Ottawa, January 3 (RHC)-- Two Canadian provinces have shortened the self-isolation period for vaccinated individuals who test positive for COVID-19, as the country grapples with a surge in cases linked to the Omicron variant.
Alberta and British Columbia in western Canada are halving the required self-isolation period for vaccinated people with COVID-19 to five days, as Canadian provinces try and adapt to workforce challenges.
Unvaccinated people who contract the virus will still be required to self-isolate for 10 days. “We are making these changes to help prevent disruptions in the Alberta workforce, especially for those who deliver services that Albertans count on,” Alberta Health Minister Jason Copping announced. Alberta has also paused regular reporting of coronavirus data for the New Year holiday period.
British Columbia will now offer a booster dose of a coronavirus vaccine to all pregnant women six months after their second dose, the province’s top doctor also said.
In Canada, provincial governments are responsible for administering health care, meaning rules around quarantine periods, capacity limits and other responses to the pandemic vary considerably across the world’s second-largest country.
