Coronavirus: What's happening in Canada and around the world on Dec. 16
Provinces grapple with how to curb spread of Omicron variant across the country
The latest:
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B.C. records a jump in new cases, including 135 of the Omicron variant.
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Omicron cases nearly double in Alberta to 119.
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Quebec government limits gatherings, delays high school reopening to combat case spike.
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Kingston, Ont., area sets new Canadian record for COVID-19 case rate: 'This is really the true impact of the Omicron variant.'
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Manitoba hits highest daily COVID-19 count since June with 218 cases, 2 deaths.
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'Absolute frenzy' as Ontarians face long lines to get free COVID-19 rapid tests.
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LISTEN | How much should Omicron affect our holiday plans.
Provinces face difficult choices over how to curb the spread of the Omicron variant ahead of the holiday season as COVID-19 case counts continued surging throughout much of Canada on Thursday.
British Columbia and Alberta saw their confirmed Omicron case totals jump, while Saskatchewan's premier expanded eligibility for booster shots and called Omicron the "most significant challenge" of the pandemic so far.
Quebec's premier announced new measures limiting private gatherings to a maximum of 10 people indoors, reducing capacity at stores and restaurants, and delaying the return of in-person high school classes until Jan. 10, among other restrictions.
"In this fight that we are waging, it's not enough to just get vaccinated," Premier François Legault said at a news conference.
Quebec booked 2,736 cases Thursday, up from 2,386 the day before. These numbers are the highest reported in the province since January, when Quebec was grappling with a second wave.
In Ontario, the province's table of science experts called for "circuit breaker" restrictions that will reduce people's social contacts by 50 per cent. Otherwise, the province could see between 6,000 and 10,000 new cases a day by the end of the year, the scientists said.
Nova Scotia reported 287 new cases Thursday, topping a previous record set in May. The province has identified 40 cases involving Omicron.
In New Brunswick, 177 new cases were recorded, up from the previous high of 174 set last week.
None of the new cases reported in that province Thursday were caused by Omicron, public health authorities said. But the province has identified 14 cases of the variant, and the health minister has said she expects to see many more.
Prince Edward Island has its highest active caseload yet, with 49 residents currently infected. The island reported 10 new cases Thursday.
Elsewhere in the country, case numbers are reaching levels not seen for months.
Manitoba recorded 218 new cases Thursday, its highest number since June.
On Wednesday, that province's chief provincial public health officer said that number could hit 1,000 a day by January because of the transmissibility of Omicron. He urged Manitobans to decrease the number of people they have contact with and be "very, very careful" about their holiday plans.
Understanding a new coronavirus variant: What are scientists learning about Omicron?
- How does Omicron spread so fast? Virus may now be multiplying 70 times quicker in airways
- ANALYSIS | Why Omicron is overtaking Delta — and what that means for our fight against COVID-19
- WATCH | What masks are most effective against Omicron?
- Have a coronavirus question or news tip for CBC News? Email: COVID@cbc.ca
-From CBC News, last updated at 6:35 p.m. ET
What's happening across Canada
- 'Circuit breaker' measures needed to prevent Omicron from overwhelming ICUs, Ontario science table says.
- Sask. residents 18 and older eligible for COVID-19 booster shots, effective Monday.
- Some Ontario universities move online amid Omicron concerns.
- 'Now is not the time': Federal government warns against travel abroad as Omicron spreads.
- WATCH | Manitoba marks 1 year since COVID-19 vaccination campaign's start as Omicron variant threatens.
- At-home rapid COVID-19 tests are 'way of the future,' says Yukon top doctor.
- Omicron arrives in N.L. as provincial government prepares for rapid border testing.
- Positive COVID-19 cases in N.S. to be notified by text.
- Kingston, Ont., area going back to early autumn COVID-19 rules in latest bid to turn tide.
- '2 doses are not enough': 1-on-1 with Montreal public health director.
What's happening around the world
As of early Thursday afternoon, more than 272.6 million cases of COVID-19 had been reported worldwide, according to case-tracking done by Johns Hopkins University in the U.S. The reported global death toll stood at more than 5.3 million.
'No way to sugarcoat it'
In the Americas, the U.S. state of Michigan is in a "crisis" due to COVID-19, according to Bob Riney, chief operating officer at Henry Ford Health System in Detroit. Henry Ford hospitals in southeastern Michigan had about 500 COVID-19 patients Wednesday, 80 per cent of them unvaccinated.
"There's no way to sugarcoat it," Riney said. "On any given day, our emergency departments are either at capacity or close to it, and often times serving as inpatient units because we don't have beds available in our standard inpatient units or ICUs."
In Europe, France announced Thursday that it would tighten entry rules for those coming from Britain, after the United Kingdom recorded its highest-ever number of new COVID-19 cases Wednesday. After France's announcement, the U.K. recorded yet another new record Thursday, of 88,376 new cases.
EU leaders gathering in Brussels for a summit Thursday sought to balance tackling the surge of infections across the continent while keeping borders open with common policies throughout the bloc. But ahead of the meeting, European countries already were acting to rein in the spread of the virus. Greece and Italy tightened entry requirements for travellers earlier this week, and Portugal decided to keep stricter border controls in place beyond their planned Jan. 9 end.
Countries such as Bosnia and Romania in eastern Europe are seeing their vaccination rates rise as some former vaccine skeptics shift over to the other side. Fata Keco was afraid of possible adverse side effects when she rolled up her sleeve in the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo to take her first vaccine shot, but the worst she had to contend with was "moderately discomforting pain" in her left arm. The 52-year-old joined the global community of vaccine-believers after months of "being very susceptible" to what she now describes as "the most ridiculous theories."
In the Middle East, Turkey is offering COVID-19 booster shots for people who received their second shots at least three months ago as a measure to fight the Omicron variant. The country of nearly 84 million has so far reported six cases of the variant.
The Palestinian health ministry also reported its first cases of the Omicron variant in the territory.
In the Asia-Pacific region, Japan, Indonesia and New Zealand reported their first cases of the Omicron COVID-19 variant while South Korea said it will reinstate stricter physical distancing rules a month-and-a-half after easing them.
In Africa, Malawi plans to make vaccines mandatory for frontline workers including health workers and journalists.
Health officials in South Africa on Wednesday reported 26,976 new cases of COVID-19 and 54 additional deaths. Health Minister Dr. Joe Phaahla urged people on Thursday to follow COVID-19 prevention protocols through the holiday season.
"We call upon all travellers, especially those who are unvaccinated or partly vaccinated coming from areas declared hot spots, to get vaccinated before hitting the roads to protect their families and friends they will be visiting during this period associated with large social gatherings like parties and weddings, which can be 'super spreader' events that carry a huge risk of transmission of the virus," the health minister said in a statement.
-From The Associated Press, Reuters and CBC News, last updated at 5:30 p.m. ET
Corrections
- An earlier version of this story said Dr. Jackie Kinley, who will be taking COVID-19 questions in a radio special, is a psychologist. In fact, she is a psychiatrist.Dec 16, 2021 11:55 AM ET
With files from Reuters and CBC News
