Omicron 'progressing very rapidly' in Montreal, with 95 cases

Montreal public health authorities are giving an update on the COVID-19 situation on Wednesday, as the province appears to hit a turning point.

Dr. Mylene Drouin is giving an update on the COVID-19 situation on Wednesday, as the province appears to hit a turning point.

"It's not exactly what we planned or hoped for two weeks before Christmas," she said, saying that despite preparations, the dramatic upturn in numbers in the last week still took her and others by surprise.

That news includes 95 cases of the Omicron virus detected in the city, a big jump from the most recent update, exactly a week ago, when just five cases of the new variant were confirmed across the province.

Many lab results are expected soon that will give a bigger picture. In Ontario, the new variant already accounts for about 20 per cent of cases, Drouin said, and Quebec will known soon if it's around the same level.