As Omicron spreads, governments scramble
With the holidays approaching and the Omicron variant spreading rapidly in Canada, people are reconsidering their response.\n\nIn a busy week of Omicron warnings, Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam said cases are expected to \u201crapidly escalate\u201d; in her fiscal and economic update, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland committed a $4.5 billion \u201cvariant response\u201d contingency; and Canada advised against all non-essential international travel. Provinces are expanding testing and booster access.\n\nToday on Front Burner, a discussion with Globe and Mail health columnist Andr\xe9 Picard about our pandemic cycle of delay and panic, and the lessons and tools that still might make us better prepared for Omicron.