Quebec confirms first case of new COVID-19 Omicron variant
CTV
Quebec's health minister announced Monday the province has confirmed its first case of the new COVID-19 variant known as Omicron that has spread to several countries and put health officials around the world on heightened alert.
Minister Christian Dubé made the announcement at a press conference in Montreal alongside Dr. Horacio Arruda, the director of public health.
The update from the province comes as Canadian health officials are monitoring the spread of the new coronavirus variant, which was first detected in southern Africa. It has since spread to several countries and was first confirmed in Canada on Sunday in two travellers arriving in Ottawa from a trip to Nigeria.
Ontario's chief medical officer of health, Dr. Kieran Moore, announced Monday morning that the two travellers entered the country at Montreal’s Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport and were tested there before arriving in Ottawa. Four other suspected cases are being investigated in Ontario -- two in Ottawa and two in Hamilton.
Like in the Ottawa cases, the person in Quebec who tested positive with the Omicron variant had also travelled to Nigeria, according to Dr. Arruda, who added that he couldn't reveal more details about the positive case due to privacy reasons.
