Ontario science table to release new COVID-19 modelling today

TORONTO — Ontario’s panel of COVID-19 expert advisers is expected to release new modelling Thursday morning (Dec. 16) on the state of the pandemic in the province.

The new projections come a day after the provincial government announced a series of new measures in response to the highly infectious Omicron variant.

Among them is an accelerated rollout of COVID-19 booster shots, which will be available starting Monday (Dec. 20) to residents over 18 whose second dose was at least three months ago.

The province also said it will cut capacity to 50 per cent at certain large venues, including sporting arenas and cinemas, starting Saturday.

Premier Doug Ford said Wednesday it appears Omicron may already have overtaken the Delta variant as the dominant strain in Ontario.

The province’s top doctor, Dr. Kieran Moore, has said Omicron is infecting between four and eight times more people than Delta.

The Canadian Press