Provinces report record-breaking COVID-19 case numbers due to Omicron surge
Global News
Records were broken in Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, British Columbia and New Brunswick, while news that Omicron may cause fewer hospitalizations emerged from the U.K.
Canada’s two largest provinces reported record high COVID-19 case counts Thursday, as preliminary data from Britain indicated that people with the Omicron variant are up to 70 per cent less likely to need hospitalization than those with the Delta mutation.
In Quebec, the provincial government reported 9,397 new cases and a rise of 28 COVID-19-related hospitalizations, for a total of 473. The province also reported six more deaths attributed to the novel coronavirus.
As well, exponential growth in COVID-19 cases was reported in Montreal, where a top health official confirmed that one of every five tests for the virus was coming back positive. Dr. Mylene Drouin said that 60 per cent of the positive cases in Montreal were among people between the ages of 18 and 44, adding that the city’s latest data also confirm that 90 per cent of new infections involved the Omicron variant.
“The message is we are having intense community transmission in Montreal,” Drouin told a news conference. “It’s exponential, it’s touching young adults.”
Another big upswing in cases was reported Thursday in Ontario, with 5,790 new cases detected. That tally was well above the previous single-day high of 4,812 recorded back in April. Canada’s most populous province also confirmed seven new deaths attributed to the virus. In all, 400 people were recovering in hospital, including 136 who were not vaccinated.
Despite the big increase in Ontario, an expert says the latest numbers represent a poor guess because testing is not keeping up with the Omicron-driven fifth wave of the pandemic.
“In all likelihood, you’d have to multiply these numbers at least three or four times to get a sense of what’s actually happening,” said. Dr. Fahad Razaka, a member of the province’s science table.
Prince Edward Island also posted a new record for its daily case count on Thursday with 35. That prompted the Island’s government to ban all wedding receptions, funeral receptions and wakes as of Friday at 8 a.m.
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