COVID-19: Omicron variant detected among 3 Toronto residents

The Omicron COVID-19 variant has been detected among three Toronto residents, officials say.

Toronto Public Health (TPH) said in a news release Friday that each resident has a travel history, with two having recently returned from Nigeria and one from Switzerland.

“These are the first cases of the Omicron variant of concern which have been confirmed by whole genome sequencing, reported in Toronto,” the statement said.

TPH said case management is following up with close contacts and providing information on isolation and testing.

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TPH said they continue to work with provincial and federal officials as more data emerges on the Omicron variant, which may be more transmissible than other strains of the virus.

Omicron cases have been reported by several GTA public health units in recent days, including in York, Durham, and Halton regions.

3:54 The latest on what’s known about the Omicron COVID-19 variant