Omicron, the latest COVID-19 variant of concern, was found in two cases in Ottawa, according to a statement released Sunday by Ottawa Public Health (OPH)..“Today, the province of Ontario has confirmed two cases of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 in Ottawa, both of which were reported in individuals with recent travel from Nigeria,” said the statement..“Ottawa Public Health is conducting case and contact management and the patients are in isolation.”.The federal government, upon hearing of the new variant late last week, quickly brought in new travel restrictions on Friday for travellers arriving from southern African countries affected, where Omicron was first discovered..Although there is little known about the new variant, it has been linked to a rise in cases in a province in South Africa..“The best defence against the omicron variant is stopping it at our border,” said a statement from Ontario Health Minister Christine Elliott and Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. Kieran Moore..“In addition to the measures recently announced, we continue to urge the federal government to take the necessary steps to mandate point-of-arrival testing for all travellers irrespective of where they’re coming from to further protect against the spread of this new variant.”.Previous efforts by the federal government to stop COVID-19 at the border have failed..Although federal Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos said the detection of the two new omicron cases confirms the country’s monitoring system is working, he warns we will likely see more cases of the variant..“As the monitoring and testing continues with provinces and territories, it is expected that other cases of this variant will be found in Canada,” Duclos said..The Public Health Agency of Canada said in a statement the government will continue to monitor the “evolving situation and adjust border measures as required.”.The World Health Organization (WHO) confirms many scientists from around the world are studying the newest COVID-19 variant first detected in South Africa to better understand the effects of the new strain on transmission and severity of illness..WHO said it is still unclear whether Omicron is more transmissible compared to other variants including Delta, nor whether the variant will cause more severe disease..“There is currently no information to suggest that symptoms associated with Omicron are any different from those from other variants,” said an update from the WHO..According to initial reports, infections of the new variant were found in university students of a younger demographic who “tend to have more mild disease.”.WHO anticipates it will “take days to several weeks” to understand the level of severity of the new variant but indicates preliminary evidence suggests there could be an “increased risk of reinfection with Omicron.”.WHO confirms they are coordinating with researchers around the world and are looking to assess transmissibility, severity of infection and effectiveness of vaccines, diagnostic testing and treatments..As Omicron has been labelled a Variant of Concern (VOC), WHO is recommending countries take precautions to limit cases including enhanced surveillance, reporting cases to WHO and implementing and continuing public health measures such as masking and social distancing..Other countries are adding restrictions on travellers coming from various southern African countries including the US, Japan, Brazil, Australia, and the United Kingdom while cases have also been reported in Belgium, Israel and Hong Kong..Germany, the Netherlands, Austria and the Czech Republic have also reported suspected cases related to travellers arriving from South Africa..Melanie Risdon is a reporter with the Western Standard.,.mrisdon@westernstandardonline.com
