Omicron not yet spreading locally within Quebec, according to one-day 'portrait' on Nov. 30
The Omicron variant isn't yet spreading locally within Quebec, or it wasn't as of Nov. 30, according to the province's first effort to monitor the troubling variant on home turf.
"Quebec has rapidly deployed surveillance of the Omicron variant (B.1.1.529) in recent days" and will continue to ramp up the effort, the province said in a release Monday afternoon.
It started with a "one-off survey" to screen as many positive COVID-19 tests as possible from a single day, Nov. 30, for the variant.
There were the 1,174 positive samples that day, but only some had enough of a viral load to be used for DNA sampling. The province's public health lab received and screened 894 of the tests.
Among these, no Omicron variant was detected.
This one-day screening "allows us to have a 'photo' of the current situation in Quebec," the province wrote.
"Currently, this variant does not seem to be circulating in the community, apart from cases related to travellers."
Only one case of Omicron has been confirmed -- the traveller, already reported, who was returning from Nigeria. That person's case was confirmed on Nov. 29.
The province is still monitoring travellers and their contacts closely to see if there are new Omicron cases in this group, it said.
TWO-STEP SCREENING TAILORED TO OMICRON
More specifically, all travellers returning to Quebec from foreign countries who test positive for COVID-19 have their samples pre-screened, with two particular mutations looked for -- Omicron famously has more than 50 mutations. Both these particular mutations aren't present in the Delta variant, which is dominant in Quebec.
If the pre-screening is positive, the sample moves on to genome sequencing, which can definitively confirm an Omicron case.
While the Omicron variant is "of concern," the release said, "we do not yet have reliable estimates of the extent to which the Omicron variant might be more transmissible or more resistant to vaccines, so it is too early to provide an evidence-based assessment of the risk it poses."
The count of daily cases in Quebec saw a sharp increase last week, with a tally of over 1,100 for several days in a row. In Monday's release, the province didn't address whether it believes this could still be due to Omicron taking hold after its one-day screening portrait, and it didn't say when it will provide the next update.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
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.
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.
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.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
Baby boom amongst nurses leads to maternity ward closure in Listowel, Ont.
The emergency room at Listowel’s hospital is open today, but come summer, their obstetrics unit will be temporarily closing its delivery rooms.
Humboldt Broncos bus crash survivor qualifies Canada for Paralympics in rowing event
Former Humboldt Broncos goaltender and bus crash survivor Jacob Wassermann has qualified Canada for a rowing event for the 2024 Paralympic games in Paris.
Krispy Kreme doughnuts coming to McDonald's in U.S., but not Canada
Canadians will be missing out on a sweet new partnership between McDonald's and Krispy Kreme, which will see doughnuts available at McDonald's locations across the U.S. by the end of 2026.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.