Canada's chief public health officer said today there is evidence of community spread of the highly transmissible omicron variant and new COVID-19 cases are expected to "rapidly escalate" in the coming days. WATCH: Tam says there is community transmission of the omicron variant in CanadaTam says there is community transmission of the omicron variant in Canada Duration 0:58 Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada's chief public health officer, says the variant's spread can escalate rapidly in the days to come. 0:58The U.K. has reported a stunning 54,661 coronavirus infections in the past 24 hours, but only 10 people with the omicron variant have so far been hospitalized in England. While researchers scramble to determine the severity of this variant, Tam said provinces must urgently roll out booster shots to protect older and vulnerable Canadians. Tam's annual report also lays bare just how damaging the COVID-19 crisis has been for other areas of public health.

Source: CBC News December 13, 2021 23:17 UTC