Canada's Foreign Affairs Min Melanie Joly tests positive for COVID; continues virtual work

Melanie Joly, who is Canada's Foreign Minister, announced on her Twitter account that she has tested positive for the Coronavirus and that she is in isolation and will continue to work virtually. Joly also said that she will be in isolation for a number of days until she receives her PCR test result. Joly was appointed as the Foreign Minister of Canada in October after serving as Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

The 42-year-old Foreign Minister also stated that vaccines are the best way to avoid catching the Coronavirus or developing serious COVID-19 symptoms and that she is thankful for the protection that vaccines provide. The Minister advised the citizens of Canada to get vaccinated and for those who have received their vaccination, to get their booster shots as soon as possible. She further stated that it is the most important thing people can do to keep their families safe this holiday season and throughout the year.

No cabinet members will be obliged to isolate themselves

According to CBC News, a senior government official stated that no cabinet member will be obliged to isolate themselves because Joly hasn't met with any cabinet colleague in over a week. Joly urged people in another tweet not to rely solely on testing and to get vaccinated. She asked people to minimise their interactions with the public and follow public health rules. She further stated that while it is vital to get tested for COVID, testing alone will not protect people from developing and transmitting the virus.

On the other hand, Canada's Chief Public Health Officer, Theresa Tam, stated last week on Friday that Omicron counts have significantly increased since last week, and advised Canadians to change their holiday plans, according to ANI. As infections spread across the country in the run-up to the Christmas season, provincial governments are reintroducing a slew of restrictions, while the Canadian government will tighten border controls.

Canada reports 9,294 additional COVID-19 cases

With the emergence of the new variant of COVID-19, Omicron, Canada had reported 9,294 additional COVID-19 cases, bringing the total to 1,892,511 cases, including 30,054 deaths, according to CTV. Ontario, which is Canada's most populated province, reported 3,783 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, out of which 471 were of children under the age of 12.

Image: AP