No community transmission of Omicron in Quebec as province confirms five cases
In the week since Quebec confirmed its first case of the new Omicron COVID-19 variant, health officials say there have only been a handful of cases positively identified in the province.
On Nov. 29, the government announced it had detected its first known case of the variant from someone who had returned from a trip to Nigeria.
Quebec’s health ministry said in a tweet Wednesday afternoon that as of Dec. 7, only five cases have been identified so far through sequencing and they all appear to be related to travel abroad.
“Seven cases are under investigation,” the tweet also said.
When news of the first case arrived in Quebec, Health Minister Christian Dubé said his department was made aware of at least 115 travellers arriving in Quebec from countries of concern, where the variants were first detected, and that those people were asked to take a new PCR test and self-isolate.
The update on Wednesday is in line with what officials said last week that, at least for now, the new variant doesn’t appear to be spreading locally in Quebec.
The government said after a one-day survey of COVID-19 tests there were no positive cases confirmed. The province is still monitoring travellers and their contacts closely to keep an eye on the situation.
The absence of community transmission of the Omicron variant was one of the reasons the government cited when it announced on Tuesday that it will allow larger indoor gatherings in homes in the lead up to the holidays. Quebecers can allow up to 20 people into their homes as of Dec. 23 and are firmly recommending all guests be vaccinated.
On Wednesday, the province continued its upward trend for new daily cases with 1,367 new COVID-19 infections recorded, along with two new deaths due to the virus. Hospitalizations increased by seven in the last 24 hours, for a total of 242.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'He's in our hearts': Family and friends still seek answers one year after Nathan Wise’s disappearance
It’s been a year since Nathan Wise went missing and his family is no closer to finding out what happened to him.
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
Canucks hold off Oilers for 4-3 win in Game 3
Brock Boeser had two goals and an assist, and the Vancouver Canucks hung on for a 4-3 win over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 3 of their second-round Stanley Cup playoff series.
Ottawa pizzeria places among top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world at international competition
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.
Man fatally 'slashed in the neck' in downtown Toronto, suspect outstanding
Police are searching for a male suspect after a man was “slashed in neck” on Sunday morning in downtown Toronto and died.
WATCH Dashcam video shows terrifying near-miss on two-lane northern Ontario highway
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.
Canada Post cracks down on Nunavut loophole to get free Amazon Prime shipping
Amazon's paid subscription service provides free delivery for online shopping across Canada except for remote locations, the company said in an email. While customers in Iqaluit qualify for the offer, all other communities in Nunavut are excluded.
Wildfire near Fort McMurray more than triples overnight, several evacuation alerts remain in place
The fire burning near Fort McMurray grew from 25 hectares to 5,500 hectares over the weekend.
Putin replaces Russian defence minister in rare cabinet shakeup
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin began a Cabinet shakeup on Sunday, proposing the replacement of Sergei Shoigu as defence minister as he begins his fifth term in office.