Canadian provinces consider allowing COVID-positive health workers to keep working

Some Canadian provinces are recording record highs in COVID cases as a consequence of the new variant.

Quebec Health Minister Christian Dube was the first minister to say that COVID-positive health workers will be allowed to remain working. He said he had to do this as it keeps the health system working.

Ontario and Manitoba are also considering this step. This is also as a solution to an overwhelmed health care system.

This comes in the wake of a new study that showed those who catch the Omicron variant of COVID-19 up to 70 percent less likely to need hospitalization.

A major analysis by the UK Health Security Agency has said that these findings are "encouraging." Compared to other variants, they are 50 to 70 percent less likely to need a hospital visit.

This new report by the UK government follows other reports from officials in South Africa, Denmark, England and Scotland, which all suggest reduced severity.

This is observable in the number of deaths in the UK. Before the holiday period, only 14 people died over 28 days as a result of the new variant. For context, the UK is a country with a population of 66 million.