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Omicron variant: B.C. working to confirm recent travellers not infected

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Vancouver -

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

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