COVID-19’s Omicron surge prompts new restrictions, cancellations

COVID-19 cases continue to mount across Canada as the Omicron variant of the coronavirus becomes further entrenched in the country.

Ontario reported more than 9,800 new cases of the virus yesterday, Quebec counted roughly 8,000, and in Nova Scotia more than 1,100 were confirmed over the weekend.

The high case counts came as new restrictions went into force in Quebec, capping private gatherings at six people or two household bubbles.

And an increasing number of athletes testing positive for the virus prompted Curling Canada to cancel Olympic mixed doubles trials yesterday.

Meanwhile, public health experts expect case counts to continue to climb, given the high transmissibility of the Omicron variant.

And that has renewed their concerns about the capacity of Canada’s hospitals and health-care workers to handle another wave of the pandemic.

Several provinces have asked people to get tested only if they have symptoms as hospitals and centres have reached their testing limits.

Health-care analysts have said this means there are likely far more cases than have been reported.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 27, 2021.

The Canadian Press