Montreal to take 'aggressive approach' in staving off omicron variant

Most COVID-19cases in Montreal are linked to unvaccinated five- to 11-year-olds and their parents, according to Montreal's public health director.

This comes days after Quebec confirmed its first case of the omicron variant.

At a news conference Wednesday, Dr. Mylne Drouinsaid Montreal's COVID-19cases have gradually increased for the fifth consecutive week.

"We're at the peak that wehad at mid-September during the fourth wave," she said.

The number of reported COVID-19 cases in Montreal currently stands at205per day.

So far, a third of children in the province haveeither been vaccinated or have already gotan appointment and 14 per cent of children have received the vaccine.

One main determinant of kids not getting vaccinated is whether their parent was vaccinated, she said.

"We have a specific concern for this age group," she said.

"Of course, the new cases are mainly among the population that is not vaccinated," she added. "And the group that can be referred to as their parents 35- to 54-years-old group."

Some parents see it as less important, but Montreal public health is trying to open a dialogue with them, Drouin said.

Community transmission

Despite the first omicron case in the province, Drouin saidit is still too early to determine the variant's impact on hospitalizations.

"We know little on the characteristics of this variant," she said.

Scientists are still trying to understand if it is more more transmissible or causes a more severe illness, she said.

"While we are waiting for this information, we have to be vigilant," said Drouin.

Currently, 66 people are hospitalized, including 31 in intensive care because of COVID-19 infections. Five hundredhospitalbeds in Montrealare available for more patients that may need to be hospitalized.

Drouin also said public health would adopt a "suppressive approach"to tackling the variant.

"We will be more aggressive," Drouin said. "We will isolate contacts even though they are doubly vaccinated, and we will do so until we have more information about this variant."

Drouin noted that certain neighbourhoods continue to be disproportionately affected by the pandemic.

Neighourhoodsreporting a COVID-19 positivity rate of fiveper cent or higher are Anjou, Pointe-aux-Trembles, Saint-Lonard, Saint-Michel, and Ctes-des-Neiges.

"We're currently managing more than 180 active outbreaks," she said.

Of those cases, 55 per cent of them are in elementaryschools and daycare centres, including seven outbreaks in homeless shelters and "a few small outbreaks" in workplaces.

Threeoutbreaks have also been reportedinhealth-care settings.

Contrary to Premier Franois Legault, Drouin expressed her hesitancyto increase the number of people allowed at gatherings. She thinks it is too soon to allow 25 people to gather, she said.

"If there are guidelinesto give, obviously, if you have symptoms, avoid gathering and get tested," she said. "But at this stage, I'd stay careful."