Canadian provinces cut COVID isolation for vaccine recipients Coronavirus pandemic News

The western provinces of Alberta and British Columbia shorten their self-isolation period while Quebec sets a night limit.

The two provinces of Canada have shortened the period of self-isolation of people with COVID-19 positive vaccines, as the country is experiencing an increase in cases associated with the disease. Omikron variant.

Alberta and British Columbia are halving the self-isolation period for people vaccinated with COVID-19 in western Canada as the provinces of Canada try to adapt to the challenges of workers.

Vaccine-free people who get the virus will still have to self-isolate for 10 days.

“We are making these changes to help prevent disruptions in Alberta staff, especially for them those who provide services The Albertans are counting, ”Alberta Health Minister Jason Copping announced Friday. The changes will take effect on Monday.

Alberta has also suspended the regular reporting of coronavirus data for the New Year holiday.

British Columbia will offer a booster dose of the coronavirus vaccine to all pregnant women six months after the second dose, the provincial chief medical officer also said on Friday. BC A record 4,383 cases were reported on Friday, a jump of nearly 50 percent from Wednesday.

Canada, the provincial governments are responsible for administering health care, which means that the rules on quarantine periods, capacity limits, and other pandemic responses vary significantly in the world’s second largest country.

Meanwhile, Canada’s second-most populous province in Quebec reported 16,461 new cases of coronavirus on Friday. The French-speaking province in particular will be established local closing time will start at 22:00 local time (3:00 GMT), among other restrictions aimed at halting the spread of the virus and protecting Quebec’s close health care network.

“It’s an extreme act because the situation is extreme,” said Prime Minister Francois Legault.

Also starting Friday at 5:00 pm (10:00 pm GMT), Quebec restaurants will also be restricted to take-out or delivery service, while most private indoor meetings are prohibited. Gyms, bars and other entertainment venues have been closed since the beginning of last week.

In addition, schools in all levels in Quebec will not reopen until at least January 17th.

Ontarion, Canada’s busiest province, classes were scheduled to begin on Monday, but were postponed to Wednesday. Ontario has also eased its isolation rules Up to five days for people with the COVID-19 vaccine.

As of Friday, Ontario-funded PCR testing is being restricted to people at high risk of developing symptoms or serious illnesses as a result of coronavirus. This includes staff and residents of hospitals and long-term care homes, and people living in indigenous communities.

Containers with COVID-19 symptoms, but who are not eligible for a funded test, should be assumed to be infected and follow new five-day self-isolation guidelines, health officials said.

In Ontario, as in other provinces, anyone over the age of 18 can receive a third dose and receive a second dose in three months and receive a third coronavirus booster in three months.

In a New Year’s message, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau He asked Canadian candidates to take a booster shot to stop the rise in Omicron infections.

“With the threat of new variants, the vaccine remains our best line of defense against COVID-19, and we must continue to work together to put this pandemic behind us in 2022,” Trudeau said Friday night.

It’s not midnight yet, I know, but we’re all ready to say this before it’s too late anyway: Happy New Year! You and your loved ones wish Sophie and I all the best for this evening, and next year. https://t.co/Olq27qzqT9

– Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) December 31, 2021