The latest mutation of COVID-19 is present in Canada. The country joins Italy, Sweden, Spain and Japan, which thus reported Saturday confirmed cases of this variant of SARS-CoV-2, after already the announcement this week of infected people in France, in Germany, Lebanon and Denmark.
Ontario announced on Saturday that it had identified the two nationally confirmed cases of the COVID-19 variant first detected in the United Kingdom.
The province’s Deputy Chief Medical Officer of Health Barbara Yaffe said in a statement that they were a couple from Durham Region, east of Toronto. These two individuals have no travel history and have not been in the presence of a high risk contact.
“This reinforces the need for the people of Ontario to stay at home as much as possible and to continue to adhere to public health guidelines, including the province-wide containment measures that came into effect today.” hui, ”said Dr. Yaffe.
The re-containment in Ontario will last 28 days in the southern part of the province and 14 days in the north. In particular, it prohibits private indoor gatherings outside the family circle. Essential businesses, such as grocery stores or pharmacies, will be able to remain open, but some others, such as restaurants, will have to be limited to take-out orders or deliveries.
According to epidemiological studies, this new variant spreads more easily and faster than the original version of the coronavirus, but it would not be more deadly.
The Ontario government added that “there is no evidence that vaccines approved by Health Canada would be less effective in controlling the new variant.”
The variant was first identified in the UK, but has since been detected in several other countries, including Denmark, Belgium, Australia and the Netherlands.
Authorities say they are not surprised by the appearance of this variant of COVID-19 due to “the arrival of international flights”.
“Recognizing the increased risk international travelers arriving in Ontario may pose for transmission of this new variant, the province continues to urge the federal government to partner with Ontario to institute a screening program in Ontario. ‘Toronto Pearson International Airport, she said. If the federal government does not provide support, the Ontario government is prepared to go it alone. “
Canada has suspended until January 6 all flights from the United Kingdom after the appearance in the country of the new variant.
Canada has more than 534,000 cases of coronavirus on Saturday and more than 14,700 deaths.
–
–
