One dinner, seven old friends, six Omicron infections: the new reality, says Montreal man
A rare dinner out for seven old friends at an upscale Montreal restaurant turned into a small spreader event this month, with six of the seven testing positive for COVID-19 within a few days of the get-together.
It appears the highly contagious Omicron variant is responsible for the fast-moving infections.
Three of the six men have gotten calls from Montreal Public health so far, confirming the infections were caused by the Omicron variant, according to one member of the group who got that call himself.
He expects the others to get the same news any day now, he said.
“Six out of seven of us were knocked out in one dinner,” the 41-year-old Montreal resident, whom CTV News is calling by a pseudonym, Steven, said in an interview.
He did not want to use his name to protect his family’s privacy.
His wife and young children have also gotten tested and are waiting for results, he said.
“I mean, it makes sense. You need something that's uber-contagious in order for six out of seven double-vaccinated [people] from one dinner to all be infected,” he said.
Steven doesn’t know who, if anyone, at their table on Dec. 7 may have been patient zero. They could have also caught the virus from a staff member or another customer.
But he says the restaurant, located on Notre-Dame Street West in the St-Henri area, diligently checked everyone’s vaccine passport and asked them for ID.
None of the friends had done any recent travelling, he said.
Speaking to CTV on a phone from his basement at home, isolated from his wife and children, he said he is sharing his experience as a cautionary tale, wanting to highlight the risks associated with a small social activity many see as a safer alternative to a big party.
“It sort of puts things into perspective,” he said, right as Quebec's premier predicted record-breaking numbers for the following day and reimposed restrictions on a wide swath of activities.
“I think if you would have asked anybody, 'Hey, listen, what are the chances seven double-vaccinated adults go for dinner and six come back positive?' most people would tell you this is pretty unlikely," he said.
“You let your guard down a little bit when you know that you're vaccinated and you know that you're with people you trust,” he said of the “buddies” he’s been friends with for about 25 years.
“If I’m going to go out with anybody, I’m going to go out with these guys because nobody is going to do anything to harm the next person,” he said.
Omicron, however, is not to be trusted, he said. His symptoms are mild -- a fever and cold-like symptoms -- but "it certainly seems like this thing is scarier, just from a transmission perspective,” said Steven.
“I think it's super important that people understand that. I think it's important that people know.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
Boeing's financial woes continue, while families of crash victims urge U.S. to prosecute the company
Boeing said Wednesday that it lost US$355 million on falling revenue in the first quarter, another sign of the crisis gripping the aircraft manufacturer as it faces increasing scrutiny over the safety of its planes and accusations of shoddy work from a growing number of whistleblowers.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.