Omicron variant has skyrocketed the number of Covid-19 cases in Canada, with the province of Quebec at the forefront of the new wave of the pandemic, medical authorities reported Thursday.
According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, over the past week, the average number of daily cases stood at 10,167, which is a 120 percent increase over the previous week.
Quebec, the second most populous province in the country, recorded in the last 24 hours the record number of almost 9,400 new infections. Quebec’s previous record arrived on Wednesday with 6,361 new infections.
In Montreal, the second largest city in Canada, one in five who undergo Covid testing is positive and the 90 percent of confirmed cases are of the omicron variant.
In ontario, the economic center of the country and with the largest number of inhabitants, recorded 5,790 new positives, a new record which exceeds the previous maximum of 4,812 cases.
However, experts noted that the actual numbers in Quebec and Ontario are likely much higher because the testing services are overcrowded and it is very difficult to get tests to check for Covid infections.
Medical Director Canada Theresa Tam, said in a statement that while there is still no conclusive data on the severity of the omicron variant and given the potential impact it may have on the healthcare system, Canadians should “reduce their contact as much as possible”.
Tam added that Omicron cases detected in recent days are only “the tip of the iceberg” and that the trend of hospitalizations and admissions to intensive care units “is on the rise in Ontario and Quebec”, which will increase the pressure on the health care system.
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