Case of Omicron COVID-19 variant confirmed in Kingston area
A resident in the Kingston, Ont. area who has tested positive for the Omicron COVID-19 variant of concern has no recent travel history.
The Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington Public Health unit announced the first case of the Omicron COVID-19 variant in the region on Wednesday, as the fourth wave of the pandemic continues to hit the Kingston-area hard.
"KFL&A Public Health continues to investigate the COVID-19 case to identify transmission," said the health unit, providing no other details about the case.
"Please be diligent and continue to adhere to public health measures leading into the holiday season," said medical officer of health Dr. Piotr Oglaza in a statement. "The continued efforts of individuals and families to limit or avoid social gatherings, screen daily for symptoms and stay home if you have any symptoms will help our community limit the spread of Omicron."
Speaking with reporters Wednesday afternoon, Dr. Oglaza said the arrival of the Omicron variant in the region will require some changes, including any high-risk contacts of those found with the variant will need to quarantine, even if they're fully vaccinated.
Oglaza says they are taking the presence of the variant seriously.
“The unknowns about Omicron are, we don’t know how serious or severe infections are going to be, and second one is we don’t know how much of the level of protection we’ll get from the vaccine,” he explains.
This comes as patients are being transferred out of the region and hospitals reach full capacity.
For months, Kingston hospitals took on more than 140 COVID-19 patients from other regions to help east the strain on other areas.
Dr. David Pichora, president of Kingston Health Science Centre, says two patients have been transferred to Ottawa, and one to Brockville, over two days.
“We’re way over capacity in just about every dimension. We’re into surge beds for our acute care as well as our critical care," said Dr. Pichora.
Earlier this week, the region had the most number of COVID patients in hospital than any other in the province, says Pichora.
He says these transfers are necessary because the hospital is not one that can afford to be overloaded with COVID-19.
"We're a trauma centre," said Dr. Pichora. "The weather's terrible today, could there be something on the 401? Hopefully not, but we need to be prepared to handle that."
The Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington Public Health unit reported 101 new cases of COVID-19 in the region on Wednesday. Fourteen of the 101 new cases involved residents aged 5 to 11, while 50 cases involved residents aged 18 to 29.
Eighty-eight new cases of the virus were reported in the Kingston region on Thursday.
As of Wednesday, there are a total of 439 active cases of COVID-19 in the Kingston region. According to the KFL&A Public Health COVID-19 dashboard, 30 people are in the hospital with COVID-19 related illnesses, including 12 in the ICU.
Public Health Ontario has reported 31 confirmed cases of the Omicron variant of concern across Ontario, including four in Ottawa.
The four cases in Ottawa were all linked to travel.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Budget 2024 'likely to be the worst' in decades, former BoC governor says
Without having seen it, former Bank of Canada governor David Dodge believes that Tuesday's 2024 federal budget from Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland is 'likely to be the worst budget' in decades.
What's at stake for Canada after Iran's unprecedented attack on Israel
Following the Iranian missile and drone strikes against Israel over the weekend, Canada should take the threat of Iran and potential escalation of the conflict seriously, one global affairs analyst says.
Former B.C. school trustee's 'strip-tease artist' remark was defamatory, judge rules
A controversial former school trustee from B.C.'s Fraser Valley who described a political rival as a "strip-tease artist" during an election campaign has been ordered to pay her $45,000 for defamation.
'A sense of urgency': Sask. man accused of abducting daughter calls himself to the stand during trial
Michael Gordon Jackson, the man on trial after being charged with contravention of a custody order for allegedly abducting his daughter in late 2021 to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, called himself to the stand Monday.
Kingston, Ont.'s Aaliyah Edwards drafted into WNBA
After four years at the University of Connecticut, Edwards was selected sixth overall by the Washington Mystics in the WNBA draft Monday night.
NASA confirms mystery object that crashed through roof of Florida home came from space station
NASA confirmed Monday that a mystery object that crashed through the roof of a Florida home last month was a chunk of space junk from equipment discarded at the International Space Station.
A knife attack in Australia against a bishop and a priest is being treated as terrorism, police say
Horrified worshippers watched online and in person as a bishop was stabbed at the altar during a church service in Sydney on Sunday evening.
Body of 14-year-old boy pulled from Lake Ontario, police say he drowned while swimming
The body of a 14-year-old boy has been pulled from Lake Ontario after police say he drowned while swimming near Ashbridges Bay Park on Sunday night.
'Rust' armourer gets 18 months in prison for fatal shooting by Alec Baldwin on set
A movie weapons supervisor was sentenced to 18 months in prison in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer by Alec Baldwin on the set of 'Rust.'