Advocates for the nursing sector are sounding the alarm of an impending “public health crisis” as surging rates of Omicron across the country stretch already limited staff to breaking point. The warning comes as Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced several new COVID-19 public health measures to contain the spread of the variant.
Tens of thousands of Canadians across the country are being hit with the flu, a cold or COVID-19, and with many symptoms overlapping, coupled with a lack of availability of COVID tests, it’s almost impossible to tell what they could be ailing from, doctors say. The advice for anyone who is feeling ill is to assume they’ve been infected with COVID-19, even if they cannot be tested for the virus.
Canadians are struggling to get tested for COVID-19. An epidemiologist and associate professor at the University of Ottawa explains that tests are might be reserved for healthcare workers or people who need them for clinical diagnostic purposes. “If you’ve got symptoms, we ask you to stay home and isolate until they abate,” he said. Another expert said that “you may need to reach out and go for a visit to an urgent care clinic, perhaps, or an emergency department if that gets very severe.”
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All eligible adults in Ontario can book COVID-19 booster shots starting Monday, December 20, as part of an accelerated rollout of third doses that will be the centrepiece of the province’s response to the highly infectious Omicron variant. Eligibility for boosters was shortened from six months to three months — or 84 days — from a person’s second vaccine dose. That time frame will apply to all newly eligible people 18 or older.
The province of Ontario, in consultation with the Chief Medical Officer of Health, is taking further action to protect the health and safety of residents, healthcare workers, and caregivers in long-term care and retirement homes from COVID-19 and the Omicron variant. These temporary measures will help reduce the risk of transmission during the winter months and protect the progress the province has made in stopping the spread of the virus and its variants throughout these settings.
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