Ontario reports 1,429 new COVID-19 cases, 5 more deaths
Ontario reported more than 1,400 new COVID-19 cases and five more virus-related deaths on Tuesday as the test positivity rate hit a high not seen in nearly seven months.
Another 1,429 new coronavirus infections were reported today, down from 1,536 on Monday but up from 928 a week ago.
With case counts on the rise over the past month, the seven-day rolling average continues to climb and hit 1,400 today, compared to 975 a week ago.
European country bans booze to tackle Omicron
Norway has banned the sale of alcohol in bars and restaurants in an effort to curb the spread of the Covid-19 Omicron variant, which continues to push infections in the country on a sharp rise.
New Covid-19 rules will prohibit the sale of alcohol at bars, restaurants, and other service-based venues from Wednesday, while Norwegians are also being urged to work from home if possible.
“Infection rates in Norway are increasing sharply, and we have now gained new knowledge about the omicron variant and how fast it can spread. We are in a more serious situation,” declared Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, who claimed that the “stricter measures” were necessary “to maintain control of the pandemic.”
Why omicron is overtaking delta — and what that means for our fight against COVID-19
In the battle of the variants, omicron is poised to win.
While delta has long dominated the bulk of Canada’s coronavirus cases, the latest variant of concern is set to overtake other variants both here and abroad as it spreads through more than 60 countries around the world.
Early evidence suggests omicron is more adept at infecting people who’ve already had COVID-19 or multiple doses of leading vaccines, and the heavily mutated variant also has an uncanny knack for transmitting between people in the same home.
Full disclosure. I booked a Booster shot – earliest I could get is Dec 23 by which point if predictions are correct we will be dominated by Omicron. Fab. I was invited to Christmas at my brother’s. He is holding on but his condition continues its now accelerated, unrelenting assault. At this point I wonder if exposing him to the risk of infection is wise. We’ll abide by his decision.
