BREAKING Israeli military says it has carried out a 'targeted strike' in Beirut
The Israeli military said it carried out a 'targeted strike' in the Lebanese capital Beirut on Friday.
The head of the Ontario COVID-19 Science Table is cautioning Canadians about relying on rapid test results to determine whether or not to gather for the holidays, saying the Omicron COVID-19 variant is too “dynamic†for a rapid test to be the only failsafe.
Speaking to CTV News Channel Monday, Dr. Peter Juni, Director of the Science Table, urged Canadians to be extra careful.
“It’s not the same as Delta anymore, you can’t just use a rapid test and think ‘okay, I have a rapid test, it was negative and now everything is okay,’†he said. “This virus is far too dynamic…it’s simply not safe enough, we know from Omicron now, a rapid test [result] that is negative, three or four hours later could become positive but nobody knows.â€
Juni also noted that recent data regarding the Omicron variant has been published by the Science Table in a graph on their dashboard, that shows the protection against COVID-19 infection, even with two doses of the vaccine, had taken a hit.
“The curve of protection just plummets,†he said. “It’s important to realize the vaccine most likely continues to protect well against hospitalization and ICU admission after two doses…[but] people out there need to be careful now.â€
²Ñ´Ç²Ô»å²¹²â’s from hospitalization and ICU admittance staying strong in the 95 per cent range with two doses of an approved vaccine – while protection from infection has curved down since Dec. 14 to around 50 per cent.
“It started to plummet when Omicron took over the province,†Juni said.
Ontario reported , with an almost 10 per cent positivity rate. The province’s rolling seven-day average now stands at 2,863, up from 1,328 last week and 940 two weeks ago.
With news that cases had doubled since last week, Juni said “the point is this will continue…we are watching evolution in real-time.â€
Juni said if people are gathering over the holidays, good masks, ventilation and small numbers are key.
“We need to do a combination of measures right now to stem against this tide, to hold steady [sic],†he said. “Don’t go to crowded places anymore, forget it. Have good masks of course, make sure every place is well ventilated and make sure you use rapid tests wisely.â€
“But the rapid tests used wisely doesn't mean ‘Okay I do a rapid test today, tomorrow evening, I can go to a party with 50 people,’†he continued. “Forget it. It doesn't work that way. It's about just having a small group of people…they were all careful before they didn't party around, you know…they all have at least two doses and they have a negative test right now.â€
Juni also urged Canadians to get their booster shots as soon as they were able to as the next step of protection against COVID-19 and Omicron.
“What we're seeing, and what was true six weeks ago, is wrong today. Why? Because the virus evolves. It's relatively tremendous, actually,†he said. “If it wasn’t so tragic, it would be fascinating.â€
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