Ontario's COVID-19 testing and isolation rules have changed: Here's what you need to know

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The Ontario government is restricting eligibility for PCR testing and shortening the required self-isolation period for fully vaccinated people infected with COVID-19.



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Pfizer's COVID-19 shot causes mostly mild side-effects in young kids, says CDC

COVID Kids Vaccine 20211123

The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine caused mostly mild side effects in children aged five to 11 years, according to data published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday.



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Coronavirus: What's happening in Canada and around the world on Friday

COVID NS 20211207

Nova Scotia says it will ramp up its COVID-19 vaccine booster program, while Prince Edward Island is restoring financial supports for workers impacted by the pandemic as the Omicron variant of the novel coronavirus continued to spread in Atlantic Canada.



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As provinces limit PCR testing, should Canadians be able to report rapid test results?

COVID rapid test

In much of the country, rapid tests indicating positive COVID-19 results are going uncounted and are not included in official provincial case counts.



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Canadians growing desperate amid COVID-19 testing crunch

Canadians growing desperate amid COVID-19 testing crunch

Canadians are growing desperate for COVID-19 tests, and experts are warning of inequity and inaccuracy in case counts, as provinces continue to report testing backlogs and soaring infections.



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Return to in-person schooling in doubt as Omicron cases spike across Ontario

Masks in Schools

Just days before students are set to return to the classroom in Ontario, the province's back-to-school plan is clouded with uncertainty and critics are calling for more details.



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Here's how Quebec plans to keep some COVID-infected, exposed essential workers on the job

Jean-Talon Hospital, Montreal

Some health-care workers can come back to work 7 days after testing positive for COVID-19 as long as they have no symptoms, and other essential services can see COVID-positive, asymptomatic workers back on the job after five days in isolation.



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COVID-19: Could Omicron be a turning point for the pandemic?

COVID-19: Could Omicron be a turning point for the pandemic?

Infectious diseases specialists Dr. Zain Chagla and Dr. Sumon Chakrabarti answer questions about COVID-19, including whether the Omicron variant could be a turning point for the pandemic.



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'I still haven't grieved': Families want apology for loved ones exposed to COVID-19 in hospital who died

Melissa Boschman, Lloyd Hodgins, Val Alderson

Three Manitoba families are grieving the loss of loved ones who entered hospitals COVID-free during the pandemic only to contract the virus there and die.



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Coronavirus: What's happening in Canada and around the world on Thursday

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British Columbia is delaying the full return to classrooms in January to allow public health officials to assess the impact of the Omicron variant and give school staff time to implement enhanced safety measures. The move comes as students, teachers and parents in Ontario wait for word on the return to school.



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Canadian Blood Services faces 'immediate' need for blood donors with thousands of spots open

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Canadian Blood Services is calling on all Canadians to make an appointment to donate going into January. In Ontario, there are about 5,600 appointments that need to be filled by Jan. 15, 2022.



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Coronavirus: What's happening in Canada and around the world on Wednesday

Virus Outbreak Australia

Daily COVID-19 infections have hit record highs in the United States, swathes of Europe and Australia as the new Omicron variant of the virus races out of control, keeping workers at home and overwhelming testing centres.



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U.S. move to shorten COVID-19 isolation stirs confusion, doubt

Virus Outbreak

The decision by U.S. health officials to shorten the recommended COVID-19 isolation and quarantine period from 10 days to five is drawing criticism from some medical experts.



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Coronavirus: What's happening in Canada and around the world on Tuesday

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U.S. President Joe Biden on Monday pledged the full support of the federal government to states facing surges in COVID-19 cases from the more-transmissible omicron variant and a run on at-home tests.



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Drop in protection given by 2 doses shows need for COVID-19 boosters, says head of Ontario's science table

COVID Ont 20211218

Protection provided by COVID-19 vaccines against infection by the novel coronavirus has waned dramatically since the highly-infectious Omicron variant started spreading across Ontario, according to data from the province’s COVID-19 Science Advisory Table.



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U.S. health officials cut COVID-19 isolation, quarantine time from 10 days to 5

Virus Outbreak Florida

U.S. health officials on Monday cut isolation restrictions for Americans diagnosed with coronavirus from 10 to five days, and similarly shortened the time that close contacts need to quarantine.



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Coronavirus: What's happening in Canada and around the world on Monday

COVID Que 20211223

COVID-19 cases continue to mount across Canada as the Omicron variant of the coronavirus becomes further entrenched in the country.



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Coronavirus: What's happening in Canada and around the world on Sunday

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New restrictions on gatherings and restaurants are taking effect in Quebec on Sunday as Canada crossed the threshold of two million cases of COVID-19.



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Coronavirus: What's happening in Canada and around the world on Saturday

CHRISTMAS-SEASON/POPE

Pope Francis prayed for an end to the coronavirus pandemic, using his Christmas Day address to urge health care for all and vaccines for the poor, and for dialogue to prevail in resolving the world's conflicts.



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4th COVID-19 vaccine dose recommendation needs more data, some Israeli medical experts say

Virus Outbreak Israel

The recommendation by an Israeli panel to administer a fourth vaccine to those who are over 60 is being met with a tepid response by some of the country's medical experts, who believe more data is needed.



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With Omicron surging, Alberta Health Services offers COVID testing option to unvaccinated staff

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As Alberta braces for the impact of an Omicron-driven wave of infections, the province is offering unvaccinated physicians and health staff frequent COVID-19 testing in a bid to get employees back to work. 



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Coronavirus: What's happening in Canada and around the world on Friday

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Town of Bethlehem prepares for another quiet Christmas Eve as rise of Omicron variant means many foreign visitors staying home.



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Omicron's prevalence should shake off COVID-19's lingering stigma, experts say

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The transmissibility of Omicron means that it can pass very easily — even to people who are vaccinated and have been trying to limit their contacts, say experts as they warn against blaming those who test positive.



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My family caught COVID-19. Here's what I wish I'd known

Meaghan Blanchard, Thomas Webb

For the better part of two years, I convinced myself that I could dodge COVID, writes Meaghan Blanchard. I'm not sharing my story to scare you. I'm sharing my story because I honestly thought that if I did everything right, it wouldn't hit my family.



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'Granny dumping' troubles Ontario doctor who sees it most over the holidays

The Future of Long-Term Care NS

An Ontario emergency room doctor is among those drawing attention to "granny dumping" at hospitals, calling it a cry for help from families struggling to care for elderly relatives. 



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Heavy workload, fatigue hit pharmacists like never before in rush for COVID tests, vaccines

lawlor pharmasave

Pharmacy workers across Canada are struggling with an unbearable workload, as provinces change COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to fight the Omicron variant.



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Coronavirus: What's happening in Canada and around the world on Thursday

Virus Outbreak Britain

Two new British studies provide some early hints that the Omicron variant of the coronavirus may be milder than the Delta version.



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U.S. approves COVID-19 pill that decreases risk of hospitalization by 90%

Virus-Outbreak-Treatments

U.S. health regulators on Wednesday authorized the first pill against COVID-19, a Pfizer drug that Americans will be able to take at home to head off the worst effects of the illness caused by the novel coronavirus.



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Waits for COVID-19 tests in Winnipeg stretch up to 4 hours as demand surges

Lineup at drive-through COVID-19 testing site on King Edward Street

The wait for a COVID-19 test in Winnipeg is growing as fast as the caseloads, with lineups at drive-up testing centres meandering through parking lots and onto the roads.



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COVID-19 testing in Nova Scotia to be restricted as demand surges

rapid tests unavailable halifax central library

With demand for COVID-19 testing surging and capacity reaching its limits, Nova Scotia is imposing new restrictions on who will be tested for the virus, a major shift for a province that has prided itself on a widespread testing regime.



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Ontarians who resell rapid antigen COVID-19 test kits could be fined

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Ontarians who resell rapid antigen COVID-19 test kits may be fined for doing so.



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Think you have COVID-19 during the Omicron wave? Here's what to do

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Omicron appears to spread faster and more easily than its predecessors, even among the vaccinated. Here are some answers to what you need to know if you feel like you might have COVID-19 in the age of Omicron.



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Delta took Manitoba ICUs to the brink this fall. Omicron is poised to make another push

 medical intensive care unit at the Health Sciences Centre

Manitoba is entering the omicron phase of the pandemic with hospitals already tapped out.



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Ottawa COVID-19 testing sites can't keep up with demand, new rules expected

Children COVID-19 tests at Brewer Arena

New guidance that will prioritize vulnerable populations and essential workers for COVID-19 testing is imminent, says Ottawa's COVID-19 Testing Taskforce.



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Booster demand outstrips supply in N.L. as long lines form for 3rd vaccine shot

Booster line up, St. John's

Tuesday marks another day of long lines as the public scrambles to get their COVID-19 vaccine boosters in Newfoundland and Labrador. 



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He spent 11 months in hospital recovering from COVID-19. But he's made it home in time for Christmas

Willie Corpuz welcome home

After almost a year spent in hospital fighting COVID-19 and its related health complications, a Kamloops, B.C., man returned home last week, just in time for Christmas. 



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Reduce contacts now or hospitals will be overwhelmed by Omicron, says Tam

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Dr. Theresa Tam is warning that even if the Omicron variant causes less severe illness, it's still more transmissible, and even a small proportion of people winding up in hospital because of it can overwhelm the health-care system.



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Ontario logs 3,453 new COVID cases, most vaccinations since mid-July

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Ontario reported 3,453 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, while public health units collectively administered their highest number of vaccines on a single day since mid-July.



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Early data suggests Omicron cases could be milder, but take that with a grain of salt, experts say

COVID-19 WINTER

Some of the earliest data from around the world has shown signs that many people infected with the Omicron variant ended up with milder symptoms. But Canadian experts agree it is too soon to assume the variant will effect everybody the same way.



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Plans for expanding use of COVID-19 rapid tests in B.C. coming Tuesday, health ministry says

rapid test device

B.C.'s Ministry of Health says it will unveil plans on Tuesday to further utilize rapid antigen tests in the province as case numbers of COVID-19 rise.



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Grieving mother pushes for mental health walk-in clinics in N.S.

Laureen Rushton

Over a period of five years, Laureen Rushton estimates her son, Lucas, tried accessing mental health services at least 50 times. Nothing seemed to work, which is why Rushton is now pushing the Nova Scotia government to open walk-in mental health clinics, separate from emergency departments.



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Pandemic backlogs put life at risk, says Winnipeg man waiting for kidney, heart transplants

Matthew Laferriere dialysis

The pandemic has left Manitoba's transplant program playing catchup. Now, transplant candidates and their donors face staffing shortages, surgery backlogs and longer waits for diagnostics.



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Nurse practitioners fear for patients amid clinic closures, redeployment to COVID test sites

Raelyn Lagace

A decision to temporarily close nurse practitioner clinics in Saint John and redeploy staff to COVID testing and vaccination sites has sparked concern for the patients who will be left without primary care for two weeks.



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Your baggy mask isn't going to cut it against Omicron, epidemiologist warns

N95 mask

The COVID-19 landscape is changing rapidly, and the things we thought would protect us are suddenly in need of a serious rethink – including, and perhaps especially, masks.



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Yes, pandemic fatigue is an issue, experts say. Will Omicron make it worse?

Omicron street scenes

"Pandemic fatigue" is the weariness among some people to abide by more coronavirus-related restrictions. But some experts say it's still unclear just what impact that fatigue might have on whether people follow new restrictions being implemented amid the rapidly spreading Omicron variant.



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Coronavirus: What's happening in Canada and around the world on Monday

COVID Ont 20211218

More people in Ontario can access COVID-19 booster doses on Monday, a move that comes amid concern over the Omicron variant and increasing case numbers.



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Coronavirus: What's happening in Canada and around the world on Sunday

Pearson holiday travel

Ontario is reporting 4,177 new cases on Sunday — its highest daily count since April — as stricter public health measures took effect, with capacity limits back in place in restaurants and a smaller cap on social gatherings.



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Quebec vaccine clinic uses virtual reality to distract kids from fear of COVID-19 shots

Lea Strazza, six, covid shot quebec

Along with a therapy dog, colourful balloons and a huge inflatable slide, nervous children at one vaccine clinic in Quebec also have the option of putting on a virtual reality headset to play a game while getting their shot.



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Restrictions tightened in several provinces in face of Omicron variant

COVID Ont 20211217

As COVID-19 infections soar across the country, restrictions are being reintroduced in a desperate effort to try to slow the rampant spread of the Omicron variant.



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COVID-19: What do we know about the severity of Omicron infections?

COVID-19: What do we know about the severity of Omicron infections?

Infectious diseases specialists Dr. Susy Hota, Dr. Lynora Saxinger and Dr. Isaac Bogoch answer viewer questions about the Omicron variant, including what we know on the severity of infections, and what people should consider if they’ve recently received a booster shot and have travel plans.



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