A Northumberland County resident has had an initial screening that shows that this person's COVID case has markers consistent with the Omicron variant.
The Haliburton Kawartha Pine Ridge District Health Unit announced the news Wednesday afternoon.
Although Omicron has not yet been confirmed in this individual, Medical Officer of Health Dr. Natalie Bocking said that the screening makes it “highly likely” that this is an Omicron variant infection.
Under provincial protocols, all COVID-19 tests are now screened for the Omicron variant, with health units notified if the initial screening identifies any of the markers for the variant. As with all confirmed cases of COVID-19, this individual has been contacted by health unit staff and is isolating. As well, any potential high-risk contacts are being notified.
To protect the privacy of all individuals, the health unit will not provide any additional information about this, or any case of COVID-19.
“The confirmation that the Omicron variant has been detected in our area is not unexpected given we have seen cases in our neighbouring health unit areas,” Dr. Bocking added.
“While we do not want people to panic, we do want to highlight the continued need for everyone to be vigilant in following public health measures to help protect themselves and their families from the spread of the virus.”
These measures include:
Get fully vaccinated to help protect yourself and those most vulnerable. This includes getting a booster dose if you are eligible.
Screen for symptoms of COVID-19 daily.
Stay home, isolate, and get tested if you have any symptoms, even mild.
Avoid large social gatherings.
Stay two metres apart from people you do not live with, and wear a mask in indoor spaces.
Consider curbside pick-up, delivery or alternate hours for shopping, especially if you are at a higher risk for illness.
The Omicron variant was first detected in South Africa, and the first case was identified in Ontario at the end of November. Additional details on the variant are still being gathered and reviewed, but it has been determined that it has a higher transmissibility than the Delta variant.
It is expected that Omicron will be the dominant strain in the province in the coming weeks, if not sooner. Preliminary information is also showing that those with Omicron are less ill with the virus, but that the current vaccines are less effective against this variant. For this reason, household members of unvaccinated contacts of cases will also be required to quarantine until negative test results are available.
