Canada Reports 15 Cases Of Covid-19 Omicron Variant, Severe Sickness Pattern May Climb Again

<p><strong>New Delhi: </strong>Canada has detected 15 infections of the novel Omicron variant of COVID-19, and severe sickness patterns throughout the country may begin to climb again, according to public health experts on Friday.</p> <p>The federal government said it agreed with a national advisory body on vaccines' suggestion that all persons over the age of 50 receive a booster dose six months after completing a vaccine series.</p> <p>Ottawa stated last week that passengers travelling by plane from all countries except the United States will be required to undergo a COVID-19 test, and it extended a prohibition on visitors from southern Africa to encompass ten countries.&nbsp;</p> <p>"The need for heightened vigilance remains, regardless of which variant is circulating," chief public health officer Theresa Tam was quoted by Reuters in its report. </p> <p>She disclosed 11 Omicron cases, all of which involved patients who had just visited overseas.</p> <p>Within hours following her remarks, the city of York announced that a youngster under the age of 12 had been diagnosed with Omicron. According to a statement, the youngster had lately been to southern Africa.</p> <p>Toronto then reported its first three instances of the Omicron COVID-19 strain late on Friday, according to local health officials, with two of those persons having recently returned from Nigeria and another having recently returned from Switzerland.</p> <p>"Currently severe illness trends have levelled off, but are still elevated and could begin to rise again unless we keep infection rates down," Tam said.</p> <p><em>(With inputs from Reuters)</em></p>

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