Ontario confirms two more Omicron COVID-19 variant cases, bringing confirmed total to four
Ontario has now confirmed a total of four cases of the new Omicron coronavirus variant in the province. Ottawa Public Health confirmed Monday evening that two more travellers have tested positive for the variant.
“Yesterday the government of Ontario announced two individuals in Ottawa tested positive for the COVID 19 omicron variant with recent travel to Nigeria. We are now aware of two other returned travellers who have tested positive for the omicron variant,” the health unit said in a statement.
Earlier Monday, the province said it was investigating four additional COVID-positive people who met specific high-risk criteria for the Omicron coronavirus variant, and the province’s chief medical officer suggested limiting the investigation focus on returnees from southern Africa is not a wise idea.
Dr. Kieran Moore said beyond the first two Ottawa residents confirmed to have the Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant on Sunday, there were four other individuals – two also in Ottawa and two others in Hamilton – whose positive COVID-19 samples were undergoing whole genomic sequencing.
While the two additional travellers residing in Ottawa have now tested positive for the variant, results have not yet come back from health officials in Hamilton for those cases.
Ottawa Public Health did not say where the two additional travellers had been. All four confirmed cases are now self-isolating.
Three hundred and seventy five other returnees from seven different southern African countries who arrived in Ontario over the past two weeks were offered asymptomatic testing and are undergoing mandatory home quarantine.
“If they’re positive, we have good local capacity to respond to them,” Moore told reporters on Monday.
He said the first two Ottawa residents confirmed to have Omicron returned to Canada from Nigeria through Montreal’s Pierre Elliott Trudeau Airport and had their test samples sequenced by chance as part of a random genomic surveillance program.
Hamilton Public Health said Monday that the two cases they are investigating for the Omicron variant both recently returned to Ontario from South Africa.
Since Nov. 5, the province has run virtually all positive samples through whole genomic sequencing, a genetic mapping procedure conducted in a lab that can take up to four days to complete.
Given the fact that dozens of countries around the world have now detected at least one Omicron variant case, Moore said the current travel restrictions and testing guidance which focuses on southern Africa doesn’t make much sense.
“I think we’re learning from the epidemiology of this that this virus has been present on the globe for many, many weeks if not months,” he said.
“It may be more prudent to broaden the testing of all returning travellers.”
The focus on isolating returnees and banning flights from southern Africa has drawn condemnation from epidemiologists, as it appears to punish the South African government for being so forthright with their research and ignores the chasm of vaccine inequity still dividing the continent from its wealthier peers in Europe and North America.
The focus on southern Africa also ignores the fact that there have been Omicron cases found in Europe with either no history of travel to southern Africa or a travel history elsewhere, such as Egypt.
He said that they still do not have definitive data on whether Omicron is more virulent or capable of vaccine escape.
Asked if the province is preparing any new public health restrictions in response to Omicron, Moore said they was no reason to do so at present.
“I don’t foresee us having to take any (new) steps at present, we will have to understand if it is more virulent or increases incidence of hospitalization.”
“We’re still learning more – Dr. Moore was very clear that if there is a big change in circumstance, including new variant that is problematic, we would have to stay where we are and reassess.”
Elliott said her ministry was working with federal officials to bolster testing capacity at all points of entry into Ontario.
As of tomorrow, fully-vaccinated travellers returning from the U.S. who spend less than 72 hours there will be exempt from showing proof of a negative PCR test upon arrival.
Fully-vaccinated incoming travellers are tested at airports only on a random basis.
There is no word on whether the federal government will move to administer tests to everyone arriving at a land border crossing or airport.
Quebec announced its first confirmed case of Omicron on Monday afternoon.
In response to the arrival of Omicron, Green Party of Ontario leader Mike Schreiner called on the Ford government to make vaccination mandatory for healthcare and education workers, and provide respirator-quality masks to everyone in those sectors (including students).
The variant was first detected on Nov. 24 in a specimen collected on Nov. 9, according to data submitted by South African scientists to the World Health Organization (WHO) who later labelled Omicron as a global variant of concern.
Dr. Peter Jüni, medical director of Ontario's COVID-19 Science Advisory Table, told CP24 the public should expect Omicron to become the dominant strain of coronavirus in Ontario in "a few weeks to a few months."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Trudeau promises $1B in loans for child-care providers to expand care centres
The federal government is launching a new loan program to help child-care providers in Canada expand their spaces, and will be extending further student loan forgiveness and training options for early childhood educators, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.
Spring allergy season has begun. Where is it worse in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
N.B. man wins $64 million from Lotto 6/49
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
King Charles calls for acts of friendship in first public remarks since Kate's cancer diagnosis
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.