Quebec Has Confirmed 5 Omicron Variant Cases

The Ministry of Health and Social Services confirmed Wednesday afternoon that a total of five travellers entering Quebec were infected with the Omicron variant.

Another seven cases are "under investigation," according to a tweet from the ministry.

With concerns about the Omicron variant abound, the Institut national de santé publique de Québec (INSPQ) said Tuesday that there was no evidence of community transmission of the variant in the province.

The federal government was quick to react to the emergence of Omicron, banning foreign nationals from entering Canada if they've been to Botswana, Egypt, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa or Zimbabwe within 14 days prior to their arrival.

Canadian citizens, permanent residents and those who have status under the Indian Act who are travelling from these countries, meanwhile, are subject to "enhanced pre-entry and arrival testing, screening, and quarantine measures," according to the government.

In addition, Canada is rolling out on-arrival testing for all air travellers coming from places other than the United States. Fully-vaccinated travellers have to quarantine until they receive a negative test result.

The INSPQ said that all travellers entering Quebec who test positive for COVID-19 will undergo screening for Omicron.

On November 29, Quebec Health Minister Christian Dubé said that officials are studying the variant to determine if it's more contagious or resistant to vaccines.

In an interview with MTL Blog, Université de Montréal professor and research director Dr. Janusz Kaczorowski said that for Quebecers "the best advice is to be cautious and continue with the current public health measures and vaccination campaigns to prevent spread and impact of Omicron."

This article’s cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.