156 travellers quarantining, no Omicron cases yet but 'very likely' to reach Alberta: Hinshaw
More than 150 people who returned to Alberta from southern Africa are quarantining as concerns over the Omicron COVID-19 variant grow.
Premier Jason Kenney said Alberta has not identified any Omicron cases yet, but 156 people are quarantining after travelling to southern African countries where the latest variant of concern was first detected.
As of Monday, Ontario and Quebec had identified a total of five cases of the variant, days after the federal government implemented enhanced border measures from southern Africa.
"It is very likely that Omicron will eventually reach our province," Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Deena Hinshaw said on Monday.
"Our goal now is to delay the spread of Omicron until we learn more about it."
Alberta will expand its case investigation and contact tracing for COVID-19 cases who travelled internationally recently, Hinshaw said. The province will recommend PCR testing for their close contacts and rapid testing for household contacts.
Unvaccinated or partially vaccinated close contacts of confirmed cases among international travellers will be asked to quarantine for 14 days.
"We're taking these interim measures in order to prevent potential spread as early as possible, giving ourselves time to learn more about the variant," Hinshaw said.
"While there are many unanswered questions about how the Omicron variant will behave, we know a lot more about COVID now than we did before. This knowledge means we are not going back to Step 0."
Kenney also said Alberta is better prepared to deal with the latest variant and revealed the province would announce a "significant expansion" to vaccine booster shots soon.
The province also reported on Monday a combined 806 new cases and seven deaths over Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
LeBlanc says he plans to run in next election, under Trudeau's leadership
Cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc says he plans to run in the next election as a candidate under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's leadership, amid questions about his rumoured interest in succeeding his longtime friend for the top job.
Sports columnist apologizes for 'oafish' comments directed at Caitlin Clark. The controversy isn’t over
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball’s highest scorer Caitlin Clark’s first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.
U.S. vetoes a widely supported UN resolution backing full membership for Palestine
The United States has vetoed a widely backed UN resolution that would have paved the way for full United Nations membership for the state of Palestine.
Grandparent scam suspects had ties to Italian organized crime, police allege
A group of suspects that allegedly defrauded seniors across Ontario and other parts of Canada using a so-called emergency grandparent scam appear to have ties to 'Italian traditional organized crime,' according to an investigator involved in the OPP-led probe.
Health Canada to change sperm donor screening rules for men who have sex with men
Health Canada will change its longstanding policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned. The federal health agency has adopted a revised directive removing the ban on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, effective May 8.
Prince Harry formally confirms he is now a U.S. resident
Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.
Cat found on Toronto Pearson airport runway 3 days after going missing
Kevin the cat has been reunited with his family after enduring a harrowing three-day ordeal while lost at Toronto Pearson International Airport earlier this week.
N.L. gardening store revives 19th century seed-packing machine
Technology from the 19th century has been brought out of retirement at a Newfoundland gardening store, as staff look for all the help they can get to fill orders during a busy season.