Ontario science table says ‘circuit breaker’ needed to blunt Omicron

UPDATED

Ontario’s science advisory table says the province needs a “circuit breaker” with public health measures to blunt the spread of the Omicron variant.

Dr. Adalsteinn Brown, co-chair of Ontario’s science table, says that without any further measures, the daily COVID-19 case count could reach 10,000 per day.

The science table says an accelerated booster campaign doesn’t go far enough to contend with the contagious Omicron variant, which is already the dominant variant in the province.

Brown says data shows Omicron is “not just a case of the sniffles” and can cause serious disease.

He says without prompt intervention, hospital capacity in intensive care units could reach “unsustainable levels” in January.

The science table says cutting contact by 50 per cent and a rapid rollout of booster doses could help slow the Omicron wave, which experts say could be the hardest wave of the pandemic.

The modelling announcement comes a day after the Ontario government announced an accelerated rollout of COVID-19 booster shots. Starting Monday, residents over 18 whose second dose was at least three months ago, are eligible for the booster.

The province also announced on Wednesday the launch of a “holiday testing blitz” that will see up to two million rapid tests handed out at pop-up testing sites in high-traffic settings including malls, retail settings, holiday markets, public libraries and transit hubs.

RELATED STORY: Ontario to hand out free COVID-19 rapid tests at pop-up sites and some LCBO locations

Capacity limits will be limited to 50 per cent starting Saturday for indoor venues that would normally hold 1,000 people or more, including casinos, sporting arenas, event spaces and theatres.

Brown said in order to keep schools and workplaces safe, key behaviors and public health measures like wearing a well-fitted high-quality mask, physical distancing and avoiding indoor spaces where there is crowding, increasing ventilation in all indoor spaces and better access to rapid testing need to be prioritized. He says it will help buy time for the boosters to take effect.

WATCH BELOW