Quebec confirms 1st case of omicron COVID-19 variant
CBC
One case of the new omicron COVID-19 variant has been confirmed in Quebec, the provincial government announced Monday.
Public Health Director Dr. Horacio Arruda, speaking at a news conference, said tests revealed the new strain in a woman who had recently returned from Nigeria.
This comes after two cases of variant, also from Nigeria, were confirmed in Ottawa. Those cases were found to have returned to the country through Montreal's airport.
Arruda would not confirm whether the cases were related.
Health Minister Christian Dubé said the case was discovered after 115 people in the province who had travelled to southern African countries were asked to take a new COVID-19 test and isolate, in accordance with new federal government rules announced Friday.
WATCH | Health Minister Christian Dubé announces first omicron variant case in Quebec:
Dubé said the government is monitoring two things about the new variant: if it's more contagious and if it's resistant to vaccines. He said expert analysis should clarify those points in the next two weeks.
"We don't know what to expect with this new variant, but the federal government is following this closely," he said.
Dubé cautioned that Canada could potentially impose stricter re-entry requirements for those travelling abroad, and asked Quebecers to reconsider any plans to travel this holiday season.
"No matter where you travel, you must be careful," he warned, pointing to how many countries have confirmed cases of the omicron variant.
Cases of the variant have been registered in countries including the Netherlands, Australia, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, China, Italy, Germany, Belgium and Israel.
"The next few weeks will be critical."
Dubé said he would support stronger testing and screening measures for travellers entering the country, at least until more is known about the variant.
Canada has currently barred all foreign nationals who have travelled through South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Lesotho, Eswatini or Mozambique from entering the country.
Intelligence regarding foreign interference sometimes didn't make it to the prime minister's desk in 2021 because Canada's spy agency and the prime minister's national security adviser didn't always see eye to eye on the nature of the threat, according to a recent report from one of Canada's intelligence watchdogs.