B.C. confirms 4 more cases of Omicron COVID-19 variant

Vancouver -

Another four cases of the concerning Omicron COVID-19 variant have been confirmed in British Columbia, health officials announced Tuesday.

Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said the latest cases were identified over the weekend, and all involve people who recently returned from international travel.

There are also a number of "suspect and pending" cases that Henry said are likely to be confirmed as Omicron soon.

"That is not a surprise," she added. "As we've said, once we start to look for it, it is likely that we are going to find it. We know this virus travels quickly and it travels in people and when people move the virus strains move with them."

Of the five cases confirmed in B.C. so far, three involve people who were fully vaccinated, each with a different combination of COVID-19 vaccines. The other two cases involve people who were unvaccinated.

The individuals range in age from 18 to 60, and most of them recently returned from travel to African countries, including Nigeria and Egypt. One recently returned from Iran, officials said.

Henry said they have all had mild or asymptomatic reactions to the virus so far.

Last week, the B.C. government confirmed that 204 people had been identified as recent travellers to Omicron-affected countries, and that each was being tested and told to isolate.

There are now rules in place requiring international travellers arriving from everywhere except the U.S. to be tested at the airport. Those who are fully vaccinated must then quarantine at home while awaiting their results, and those who are unvaccinated must quarantine for two weeks at a designated facility.

Canada has also temporarily banned entry to foreign nationals who have recently travelled to Nigeria, Malawi, Egypt, South Africa, Mozambique, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Lesotho and Eswatini.

B.C.'s provincial health officer acknowledged the anxiety being created by the emergence of a new variant, which experts have noted has an unusually high number of mutations, and encouraged people to support one another until more information is gathered on Omicron.

"Our brains abhor uncertainty. It's one of those things that can cause stress and depression in people and we've been living with this uncertainty for a long time," Henry said.

It's unclear whether Omicron's mutations make it more transmissible, cause more severe illness, or decrease vaccine effectiveness. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control has said the current vaccines are "expected to protect against severe illness, hospitalizations, and deaths" even for those infected with the new variant.

With files from The Canadian Press