Ontario health minister says Omicron cases expected to peak this month
Two weeks after Ontario imposed sweeping public health measures in an effort to blunt the rapid spread of COVID-19 due to the Omicron variant, the province’s minister of health says that cases of the virus are expected to peak in the next several days.
“Omicron cases are expected to peak this month, with a peak in hospitalizations and ICU admissions to follow,” Health Minister Christine Elliott said during a news conference on Wednesday.
“New hospitalizations are slowing and are now doubling closer to every two weeks," she said.
Elliott’s comments come a day after Premier Doug Ford revealed that “positive news” regarding the province’s restrictions would be coming later this week.
Ford doubled down on those comments on Wednesday when he said that the forthcoming "positive announcement" would be beneficial to restaurants and gyms which are currently shuttered.
Since then, CTV News Toronto has learned that Ontario will gradually loosen restrictions starting with indoor dining on Jan. 31, according to sources familiar with the matter. Ford is expected to make the official announcement on Thursday at Queen's Park.
On Jan. 5, the province introduced public health measures, including the closure of in-person learning at schools until Jan. 17, the reduction in capacity at personal care services and shopping centres and the halting of indoor dining at restaurants and bars until Jan. 26.
Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health has said that he and his team have been monitoring key metrics related to the province’s COVID-19 battle such as hospitalizations, ICU admissions, and deaths related to the virus, as well as test positivity rate and the virus’s reproductive number.
On Wednesday, hospitalizations linked to COVID-19 in Ontario reached 4,132 and ICU admissions reached 589 – the highest reported number in months.
However, Moore said earlier this week that the number of cases is decelerating in terms of hospitalizations and ICUs.
Before that, Moore had warned that he could not “guarantee” that measures would be lifted on Jan. 26. When asked if his opinion on the timeline had changed since those comments were made and as students return to school across the province, he said that any decision to lift public health restrictions would be one made by the government.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NDP calls out Conservatives for effort to squash pharmacare legislation
The federal New Democrats are calling out Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and his party for trying to block the bill that could pave the way for millions of Canadians to access birth control and diabetes coverage.
Stamp prices rise for the third time in five years amid financial woes for Canada Post
Canada Post is increasing stamp prices for the third time since 2019, a move the Crown corporation says is a "reality" of its sales-based revenue structure.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
A subset of Alzheimer's cases may be caused by two copies of a single gene, new research shows
For the first time, researchers have identified a genetic form of late-in-life Alzheimer’s disease — in people who inherit two copies of a worrisome gene.
Ontario MPP asked again to leave Ontario legislature over keffiyeh, Speaker loosens ban
An Ontario MPP was asked again to leave the Ontario legislature on Monday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that was banned by the Speaker last month due to its political symbolism.
WATCH Avian flu: Risk to humans grows as outbreaks spread, warns expert
H5N1 or avian flu is decimating wildlife around the world and is now spreading among cattle in the United States, sparking concerns about 'pandemic potential' for humans. Now a health expert is urging Canada to scale up surveillance north of the border.
Trudeau Liberals to unveil new bill Monday aimed at countering foreign interference
Democratic Institutions Minister Dominic LeBlanc will be tabling legislation on Monday aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada. Federal officials have scheduled a technical briefing on the incoming bill for Monday afternoon.