Maritime provinces testing some travellers for COVID-19 Omicron variant
The new COVID-19 variant has Maritime public health officials on alert.
On Friday, federal counterparts notified Maritime officials of travellers who had already arrived in the region over the past 14 days from countries in southern Africa flagged by Ottawa – a list of nations that has grown as of Monday.
Travellers from 10 nations in the area are now banned from entering Canada.
“We have ten people that were identified as being recent travellers to southern Africa,” says Nova Scotia’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Robert Strang.
Strang says those people were all tested and results are pending.
A number of travellers to Prince Edward Island were also identified, although a provincial representative didn’t respond by deadline when CTV inquired.
Eight people arriving in New Brunswick were also identified and tested.
All of the travellers are now in quarantine.
“We're going to continue to do that kind of surveillance again with PCR testing for international travellers,” says Dr. Jennifer Russell, New Brunswick’s chief medical officer of health.
Both Strang and Russell say the labs in their respective provinces can screen samples for the Omicron variant. Those results would then be confirmed by the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg, while P.E.I. sends all its positive COVID-19 results there anyway.
P.E.I. Chief Public Health Officer, Dr. Heather Morrison, says getting a confirmation of a variant normally takes several days.
“We send all of them, regardless of the positives cases and their travel history,” she says.
All three officials say the region is in a good position to deal with the likelihood of Omicron’s eventual arrival.
“We have low levels of virus circulation, we have high levels of vaccine coverage,” says Strang. “And we still have some strong measures in place.”
All necessary, he says, to keeping Omicron – or any variant – at bay.
Meanwhile, the federal government announced new requirements for all international travellers to Canada. All of them, except for those coming from the United States, now have to be tested at the airport upon arrival.
As for whether provincial officials will be taking any extra measures, they say they are waiting for more information.
Morrison says getting a better understanding of the variant is a key part of making those decisions.
“Are we doing everything we can to protect Islanders, when we don't know everything yet about this variant and how effective our vaccine is against it?” Morrison asks.
“It does mean that we are evaluating if there are any other additional changes and measures and recommendations that we need to consider,” says Russell.
Those discussions will take place in earnest this week, as the federal government tracks the variant around the world and in Canada.
Meanwhile, at a COVID-19 testing center in Halifax on Tuesday, some Nova Scotians took the news of a new variant in stride.
Jeff Kowalski and his wife brought their three-year-old daughter for testing after an exposure notice at her daycare.
“We're obviously concerned but I think we've been safe and careful and we'll just keep continuing what we've been doing,” he says.
Rachel Wozney came to get tested after returning from a trip to P.E.I.
“We've been able to quell all the outbreaks as they crop up,” Wozney says. “And I’m sure that we'll be able to handle this as well if it makes its way here.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
LeBlanc says he plans to run in next election, under Trudeau's leadership
Cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc says he plans to run in the next election as a candidate under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's leadership, amid questions about his rumoured interest in succeeding his longtime friend for the top job.
Grandparent scam suspects had ties to Italian organized crime, Ontario police allege
A group of suspects that allegedly defrauded seniors across Ontario and other parts of Canada using a so-called emergency grandparent scam appear to have ties to 'Italian traditional organized crime,' according to an investigator involved in the OPP-led probe.
Sports columnist apologizes for ‘oafish’ comments directed at Caitlin Clark. The controversy isn’t over
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball’s highest scorer Caitlin Clark’s first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.
Trend Line Anger, pessimism towards federal government reach six-year high: Nanos survey
Most Canadians in March reported feeling angry or pessimistic towards the federal government than at any point in the last six years, according to a survey by Nanos Research.
BREAKING B.C.'s short-term rental regulations include $10K daily penalties for Airbnb, other platforms
Short-term rental platforms that violate B.C.'s pending regulations can face administrative penalties of up to $10,000 per day, officials announced Thursday.
Taylor Swift's new album allegedly 'leaked' on social media and it's causing a frenzy
A Google Drive link allegedly containing 17 tracks that are purportedly from Swift's eagerly awaited "The Tortured Poets Department" album has been making the rounds on the internet in the past day and people are equal parts mad, sad and happy about it.
Motion to allow keffiyehs at Ontario legislature fails
A motion to reverse a ban on the keffiyeh within Queen’s Park failed to receive unanimous consent Thursday just moments after Ontario Premier Doug Ford reiterated his view that prohibiting the garment in the House is divisive.
'Shopaholic' author Sophie Kinsella reveals brain cancer diagnosis
Sophie Kinsella, the best-selling author behind the 'Shopaholic' book series, has revealed that she is receiving treatment for brain cancer.