Montrealers asked to reduce contacts as Omicron infections rise

Montreal's public health director is urging the public to once again reduce contacts given the spike in cases of COVID-19 and growing spread of the Omicron variant.

The city recorded 844 new COVID-19 cases today, and Dr. Mylne Drouin says she expects the daily number to increase in the coming weeks.

Currently, most cases are still of the Delta variant. But there are now 95 cases of the Omicron variant in the city, and 90 per cent of them involve people who were fully vaccinated.

"With two doses, you can still easily catch the variant,"Drouin said.

The median age of people infected with Omicron is 32, and 80 per cent of them showed symptoms.

Many of the cases were imported from the U.S., shesaid. Fivecases camefrom Europe and another five from Africa.

"It's still uncertain what will happen if the Omicronvariant is introduced in places where we have the elderly population," she said.

Symptoms less severe

Drouin said that symptoms associated with Omicron are less severe than with Delta, which remains a concern in Montreal.

"Wehave a high rate of screening tests, and our positivity rates are increasing. Right now, we're around eight per cent of cases tested that are positive."

According to public health, a five per cent positivity rate is cause for concern.

"These numbers give us a feeling of dj vu,"Drouin said.

Limiting contacts for the foreseeable future and getting vaccinated remain the best way to protect vulnerable demographics, she said.

"Those are preventive measures. The sooner you put them in place, the sooner you have an effect," she said.

Measures linked to venues maximum capacity and the requirement to mask at all times in public spaces would bring down the riskof superspreader events.

WATCH | Public healthaskspeople to reduce contacts before holiday gatherings:

Public health director asks Montrealers to reduce or cancel gatherings

3 years ago

Duration 1:47

Dr. Mylne Drouin says we once again need to flatten a growing COVID-19 curve, and says she recognizes this may be an unwelcome sense of dj vu for many.

About half of outbreaks are in schools

Tuesday, public health in Montreal recorded an increase of 67 outbreaks on the islandfrom 207 last week to 274 this week.

Most of those outbreaks are in schools (123) and workplaces (91). There are 35 outbreaks in daycare centres and eight outbreaks in health-care settings.

Outbreaks in schools have led to 574 positive COVID-19 cases, and 552 of those cases were linked to elementary schools. Coeur-Immacul-de-Marie, an elementary school in Ville-mard, announced itwould moveclasses online until Dec. 17 after suspecting several cases of the Omicron variant spreading.

Workplace outbreaks are linked to 460 cases, most of them in the manufacturing sector.

Meanwhile, weeks after the start of the children's vaccination campaign, there remain disparities in vaccination and case rates between neighbourhoods on the island.

As of Dec. 14, 86.1 per cent of Montrealers of all ages have received at least one vaccine dose and 80.6 per cent are fully vaccinated.

For those age 12 and above, 94.7 per cent have had at least one dose and 91.5 per cent are adequately protected.

Sonia Blangerof the CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l'le-de-Montral,40 per cent of five- to 11-year-olds were vaccinated.

"It's not bad, but it's not optimal," she said.

Some northern and eastern parts of the city have significantly lower vaccination rates than others.

In the last couple of weeks, neighbourhoods that recorded the highest number of cases are Cte-des-NeigesNotre-Dame-de-Grce (512), RosemontLa Petite Patrie (439),AhuntsicCarierville (433) and VilleraySaint-MichelParc-Extension (409).

Health-care network cancels parties

With the deteriorating epidemiological situation, Blanger says the health-care system will be under pressure during the holidays.

About 140 health-care workers have contracted the virus because of office parties.

In Montreal, 78 people are hospitalized and 34 are in intensive care because of a COVID-19 infection, a slight increase according to Blanger, but shesays emergency rooms are in high demand, with some operating at 127 per cent to 150 per cent capacity.

"After the minister's announcement Tuesday, we've asked our personnel to avoid gatherings, and we've decided to cancel all our activities during the holiday season in our health institutions," adding thatremote work will be prioritized when possible.

WATCH| Dr. Teresa Tam says it'stoo early to gauge the effect ofOmicron:

Data on severity of omicron variant still preliminary, but Dr. Tam urges caution

3 years ago

Duration 1:19

Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Teresa Tam says the data on the severity of the omicron variant is still premature but that Canadians should still exercise caution.

Changing health measures

Earlier today, Premier Franois Legault said he is considering changing gathering restrictions for the holidays after the province reported 2,386 COVID-19 cases today.

"It wouldn't be responsible to not look at all the possibilities, and we have to keep measures that will have an impact on [decreasing] hospitalizations," he said.

"I'm very aware that Quebecers and, as I was telling my colleagues yesterday, Canadians are very fed up with the measures."

Yesterday, Quebec's public health director, Dr. Horacio Arruda, defended the government's decision to loosen gathering restrictions, a week afterLegaultsaid he hoped Quebecers would be allowed to meet with up to 20 people.

Given the looming threat of the Omicron variant and therising number of cases and hospitalizations, Liberal House leader Andr Fortin saidhe hopes the government will base its futuredecisions solely on public health analyses.

"We're in a situation where the government seems to be doing exactly what they did last year, which is make a premature announcement based on political considerations and now they may have to backtrack on this."

"A lot of Quebecers are making plans right now and they don't really know what the government wants them to do or not."

Legault says he's asked Ottawa for federal government employees to help administer vaccinations in Quebec.

"Right now, we need all our employees to vaccinate," he said. "We called them all back, but there aren't as many as we used to have for vaccinations, and that's really our priority now: the third dose and vaccinating five- to 11-year-olds."