BC Health officials say 44 cases of the fast-spreading Omicron variant of COVID-19 have now been confirmed in the province with 20 linked to international travel.
They also say 37 of the cases were among those who have been vaccinated but there have been no hospitalizations linked to the variant.
The latest modelling data suggests a worst-case scenario involving Omicron would be two-thousand new cases per day by the end of the month and a best-case scenario of one thousand a day by mid January. Health officials are recommending against large holiday parties but say the province won’t likely roll out free at-home rapid tests before January.