Omicron scare: Canada to expand economic support to residents as COVID cases spike

Canada will temporarily expand economic support programmes to help people and businesses hit by the Omicron variant of COVID-19. As the nationwide caseload of the new B.1.1.529 variant continues to increase, Ottawa said that it will re-instate the state support to individuals and businesses that ended in October. Notably, the new strain has fuelled stringent restrictions in at least 10 states across the Canadian territory. 

In a televised address, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said, “We are adapting our measures to make sure no one is left behind.”

Since the beginning of the pandemic, Canada has reported a total of 1,924,261 cases with more than 30,113 related fatalities. On Tuesday, the North American country reported a record 11,300 new cases. Discreetly, the country's chief public health officer Theresa Tam, urged Canadians to take precautions, saying in a news conference that "the situation can rapidly get out of hand anywhere.

The expanded economic support programme would provide wage and rent support to all workers in the country. Meanwhile, Trudeau, during the conference also revealed that six members of his administration had recently tested positive. Stopping short of whether the lawmakers were affected by the Omicron variant, the Canadian PM said that he took COVID tests himself, results of which came out to be negative. 

Sharp spike

Notably, Tam had previously stated that Omicron counts have significantly increased in the country, and advised Canadians to change their holiday plans, according to ANI. Some communities in Ontario have also witnessed deteriorating conditions as hundred new cases are registered every week, pushing the daily caseload to touch the highest level since the inception of the pandemic in 2020. 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.

Ontario has witnessed a sharp spike in COVID-19 cases in recent days. According to the Ontario COVID-19 science advisory table, at least 23% of all new infections were caused by the Omicron variant. On Monday, the table also said that by Christmas, the Omicron variant "will replace" the currently dominant Delta as the main strain in the province.