Montrealers asked to reduce contacts as Omicron infections rise: public health

Montreal's public health director is urging the public to once again reduce contacts given the spike in cases of COVID-19 and growing spread of the Omicron variant.

The city recorded 844 new COVID-19 cases today, and Dr. Mylène Drouin says she expects the daily number to increase in the coming weeks.

Currently, most cases are still of the Delta variant. But there are now 95 cases of the Omicron variant in the city, and 90 per cent of them involve people who were fully vaccinated. 

"With two doses, you can still easily catch the variant," Drouin said.

The median age of people infected with Omicron is 32, and 80 per cent of them showed symptoms. 

Many of the cases were imported from the U.S., she said. Five cases came from Europe and another five from Africa.

"It's still uncertain what will happen if the Omicron variant is introduced in places where we have the elderly population," she said.

Drouin said that symptoms associated with Omicron are less severe than with Delta, which remains a concern in Montreal.

"We have a high rate of screening tests, and our positivity rates are increasing. Right now, we're around eight per cent of cases tested that are positive."

According to public health, a five per cent positivity rate is cause for concern. 

"These numbers give us a feeling of déjà vu," Drouin said.

Limiting contacts for the foreseeable future and getting vaccinated remain the best way to protect vulnerable demographics, she said. 

"Those are preventive measures. The sooner you put them in place, the sooner you have an effect," she said.

Measures linked to venues maximum capacity and the requirement to mask at all times in public spaces would bring down the risk of superspreader events.