Ontario Premier Doug Ford steps out of a room at the Ontario Legislature, in Toronto on Friday, Dec. 17, 2021. Ford announced the province will impose new capacity limits on restaurants and limit private indoor gatherings amid a surge in COVID-19 infections.Chris Young/The Canadian Press
Here are the latest Omicron COVID-19 updates from Canada and around the world:
- Manitoba announces new COVID-19 restrictions
- Ontario’s Doug Ford announces new restrictions
- B.C.’s provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry announces new restrictions
- Pfizer says trial for low-dose shot for 2- to 5-year-olds failed to promote adequate immune response
- Ottawa to lift travel ban on 10 African countries, reimpose COVID-19 test requirements for short trips
- Risk of reinfection higher with Omicron and the variant shows no sign of being milder than Delta, a study said
- In South Africa, vaccines and high levels of prior COVID-19 infection may make the disease milder in a wave driven by Omicron
- Parents may want to consider shorter intervals between two vaccine doses, medical experts say
6:20 p.m. ET
Manitoba tightens restrictions to battle Omicron COVID-19 variant
Starting Tuesday, indoor gatherings with vaccinated people in Manitoba will be limited to household members plus 10 others, and gatherings involving unvaccinated people, will be limited to the household plus five. Gyms and movie theatres will be limited to 50 per cent capacity, as will large sporting venues. Churches that require proof of vaccination will be limited to half capacity, while those that do not require vaccination are limited to 25 people or 25 per cent capacity, whichever is fewer.
5:05 p.m. ET
Capacity limits, parties cancelled as B.C. tries to hold back spread of Omicron variant
Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry announced Friday limits on venues that hold more than 1,000 people to 50 per cent capacity, no amateur sports tournaments over the Christmas period, the cancellation of all New Year’s Eve parties, and a limit of indoor gatherings, including those at rental or holiday properties, to one household, plus 10 guests, plus everyone must be vaccinated.
The restrictions will start Monday Dec. 20 and last until Jan. 31.
3:47 p.m. ET
Doug Ford announces new Ontario restrictions amid Omicron variant spread
Premier Doug Ford is imposing new capacity limits on restaurants and limiting private indoor gatherings to 10 people in an effort to delay the spread of the more-transmissible Omicron variant of COVID-19, which experts warn could leave the province’s hospitals swamped within weeks.
The new rules limit private indoor gatherings to 10 people, down from 25. Outdoor gathering limits fall to 25 from 100. A 50-per-cent capacity limit will apply to a list of indoor businesses, including restaurants, bars, retailers, gyms and malls.
3:42 p.m. ET
Experts call for N95 masks to become standard amid Omicron spread
Experts are calling for respirators, such as N95s, to become the new masking standard to curb the spread of the Omicron variant of the novel coronavirus.
Virginia Tech engineering professor Linsey Marr, who studies viruses in the air, says respirators offer far more protection than a surgical mask, both to the wearer and others around them.
Marr says the main difference comes down to fit – respirators are designed to form a seal around the face, while medical masks often leave gaps that allow virus particles to seep through.
Marr says she was shocked when she boarded a bus in Lake Louise, B.C., this week and was asked to take off her N95 respirator and put on a surgical mask, comparing the request to substituting a seatbelt with a piece of rope.
A number of Canadian social media users have reported running into similar policies at hospitals and other health-care settings.
University of Toronto infection control epidemiologist Colin Furness said health authorities need to go further to encourage the use of N95 respirators across indoor public settings.
Furness said this campaign should include efforts to help Canadians find the type of respirator that best fits their face, likening the process to trying on jeans.
“That’s public education we desperately need,” he said. “The fact that people are on their own for this is a travesty.”
– The Canadian Press
3:08 p.m. ET
Pfizer, BioNTech will test third low dose of COVID-19 vaccine in youngest children after two-dose series fails to produce adequate immune response
A low dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine did not produce a potent immune response in children 2 through 5 years of age, the companies announced Friday, a discouraging setback that threatens to keep the vaccine from younger children for longer than many parents had hoped.
In ongoing clinical trials, the companies tested 3 micrograms of the vaccine – one-tenth of the adult dose – in children 6 months to less than 5 years of age. After two doses, children between 6 months and 2 years produced an immune response that was comparable to that of people aged 16 to 25 years, the companies said. But children between 2 and 5 years old did not.
The companies said they now would test a third low dose of the coronavirus vaccine in children 6 months to under 5 years of age. But they do not plan to test a higher dose of the vaccine in children between 2 and 5 years of age.
“The goal here is to understand the potential of protection of the third dose,” said Jerica Pitts, a spokeswoman for Pfizer. “We are studying 3 micrograms at this time.”
In a conference call with investors and analysts Friday, Kathrin Jansen, Pfizer’s head of vaccine research, said the company planned to seek authorization for a “three-dose series” in children, instead of the originally planned two doses. If the revised strategy works, “we would have a consistent three-dose vaccine approach for all ages,” she said.
The announcement underscores the emerging idea among many experts that people should be considered “fully vaccinated” only after receiving what are now viewed as booster shots: three doses of the mRNA vaccines made by Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna, or after receiving at least one additional shot following a single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
Early studies indicate that three doses of the mRNA vaccines may provide a stronger bulwark against the omicron variant than two doses.
In the ongoing trial, children younger than 5 years of age will receive 3 micrograms of the vaccine at least two months after their second dose. Pfizer and BioNTech also plan to evaluate a third dose of 10 micrograms – one-third of the adult dose – in children 5 through 12 years of age.
The changes have been cleared by the Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency, according to a statement released by the companies Friday. The companies say they would seek FDA authorization for a three-dose series in younger children in the first half of 2022.
– The New York Times
2:34 p.m. ET
Ford to make announcement at 3:30 p.m. as Ontarians scramble for boosters, rapid tests
Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Dr. Kieran Moore are set to speak at 3:30 p.m., a day after the province’s panel of COVID-19 advisers recommended imposing “circuit breaker” measures to blunt the impact of the fast-spreading Omicron variant.
The announcement comes as many Ontarians are scrambling today to secure COVID-19 booster shots and rapid tests – two of Ontario’s key weapons in the fight against Omicron.
While pharmacies were able to start offering third doses of vaccine to all eligible adults as of today, the head of the Ontario Pharmacists Association said residents should temper their expectations about getting in and getting jabbed.
1:45 p.m. ET
Ireland implements new restrictions on bar, restaurants for six weeks in a bid to slow Omicron
The Irish government has ordered bars and restaurants to close at 8 p.m. and reduced the capacity in all public events in a bid to curb the spread of the Omicron virus.
Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin said the measures, which will run for six weeks from Sunday, were necessary because the Omicron variant of COVID-19 was likely to bring a level of infections “far in excess of anything that we have seen to date.”
“There needs to be a very strong and immediate reduction in contacts between people in order to prevent Omicron overwhelming us,” Martin said in a televised address.
Ireland’s COVID-19 case numbers have eased in recent days, but the government has said it expects a surge of infections as Omicron takes over.
Omicron represented 35 per cent of cases reported in Ireland on Friday, up from 14 per cent on Tuesday, health officials said. Some parts of neighbouring Britain have reported Omicron case numbers doubling every two days.
90 per cent of Irish adults have been vaccinated and around one-third of those have also received a booster dose.
Friday’s measures were introduced despite vocal opposition by the hospitality sector and a number of lawmakers in the parties of the ruling coalition, who said the move would encourage less-safe gatherings in private homes.
Under the new rules, indoor events should be limited to 50 per cent of venue capacity or 1,000 people, whichever is lower. Outdoor events should be 50 per cent capacity with no more than 5,000 people.
All people arriving into the country will be required to have either an antigen or PCR COVID-19 test, depending on whether they are vaccinated or not.
– Reuters
A member of the Philadelphia Fire Department prepares a dose of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine at a vaccination site setup in Philadelphia, on March 26, 2021.Matt Rourke/The Associated Press
Dec. 17, 12:05 p.m. ET
Johnson & Johnson, Sinopharm and Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccines less effective against Omicron variant: study
COVID-19 vaccines from U.S. drugmaker Johnson & Johnson and China’s Sinopharm as well as Russia’s Sputnik V shot had no neutralizing activity against the Omicron variant, according to a study which has not yet been peer reviewed.
The study – conducted by Humabs Biomed SA, a unit of Vir Biotechnology, and the University of Washington, among others – compared the activity of some widely-used COVID-19 vaccines and treatments against Omicron and against the original virus strain first detected in China.
Vaccines from Moderna, AstraZeneca, Pfizer and partner BioNTech retained activity against Omicron, but the antibody response was greatly reduced when compared with the original strain, the study found.
– Reuters
Dec. 17, 12:00 p.m. ET
Opinion: Vaccines, not lockdowns, are our only real way out of the Omicron wave
Back in March, 2020, when lockdowns seemed like a novel and quaint little experiment, it was reasonable to advise people to reduce their number of in-person contacts. Canadians actually largely heeded federal advice against non-essential travel, and restrictions to business operations were viewed as a patriotic contribution to the pandemic war effort. These sacrifices were sold as measures to give governments and health care systems time to prepare for a potential onslaught of critically-ill patients, and Canadians mostly complied with public-health directives.
We are in a different pandemic now. Not only because the public’s reverence for authority has been tested by several waves of the virus, but because of what we are learning about the Omicron variant.
– Robyn Urback
The federal government is lifting its widely criticized travel ban on 10 African countries. Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos announced the ban would be lifted effective Dec. 18 at 11:59 p.m. ET.PATRICK DOYLE/The Canadian Press
Dec. 17, 11:40 a.m. ET
Canada lifts travel ban on 10 African countries, reimposes COVID-19 testing rule for short trips abroad
The federal government is lifting its widely criticized travel ban on 10 African countries and reimposing its requirement for Canadians taking short trips abroad to get a COVID-19 test before returning to Canada.
The 10-country travel ban was brought in when the Omicron variant was first identified but kept in place even after community spread started domestically.
Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos announced the ban would be lifted effective Dec. 18 at 11:59 p.m. ET.
At the same time Canada is bringing back its requirement for Canadians and permanent residents who travel abroad for less than 72 hours to get a negative COVID-19 test before returning to Canada. That rule was dropped in November amid pushback from business, tourism, and travel groups.
– Marieke Walsh
Dec. 17, 11:40 a.m. ET
Omicron variant five times more likely to reinfect than Delta, study says
The risk of reinfection with the Omicron coronavirus variant is more than five times higher and it has shown no sign of being milder than Delta, a study by Imperial College London showed, as cases soar across Europe and threaten year-end festivities.
The results were based on U.K. Health Security Agency and National Health Service data on people who tested positive for COVID-19 in a PCR test in England between Nov. 29 and Dec. 11.
“We find no evidence (for both risk of hospitalization attendance and symptom status) of Omicron having different severity from Delta,” the study said, although it noted that data on hospitalizations remains very limited.
– Reuters
Vials with Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine labels are seen in this illustration picture taken March 19, 2021.Dado Ruvic/Reuters
Dec. 17, 7:30 a.m. ET
Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine more likely to cause rare heart inflammation than Pfizer’s, study shows
Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine is up to four times more likely to cause inflammation of the heart muscle, a very rare side effect, than its rival vaccine from Pfizer-BioNTech, according to a Danish study published in the British Medical Journal late on Thursday.
The study, in which almost 85 per cent of Danes, or 4.9 million individuals, aged 12 and older participated, investigated the link between mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines and heart inflammation, also known as myocarditis or myopericarditis.
Earlier studies from Israel and the United States have indicated an increased risk of heart inflammation after inoculation with the mRNA-vaccines developed by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna.
“Vaccination with mRNA-1273 (Moderna’s vaccine) was associated with a significantly increased risk of myocarditis or myopericarditis in the Danish population,” the study said.
However, the overall risk of getting heart inflammation from the vaccines, both of which are based on mRNA-technology, was low, according to the study, conducted by researchers from Denmark’s Statens Serum Institute.
– Reuters
Dec. 17, 7:10 a.m. ET
South Africa says vaccines, prior infection levels helping keep COVID-19 cases milder during Omicron driven wave
South Africa’s health minister said on Friday that the government believed that vaccines and high levels of prior COVID-19 infection were helping to keep disease milder in a wave driven by the Omicron variant.
There have been early anecdotal accounts suggesting that Omicron is causing less severe illness than previous variants in South Africa but scientists say it is too early to draw firm conclusions.
The country reported a record number of daily infections earlier this week.
South Africa has given 44 per cent of its adult population at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, more than many African countries but well short of the government’s year-end target. But among the over-50s vaccination coverage levels are over 60 per cent.
– Reuters
Rashaun Robinson, 11, receives his first vaccine as Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visits a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccination clinic for children at Scarborough Health Network's Centenary Hospital in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada December 10, 2021.NICK LACHANCE/Reuters
Dec. 17, 6:30 a.m. ET
Parents may want to consider shorter intervals between COVID-19 vaccine doses for young children, experts say
Parents of young children may want to consider shortening the recommended eight-week interval between the two doses of pediatric COVID-19 vaccine in light of the arrival of the Omicron variant, medical experts say.
The National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) recommends children 5 to 11 receive their second dose at least eight weeks after the first. This is based on research showing that a longer interval results in more robust immune responses and higher vaccine effectiveness.
However, this research was based on data from the adult population, and NACI’s guidance was developed before the arrival of the Omicron variant, for which there is mounting evidence that it is more transmissible than Delta and potentially better able to spread among the vaccinated population.
– Andrea Woo
Dec. 17, 6:00 a.m. ET
Opinion: Omicron is super-infectious. To slow it, Canada needs a circuit breaker
Booster shots are necessary. Booster shots are not enough.
That was our message yesterday in this space. And if you don’t want to take our word for it, consider the analysis of Ontario’s science table, which released its latest pandemic modelling on Thursday.
Their grim conclusions as to the likely direction and scale of the rising wave apply to Canada as a whole – though the curve in most provinces may be a few days, or more, behind.
The modelling suggests that Ontario is on a path to a lot more infections, as many as 10,000 a day – in fact, the worst-case scenario is that the province could hit that level by next week. Omicron cases are doubling every 2.2 days.
Given how much more contagious Omicron is, and how many more infections it is already generating under the same circumstances as Delta, the only way hospital admission won’t shoot up soon is if Omicron turns out to be not just slightly less severe than Delta, but far less severe.
We can hope. But hope isn’t a strategy, particularly when mounting evidence is tilting in the other direction.
–The Editorial Board
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