officer of health, said in a statement.
“Hamilton Public Health Services remains committed to keeping the community updated in the coming days and weeks as we learn more about the Omicron variant,” he added.
All public health units in Ontario have been directed to manage confirmed cases of COVID-19 who travelled internationally in the past 14 days as a patient under investigation for Omicron.
With the two new cases Saturday, the Omicron variant has been discovered in all health units in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area.
On Friday, Toronto confirmed its first three cases of the Omicron variant in two individuals who returned from a trip to Nigeria and the other who travelled to Switzerland.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
India's foreign minister reacts to murder charges, claims Canada welcomes criminals
India's Foreign Affairs Minister accused Canada of welcoming criminals from his country in response to the RCMP's recent arrests in a homicide that has roiled tensions between the two countries.
15-year-old boy stabbed in Ottawa on Thursday dies
A 15-year old boy who was critically injured after a stabbing in Nepean on Thursday has died of his injuries, Ottawa's English public school board said Sunday.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
Actor Bernard Hill, of 'Titanic' and 'Lord of the Rings,' has died at 79
Actor Bernard Hill, who delivered a rousing cry before leading his people into battle in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' and went down with the ship as the captain in 'Titanic,' has died.
'A tiny city:' Pro-Palestinian campus protesters organize for another week
Pro-Palestinian activists have set up tents at universities in Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver and Montreal, following a wave of similar protests at campuses in the United States linked to the Israel-Hamas war.
Lawsuit against Meta asks if Facebook users have right to control their feeds using external tools
Do social media users have the right to control what they see — or don't see — on their feeds?
A Holocaust survivor will mark that history differently after the horrors of Oct. 7
This year's Holocaust Remembrance Day, which begins on Sunday evening in Israel, carries a heavier weight than usual for many Jews around the world.
Princess Anne lays wreath at Battle of Atlantic ceremony; honours late Queen
Princess Anne saluted Canadian veterans and current forces members and honoured her late mother during separate ceremonies Sunday in Victoria as she wrapped up a three-day British Columbia West Coast royal visit.
El Nino weakening doesn't mean cooler temperatures this summer, forecasters say
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.