COVID-19 highs reported in Ontario and Manitoba as Nunavut orders lockdown

“We expect they will continue to increase over the coming days and weeks, as other jurisdictions are seeing similar case rate increases per capita.”

Manitoba announced 742 daily cases, its highest yet in the pandemic.

Chief public health officer Dr. Brent Roussin said the count is likely an underestimate, as the province’s testing system is at capacity and there’s a backlog of 10,000 tests.

“We’ve set a daily record so Manitobans need to prepare,” Roussin told a news conference.

“Holiday plans need to change. If you’re planning on going out, we need people to reconsider that … if you’re going to three or four gatherings this weekend, this should be down to one.”

Nunavut, with eight active cases in various communities, put an end to all indoor gatherings by ordering a “circuit-breaker” lockdown.

All non-essential businesses must close in the territory, and travel in and out of certain communities was restricted to essential purposes only.

The order came a day after tighter restrictions were announced in Iqaluit, when a case was confirmed in a person who had not left the city for more than a month.

“With introductions of COVID-19 in multiple communities over the past week, we must move to the strictest public health restrictions across the entire territory,” chief public health officer Dr. Michael Patterson said in a news release Friday.

“I understand this will make the holiday season harder for many, but it is necessary for the health and safety of our communities and loved ones.”

Also Friday, Nunavut MP Lori Idlout said she tested positive for COVID-19 the day before and was isolating at home in Iqaluit.

“I am double vaccinated, which is helping to keep my symptoms mild,” she said in a statement.

‘I am sharing my diagnosis as a reminder that the pandemic is still ongoing. Even though we are all tired of the pandemic, it is very important to get vaccinated and get your booster shot when you can.”

British Columbia health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said Friday the province also hit its COVID-19 testing capacity.

She asked residents not to get tested unless they have symptoms and encouraged those who feel they have COVID-19 to self-isolate.

“Omicron is different,” she said. “In a sense, we’re in a different game, a different pandemic now.”

In his annual Christmas message posted on Facebook, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau urged Canadians to “keep showing up for one another” by following public health measures and encouraging friends and family members to get vaccinated.

Quebec Premier Francois Legault also delivered a Christmas message on his Facebook page. He said the Omicron variant is more contagious than anything previously seen during the pandemic.

He warned tough weeks are ahead.

The province, which isn’t reporting new case data until next week, had a record 9,397 daily cases Thursday.

Officials said the count is also an underestimation as testing centres are overwhelmed and can’t keep up with demand.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 24, 2021.

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This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Facebook and Canadian Press News Fellowship.

Fakiha Baig, The Canadian Press

by The Canadian Press

COVID-19 highs reported in Ontario and Manitoba as Nunavut orders lockdown

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