Canada now has five cases of Omicron variant

Medical personnel unload a patient from a Royal Canadian Air Force CC-130J Hercules transport aircraft which departed from Saskatoon, after the province of Saskatchewan said it would be sending patients with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) from overloaded ICU wards to Ontario hospitals, in Kingston, Ontario, Canada October 28, 2021. REUTERS FILE PHOTO

MONTREAL — A further two cases of the Omicron coronavirus variant have been detected in Ottawa, bringing Canada’s total number of cases to five, Ottawa Public Health said late on Monday.

Earlier in the day, Quebec discovered its first COVID-19 case of the variant, health officials said.

Quebec Health Minister Christian Dube also told reporters that 115 travelers coming from countries affected by the new variant, primarily South Africa, were called and asked to isolate and test for COVID-19.

Quebec’s first case was a recent traveler to Nigeria, public health director Horacio Arruda said, similar to the two cases reported on Sunday by Ontario province.

The arrival of the new variant ahead of the Christmas holiday season comes as Quebec faces a recent increase in cases, mostly in the unvaccinated, Dube said. In the last 24 hours Quebec reported 756 new cases.

Dube urged travelers to rethink holiday trips and warned against large celebrations. The province limits gatherings in private homes to 10 people.

“The next few weeks will be critical,” Dube said.