Omicron variant: B.C. working to confirm recent travellers not infected
The B.C. government is working to confirm the troubling new Omicron COVID-19 variant hasn't been inadvertently introduced into the province by recently returned travellers.
Health officials noted they are continuously tracking the presence of emerging variants using whole genome sequencing, and that there's no evidence to suggest Omicron has reached the province yet.
The variant was first discovered in South Africa, but has since been reported in several other countries, including Belgium, Israel and Hong Kong.
Dr. Brian Conway of the Vancouver Infectious Diseases Centre noted that what separates the latest variant of concern apart from previous strains is the unusually high number of mutations.
"There are much more genetic changes in the surface spike protein, and that is the target for the vaccine," Conway said. "That's really why there is a big concern."
The impacts of those mutations on transmissibility, severity of illness and vaccine resistance have yet to be determined, but the potential has prompted a number of countries to begin taking precautionary actions to contain the spread.
On Friday, the Canadian government banned the entry of any foreign nationals who have been to South Africa, Mozambique, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Lesotho or Eswatini over the last 14 days.
In a joint written statement, B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix and provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry applauded the decision to impose the federal travel restriction, and outlined local efforts to monitor for the variant.
That includes working with the Canada Border Services Agency to "identify any people recently returned from the areas of concern to arrange testing and to ensure they remain well," Dix and Henry said.
There's no indication of how many travellers have recently returned to the province from those areas.
In the meantime, health officials stressed the importance of getting vaccinated to limit overall transmission of COVID-19.
"So far, all of the Health Canada-approved vaccines are highly effective and provide strong protection against all variants. We will monitor the data on this new VOC to ensure that will continue to be the case," Dix and Henry said. "Reducing transmission and having high levels of protection through vaccination continues to be our best defence against all variants of COVID-19."
The federal government has confirmed there are currently no direct flights scheduled from the southern African countries into Canada.
Any returning citizens or permanent residents will be required to quarantine for two weeks, even if they're fully vaccinated, officials said.
With files from CTV News Vancouver's Travis Prasad
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'They needed people inside Air Canada:' Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
House admonishes ArriveCan contractor in rare parliamentary show of power
MPs enacted an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power on Wednesday, summonsing an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons where he was admonished publicly and forced to provide answers to the questions MPs said he'd previously evaded.
Leafs star Auston Matthews finishes season with 69 goals
Auston Matthews won't be joining the NHL's 70-goal club this season.
Trump lawyers say Stormy Daniels refused subpoena outside a Brooklyn bar, papers left 'at her feet'
Donald Trump's legal team says it tried serving Stormy Daniels a subpoena as she arrived for an event at a bar in Brooklyn last month, but the porn actor, who is expected to be a witness at the former president's criminal trial, refused to take it and walked away.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
Doug Ford calls on Ontario Speaker to reverse Queen's Park keffiyeh ban
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is calling on Speaker Ted Arnott to reverse a ban on keffiyehs at Queen's Park, describing the move as “needlessly” divisive.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Woman who pressured boyfriend to kill his ex in 2000s granted absences from prison
A woman who pressured her boyfriend into killing his teenage ex more than a decade ago will be allowed to leave prison for weeks at a time.
Customers disappointed after email listing $60K Tim Hortons prize sent in error
Several Tim Horton’s customers are feeling great disappointment after being told by the company that an email stating they won a boat worth nearly $60,000 was sent in error.