ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½

Coronavirus

    • Omicron spread may overwhelm hospitals once again, experts warn

    Share

    As Omicron case numbers continue to rise, experts are warning that the rollout of third doses may have to be ramped up and some health restrictions may have to be re-imposed to prevent the variant from overwhelming hospitals.

    Experts say the Omicron variant, which was first detected in South Africa, is unusual because it has a high number of mutations in two key areas of the virus’ spike protein. Dozens of cases of the variant have been detected across Canada, and experts warn it will likely become the dominant strain in the coming days.

    Infectious disease expert Dr. Isaac Bogoch told CTV's Your Morning that he is most concerned about hospital capacity amid increasing spread of the Omicron variant, calling it a "Canada-wide issue."

    "No one wants to hear this, but it's not even better now," Bogoch said Tuesday. "It's actually worse because there's been significant attrition from healthcare over the last 18 months… so our ICU capacity is very tight."

    When ICU capacity becomes limited, Bogoch said it is important that health units re-evaluate restrictions to ensure hospitals can continue to provide care.

    "When you're starting to be in a position where you can't care for the people in your area because of a rise in cases and actually a utilization of health care that just exceeds what you can do, you probably should be taking some steps to curb transmission in the community," Bogoch said.

    Increased restrictions were recently , as well as in some individual health regions in Ontario, including Kingston and London.

    While Bogoch acknowledged that "nobody wants these" restrictions, he added that they "might help slow down the spread of what is a very rapidly spreading variant of concern."

    "When you start to see individual public health units rollout some of these additional public health measures and restrictions, I think the writing's on the wall and we'll probably see more and more public health units impose them as we see this expected rise in Omicron cases," Bogoch said.

    Canada's top doctor warned Monday that the Omicron variant poses a threat to an already exhausted health-care system.

    Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam said during a press briefing that she expects the situation playing out in Ontario, where Omicron is responsible for 21 per cent of new cases, to be reflected elsewhere in Canada soon, stipulating that this may be due to waning community immunity.

    "For sure we are seeing community transmission, possibly in its early stages, but this can rapidly escalate in the days to come," she said.

    Dr. Peter Juni, the scientific director of Ontario's COVID-19 Science Advisory Table, told CTV News Channel Tuesday that provinces need to act quickly to stop the spread of the Omicron variant from overwhelming hospitals.

    He said the Omicron variant is likely responsible for between 30 and 50 per cent of the COVID-19 cases in Ontario as of Tuesday.

    "We need to interrupt these chains of transmission now," he said. "We can't have our ICUs overwhelmed and if we want to just avoid that, we really need to right now act relatively strongly."

    Juni said provinces need to "ramp up" the rollout of third doses, adding that individual Canadians can do their part by maintaining small gatherings this holiday season.

    Juni said the data on Omicron is still limited, and thus, extra caution should be taken.

    "We don't know how this will play out here. Especially we don't know how it will play out in people that are completely non-immune, never infected, never vaccinated," he said.

    THREE SHOTS 'BETTER' THAN TWO

    In a year-end interview with CTV News' Evan Solomon, airing in full on CTV’s Question Period this Sunday at 11 a.m. EST, Trudeau stated his government has secured enough vaccine doses from Pfizer and Moderna "for everyone to get boosters," but offered no timeline for their rollout.

    "The delivery of those boosters is on the provinces and they are setting up their timelines in terms of that," he said. "There are commitments to have the boosters in Canada as soon as we need them."

    Bogoch said provinces will likely "pivot" their third-dose strategies as more information on the Omicron variant becomes available.

    "There's been data that's emerged over the last seven to 10 days demonstrating that third doses will significantly help with Omicron. Two doses are good, but three doses are better and I think we're going to watch an accelerated third dose strategy from coast to coast," Bogoch said.

    Bogoch said getting a third shot will "absolutely" help protect people against the Omicron variant and keep them out of hospital.

    "It will reduce further reduce the likelihood that you get this infection," Bogoch said. "You still can get this infection, but it will also very likely reduce the probability that you have a more severe outcome like hospitalization, ICU stay or death."

    While two doses still offer protection against Omicron, Bogoch said three shots are key.

    With the Omicron variant being more transmissible, Bogoch said this means that it also has a "predilection to re-infect people," as well as infect "more readily" those who have had one or two doses of the vaccine.

    "People who've had three doses of a vaccine have been infected as well. However, it's clear that if you've been vaccinated, the risk of infection is lower and the risk of having a severe outcome is also lower," Bogoch said.

    A new study, published Saturday in the peer-reviewed journal , found that the Omicron variant may have a greater ability than other strains of the virus to escape immune protection from antibodies produced by previous COVID-19 infection, and potentially vaccines.

    The researchers cautioned that because antibody protection from either vaccination or previous infection decreases over a period of six months, the variant "may be able to escape immunity even better."

    The study suggests that while a third dose of a COVID-19 vaccine "can significantly boost immunity," the protection it provides from Omicron "may be compromised."

    Despite this, researchers in Israel said they found a three-shot course of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine provided significant protection against the Omicron variant.

    The study out of Israel also found that those who received the second dose five or six months ago did "not have neutralization ability against Omicron."

    With files from CTVNews.ca's Sarah Turnbull and Hannah Jackson

    CTVNews.ca ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½

    Since she was a young girl growing up in Vancouver, Ginny Lam says her mom Yat Hei Law made it very clear she favoured her son William, because he was her male heir.

    The search for a missing six-year-old boy in Shamattawa is continuing Friday as RCMP hope recent tips can help lead to a happy conclusion.

    BREAKING

    BREAKING

    A 15-year-old boy who was the subject of an emergency alert in New Brunswick has been arrested.

    An Ontario man says it is 'unfair' to pay a $1,500 insurance surcharge because his four-year-old SUV is at a higher risk of being stolen.

    Canada

    • The search for a missing six-year-old boy in Shamattawa is continuing Friday as RCMP hope recent tips can help lead to a happy conclusion.

    • BREAKING

      BREAKING

      A 15-year-old boy who was the subject of an emergency alert in New Brunswick has been arrested.

    • For the last seven-and-half months, Toronto resident Heather McArthur has been living out what she describes as her 'worst nightmare.' On Feb. 7, her then three-year-old son Jacob along with his father Loc Phu 'Jay' Le departed for what was supposed to be a week-long visit to Vietnam to celebrate the Lunar New Year with family, McArthur says.

    • BREAKING

      BREAKING

      Michael Ford, Ontario's minister of citizenship and multiculturalism, says he is taking a leave of absence from cabinet to prioritize his health.

    • Emergency crews in northern Ontario found the bodies of four people inside a home where a fire broke out Thursday night.

    • Since she was a young girl growing up in Vancouver, Ginny Lam says her mom Yat Hei Law made it very clear she favoured her son William, because he was her male heir.

    World

    Politics

    Health

    • A Nova Scotia woman has applied for a medically assisted death, saying after years of battling to receive out-of-country surgery for an illness that causes 'indescribable' pain, she struggles to maintain the will to live.

    Sci-Tech

    Entertainment

    • Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

    • It will be the last show for longtime children's TV star Ron (Buck Shot) Barge as a memorial is held Friday in Calgary.

    Business

    Lifestyle

    Sports

    • Agreement in principle has been reached to build a new NHL arena at LeBreton Flats has been reached between the Ottawa Senators and the National Capital Commission (NCC), the two sides announced Friday.

    • F1 star Max Verstappen punished over bad word

      Formula One points leader Max Verstappen was ordered to 'accomplish some work of public interest' after uttering an inappropriate word Thursday at the news conference ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix.

    • The Winnipeg Jets have some huge holes to fill on both offence and defence this season.

    Autos

    Local Spotlight

    Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

    They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

    A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.

    Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

    The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

    The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.

    It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.

    A Good Samaritan in New Brunswick has replaced a man's stolen bottle cart so he can continue to collect cans and bottles in his Moncton neighbourhood.

    David Krumholtz, known for roles like Bernard the Elf in The Santa Clause and physicist Isidor Rabi in Oppenheimer, has spent the latter part of his summer filming horror flick Altar in Winnipeg. He says Winnipeg is the most movie-savvy town he's ever been in.

    • New Democrat Leader David Eby has launched his British Columbia election campaign a day early, making the key battle ground of Surrey his first stop.

    • The seats from a stolen e-bike that was customized for a Surrey, B.C., child with complex health needs have been recovered – but the bike itself has yet to be found.

    • Thousands of protesters are expected to march into downtown Vancouver on Friday, demanding more action from their government to address the growing climate crisis.

    • Police have arrested an 18-year-old woman who allegedly stole a Porche and then ran over its owner in an incident that was captured on video.

    • BREAKING

      BREAKING

      Michael Ford, Ontario's minister of citizenship and multiculturalism, says he is taking a leave of absence from cabinet to prioritize his health.

    • The Ford government is considering restricting Ontario municipalities from installing new bike lanes that would require the removal of lanes of traffic, a source confirms to CTV News Toronto.

    • It will be the last show for longtime children's TV star Ron (Buck Shot) Barge as a memorial is held Friday in Calgary.

    • China's ongoing ban on Canadian beef appears to have no end in sight, making it a textbook example of the uncertainty Canadian exporters continue to face in that market.

    • Alberta Health Services says an E. coli outbreak at a daycare in Blackfalds has ended.

    • Agreement in principle has been reached to build a new NHL arena at LeBreton Flats has been reached between the Ottawa Senators and the National Capital Commission (NCC), the two sides announced Friday.

    • Maplewood Secondary School is scheduled to open Monday after receiving a permit Friday morning allowing 50 per cent of the building to be occupied.

    • Ottawa Fire Services says a driver has been safely extricated after being trapped following a two-vehicle collision near a high school in the city’s south end.

    • A new garden and microforest, years in the making, have been inaugurated at John Abbott College in Montreal.

    • The Montreal couple from Mexico and their three children facing deportation have received a temporary residence permit.

    • The province's public security minister said he was "shocked" Thursday amid reports that a body believed to be that of a 14-year-old boy was found this week near a Hells Angels hideout near Quebec City.

    • Mounties say there was an increased police presence in the Emerald Hills area of Sherwood Park on Friday morning as officers searched for a man who is wanted by police.

    • There are plenty of fun happenings in Edmonton this weekend. It's time to savour that last little bit of the summer season before the leaves really start coming down.

    • Alberta Health Services says an E. coli outbreak at a daycare in Blackfalds has ended.

    • BREAKING

      BREAKING

      A 15-year-old boy who was the subject of an emergency alert in New Brunswick has been arrested.

    • A Nova Scotia woman has applied for a medically assisted death, saying after years of battling to receive out-of-country surgery for an illness that causes 'indescribable' pain, she struggles to maintain the will to live.

    • A black bear that was tranquilized in a park in Dartmouth, N.S., has been released back into the wild, according to the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources and Renewables (DNRR).

    • The search for a missing six-year-old boy in Shamattawa is continuing Friday as RCMP hope recent tips can help lead to a happy conclusion.

    • A Manitoba veterinary clinic has two new ways of figuring out what’s causing a horse to be lame.

    • Manitoba's government says it will encourage the development of renewable energy in the province while acknowledging fossil fuels aren't going away any time soon.

    • Arguments between UR Pride and the Government of Saskatchewan on the Parents’ Bill of Rights will be moving ahead to the Court of Appeal for Saskatchewan beginning on Monday, Sept. 23.

    • Driving into the tunnels of Nutrien's Rocanville mine, the largest potash mine in the world by production volume, feels like driving down a lonely highway in the middle of the night.

    • Levels of hydrogen sulfide gas are being monitored at Brantford Collegiate Institute after a leak in their geothermal system.

    • Ontario police say they have arrested four members of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club (MC) and seized a number of firearms after an alleged assault and robbery in Hamilton in July.

    • The second-degree murder trial of Thomas Hamp is being adjourned until December so an expert witness central to the trial can testify.

    • A 69-year-old woman from Outlook, Saskatchewan is dead and three people are injured after a truck and SUV collided on Highway 15 on Thursday.

    • A gym teacher at a private Christian school in Saskatoon has been charged. Terra MacEwan, 44, is charged with assault with a weapon. A Saskatoon mother who spoke with CTV News says her autistic son was MacEwan's victim.

    • Emergency crews in northern Ontario found the bodies of four people inside a home where a fire broke out Thursday night.

    • Since she was a young girl growing up in Vancouver, Ginny Lam says her mom Yat Hei Law made it very clear she favoured her son William, because he was her male heir.

    • A 26-year-old driver from Surrey, B.C., has been charged with three counts of criminal negligence in a crash that killed two youths in northern Ontario last year.

    • The Elgin Community Health Hub, operated by the Thames Valley Family Health Team, is accepting new patients to a model where doctors are rarely seen.

    • Members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community and supportetrs greatly outnumbered the people attending a '1 Million March 4 Children' event along Central Avenue.

    • Today, the 71 year old is marking 50 years a paramedic. He said he never aspired to move into management or a desk job, he enjoys being on the road, helping patients too much.

    • Two men from Barrie have been charged after a deadly shooting at a park in Keswick on Wednesday.

    • Provincial police are investigating vandalism in Huntsville after the "senseless destruction" of flower displays along Main Street East.

    • A 17-year-old from Markham is facing serious charges after an August 11 shooting at a party in Caledon.

    • Windsor police say a 25-year-old mother has been charged with the drowning death of her 5-year-old child in the family’s backyard pool.

    • There is no threats to public safety following an incident involving a gun at a local high school.

    • A LaSalle couple has won $1 million after buying a ticket for the Aug. 13 LottoMax draw.

    • New Democrat Leader David Eby has launched his British Columbia election campaign a day early, making the key battle ground of Surrey his first stop.

    • The Old Man Lake wildfire near Sooke is the only one currently burning on Vancouver Island. It’s a region of the province that this year saw a drastic drop in blazes in the backcountry.

    • The Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council (NTC) has declared a state of emergency in all 14 of its member First Nations due to a mental health and opioid crisis.

    • A pair of runaway pigs are in the custody of an animal sanctuary in the Okanagan after evading police and volunteers for hours earlier this week.

    • The Red Bridge, a historic landmark in Kamloops, B.C., was completely destroyed by fire early Thursday morning.

    • Animal protection officers in British Columbia have rescued three pit bulls – including one that gave birth to 10 puppies – from a rat-infested home in Kelowna.

    • A Vulcan, Alta., man has been charged with a Lethbridge woman's murder after her body was found in the Oyen area.

    • A Lethbridge couple got a good reminder as to why you should keep your vehicle doors locked at all times.

    • Lethbridge residents who live near the police range can expect to hear plenty of shots fired Wednesday and Thursday.

    • A 26-year-old driver from Surrey, B.C., has been charged with three counts of criminal negligence in a crash that killed two youths in northern Ontario last year.

    • Ontario Provincial Police say three suspects from southern Ontario have been charged and drugs worth $300,000 have been seized following a traffic stop Sept. 16.

    • A Brampton driver, 27, was charged this week when northern Ontario police stopped the SUV he was driving on Highway 17 after a reported shooting and found more than $100,000 in cash.

    N.L.

    Shopping Trends

    The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.

    Stay Connected
    Follow CTV News