Canada on track for COVID-19 resurgence, Omicron could make it worse: data

Canada is on pace to see a resurgence of COVID-19 infections across the country, and if Omicron takes hold that resurgence could be more extreme, data suggests.

Canada is on track to experience a COVID-19 resurgence, and if the Omicron variant takes hold it could worsen the pandemic, new national data suggests.

Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) officials made that suggestion Friday when they presented new modelling projecting the trajectory of COVID-19 in Canada.

The country is currently seeing a resurgence of cases driven primarily by the Delta variant, which remains the dominant virus strain in Canada.

However, if infections continue to rise as they are and if Omicron take holds, the variant could outpace Delta in January and further drive infections up.

“Challenges remain, but with continued vigilance, expansion of vaccination programs, and layers of protection we can celebrate the holidays more safely,” officials wrote in documents presented Friday.

The data also provided the first look at how the new Omicron variant — which was discovered late last month in South Africa — can have an impact in Canada.

The World Health Organization has warned it could slow the world’s fight against crushing the pandemic, and several countries like Canada have imposed travel restrictions on African nations to limit its spread.