Premier confirms first cases of Omicron variant in Saskatchewan

The Omicron variant of COVID-19 has reached Saskatchewan.

Premier Scott Moe confirmed the first detected cases while speaking to Gormley on Wednesday.

“We’ll be reporting some Omicron cases today here in Saskatchewan, which I don’t think will surprise anyone,” Moe said.

The development comes one day after the province indicated there weren’t any positive cases yet among 154 residents who had recently returned from southern Africa.

In a media release, the Ministry of Health said four persons from a single household with a travel history to one of the 10 countries of concern tested positive for a variant of concern. The positive tests now will undergo whole genome sequencing to see if they’re the Omicron variant.

“These individuals and their close contacts have all been identified and are currently isolating,” the release said. “Contact investigations underway have confirmed that the risk of community transmission is low.

“If the contact investigation had determined that there was a risk of community transmission, additional information would be provided to residents to self-monitor or self-isolate and seek testing. As providing the region where these cases reside risks identifying these individuals, their location will not be disclosed.”

The government’s release said other Omicron cases likely will be found in Saskatchewan, so people should follow all the normal public health practices to prevent transmission.