Dr. Deanna Hinshaw -- The Canadian Press

By The Canadian Press

Alberta confirms first case of Omicron COVID-19 variant

Nov 30, 2021 | 2:13 PM

EDMONTON, AB. — Alberta is reporting its first case of the Omicron COVID-19 variant.

The province’s chief medical health officer, Dr. Deena Hinshaw, says the case was confirmed in a traveller returning from Nigeria and the Netherlands.

The variant of concern was first identified in South Africa after a spike in infections, but it is unclear where Omicron first emerged.

Preliminary evidence suggests the new variant transmits more easily.

During Dr. Hinshaw’s news conference, a member of the media inquired if the positive case was a vaccinated individual. She replied that the person is not vaccinated.

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Alberta is the third province in Canada to report the presence of the Omicron variant. However, shortly after Alberta’s announced case, the province of B.C. also announced it had a confirmed case.

Ontario announced its two cases on Sunday and Quebec reported its first case on Monday.

On Friday, the federal government announced that seven South African nations were put on a ban list. That number increased on Tuesday, as Nigeria, Egypt and Malawi were also added to the Omicron travel ban list.