COVID-19: Canada's daily cases 400% higher than peak of 3rd wave due to Omicron: officials | FULL

Public health officials and federal ministers gave an update on Friday on the ongoing government and public health response to the Omicron variant.

Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s chief public health officer, said that daily case counts have been rapidly increasing since the holidays, with the Omicron variant dominating cases.

The most recent test positivity rate currently sits at 29 per cent, indicating significant community transmission, and the current daily case counts are already 400 per cent higher than the peak of the third wave.

The average daily case count has increased by 65 per cent compared to last week, with an average of nearly 42,000 cases being reported daily for the last seven days.

However, Tam said that cases of severe illness due to the Omicron variant are not expected to rise.

Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos and Intergovernmental Affairs Dominic LeBlanc reassured Canadians that the federal government is anticipating more calls for help from provinces over the next week and is ready to help with the resources needed.

For more info, please go to https://globalnews.ca/news/8493569/canada-omicron-variant-covid-update/

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