Montreal Public Health is inviting people who visited two places “associated with cases associated with the Omicron variant” in early December to get tested as soon as possible. As of Thursday, 14 cases of this new variant had been detected in the city.
“As we said last week, we are going to have a very repressive approach with Omicron. We are taking it very seriously to limit transmission as much as possible. Every day that we achieve by reducing transmission, it is a gain that we get from the virus. It also allows us to better set up the care system. of a possible Omicron wave,” explained CIUSSS Center-Sud-de-l’Île-de-Montréal spokesperson, Jean-Nicolas Aubé.
Thus, all the people who attended Buzzfit Kirkland Lounge on Jean-Yves Street, at 1He is December between 4 pm and 6 pm, December 5 between 4 pm and 6 pm or December 6 between 4 pm and 6 pm are invited to take a COVID-19 test.
The same goes for Montreal residents who were to attend the Henri-Lemieux Cultural and Community Center, Avenue Edwards, on December 4th between noon and 2pm.
In a press release on Friday, Public Health reminds these people that “Even if you have been adequately vaccinated and do not develop symptoms, we recommend that you get tested for COVID-19 at one of two screening centers: Jewish-based General Hospital or at CLSC Parc-extension” .
At the moment, these are the only two centers whose lab can detect the Omicron variant in Montreal.
If it is not possible to go to one or the other of these centers, the test can still be taken at another screening facility, stating “it is possible that you have been exposed to the Omicron variant.”
“We are also asking the people involved in this call to pre-register for their appointment on the site. Quebec. ca/coronavirus and to provide information regarding their potential exposure to the Omicron variant in the model,” also outlines public health on this topic.
According to the latest data, there are currently 14 cases of the Omicron variant in the Montreal region. Of these, five “could have acquired it while traveling outside Canada.” Others are said to have contracted it in Canada, “indicating limited local transmission”.
Currently, more data on this variant is needed to judge its transmissibility, virulence or resistance to the vaccine. However, “the first data indicate that it is likely to be 2 to 3.5 times more transmissible than the delta variant and that there will be an increased risk of reinfection,” the authorities finally reminded.
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