COVID-19 cases across Canada could be ‘very high’ by January, top doctor warns

Canada’s top doctor says urgent action is needed to curb the spread of Omicron, which is now the dominant strain of COVID-19 in several provinces.

Chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam said Wednesday there were more than 11,300 new infections nationwide the previous day, up from the average of 5,000 cases per day last week.

She said modelling shows case counts could be “very high” by early January.

Several provinces have recently reinstated stricter public health measures in response to Omicron, including caps on social gatherings and closing some businesses.

Meanwhile, a self-isolating Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is pushing back at critics who say his government has fumbled the Omicron wave of COVID-19.

Trudeau told reporters Wednesday that they have been working flat out and learning much about COVID over the past two years. He added that the government tried to slow Omicron’s introduction to Canada by instituting border restrictions and testing requirements.

Read more:

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• Horgan, Houston tops among Canadian premiers, Kenney continues to flounder: poll

Quebec to limit gatherings to 6 people after Christmas

On Wednesday evening, Quebec Premier Francois Legault announced new restrictions as the province recorded roughly 9,000 new COVID-19 cases.

Legault says that beginning Boxing Day, gatherings inside homes will be limited to six people or two family bubbles.

Restaurants, which are already operating at half capacity and have to close at 10 p.m., will also have to limit groups at tables to six people or two families.

Legault says the “exponential” increase in COVID-19 cases over the past week is continuing and Quebec has recorded about 9,000 cases today, which will be reported in Thursday’s official numbers.

Earlier this week, the province abruptly closed bars, gyms and schools and warned that further restrictions could be coming while awaiting projections on the spread of the virus and its impact on hospitalizations.

Quebec reported a record 6,361 new COVID-19 cases this morning, with surging cases pushing the province well past 500,000 infections since the pandemic began.

In addition to two further deaths, hospitalizations jumped by 30 to 445, with 88 of those patients listed in intensive care — unchanged from the previous day.