Starting today, Public Health Ontario is ramping up capacity to screen all positive COVID-19 tests in Ontario for known variants.
This new measure was announced earlier this week by Premier Doug Ford as part of the province’s six-point variant action plan, which enhances the ongoing efforts of the province to detect, track, trace, and contain the spread of COVID-19.
The government says Public Health Ontario (PHO) will also undertake and coordinate genomic sequencing efforts to identify new and emerging variants— by sequencing up to 10 per cent of all positive tests by February 17, 2021.
Earlier this week, the first case of the South African variant was confirmed in a man from Mississauga with no travel history.
According to the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit, 51 local cases have tested positive for the COVID-19 variant of concern UK B.1.1.7 and an additional 32 cases have screened positive (awaiting confirmatory testing).
For details on the other measures announced to stop the spread of COVID-19 variants in Ontario, please click here.
We’ve released a six-point plan to #StopTheSpread of #COVID19 variants in Ontario.
As part of our plan, all international travellers arriving at @TorontoPearson are now required to receive a COVID-19 test. Additional screening at land border crossings will be rolled out soon. pic.twitter.com/3XVytvEtE5
— Doug Ford (@fordnation) February 2, 2021
As part of our six part plan, Ontario will require mandatory testing for all incoming international travelers at @TorontoPearson effective Monday at noon.
We will have additional testing measures at land border crossings as soon as possible. pic.twitter.com/I20pOhtpmB
— Doug Ford (@fordnation) January 31, 2021