Sask. officials 'keeping a close eye' on Omicron variant: health minister
Saskatchewan’s health minister said officials in the province are keeping a close watch on developments around the new Omicron variant.
“I met with Dr. Shahab specifically on this this morning to get his point of view,” Health Minister Paul Merriman said. “He’s keeping a very close eye to make sure, when we do get some information we’ll be able to get that out to the general public.”
Merriman said the best defense against COVID-19, and its variants, is to get fully vaccinated.
So far, the Omicron variant has not been detected in Saskatchewan. However, officials have confirmed cases in both Ontario and Quebec.
According to Merriman, Saskatchewan labs are equipped to test for the variant
“If they do get a positive test, then it goes to the next level of testing to make sure that it’s identified as that specific variant,” Merriman said.
Dr. Alexander Wong, an infectious diseases specialist, says the variant has likely been circulating for weeks, but it is too early to tell how it will impact Saskatchewan.
“I don’t necessarily think this is a reason for panic at this point,” Wong said.
“It was inevitable that we were going to see new variants.”
The World Health Organization declared Omicron a variant of concern last week. Now, Wong says the biggest question is how the new variant will compare to the Delta variant. According to Wong, it could take two to four weeks to better understand Omicron.
“The main thing that makes it unique and a bit worrisome is the fact that it has a lot of different mutations,” said Wong, adding health experts are working to understand the transmissibility and severity of the variant.
Wong says officials will also be monitoring how well vaccines work against the new variant. According to Wong, there may be “decreased effectiveness.” However, he says vaccines will maintain “some degree of protection.”
While we likely cannot stop the spread of the Omicron variant, Wong says we can slow it down through travel restrictions, quarantining and PCR testing, as well as everyday measures like masking and social distancing.
“All of these are critical in managing any variant,” he said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
BREAKING Ottawa public school board, 3 Toronto-area school boards launch lawsuit against social media giants
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and three school boards in the Toronto-area have launched legal action against social media giants, accusing them of "disrupting students' fundamental right to education."
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 mm among weather alerts in effect for 7 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres, air quality advisories and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Donald Trump assails judge and his daughter after gag order in N.Y. hush-money criminal case
Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at the New York judge who put him under a gag order that bars him from commenting publicly about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in his upcoming hush-money criminal trial.
A fight to protect the dignity of Michelangelo's David raises questions about freedom of expression
Michelangelo's David has been a towering figure in Italian culture since its completion in 1504. But in the current era of the quick buck, curators worry the marble statue's religious and political significance is being diminished.
Doctors visiting a Gaza hospital are stunned by the war's toll on Palestinian children
An international team of doctors visiting a hospital in central Gaza was prepared for the worst. But the gruesome impact Israel’s war against Hamas is having on Palestinian children still left them stunned.
What new auto insurance reforms will mean for Ontarians, if they get introduced
Ontario has among the highest rates for auto insurance premiums in Canada -- just below Alberta and Nova Scotia -- however, the introduction of an insurance reform in the provincial budget could soon lower prices.