Two cases of Omicron, a highly transmissible variant of the coronavirus, have been confirmed in Canada, according to health officials.
Two people who traveled to Nigeria have been linked to the two cases.
“Today, the province of Ontario confirmed two cases of Covid-19’s Omicron variant in Ottawa, both of which were reported in people who had recently traveled from Nigeria. Case and contact management is being carried out by Ottawa Public Health, and the patients are being isolated “The Ontario government issued a statement.
This comes just two days after Canada rushed to close its borders to foreign visitors from seven Southern African countries in an attempt to stop the spread of the newly discovered Covid-19 variant, also known as B.1.1.529. South Africa, Eswatini, Lesotho, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and Namibia are the seven countries.
Travellers will be prohibited from entering Canada until January 31, 2022.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has designated Omicron as a “Variant of Concern,” prompting health experts, scientists, and governments to assess the threat posed by Omicron, as well as whether it will outperform its dominant predecessor Delta, which was highly transmissible and responsible for deadly waves in many parts of the world.
However, the World Health Organization stated that it is unclear whether Omicron is more transmissible than other variants or if it can cause more severe disease.
“Infections have risen sharply in recent weeks, coinciding with the discovery of the B.1.1.529 variant. The first confirmed B.1.1.529 infection was found in a specimen collected on November 9, 2021, according to the WHO statement confirming the variant’s discovery.
Australia, Belgium, Botswana, the United Kingdom, Denmark, Germany, Hong Kong, Israel, Italy, the Netherlands, France, Canada, and South Africa have all reported cases of the Omicron variant.
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