Seamus O’Regan, right, arrives for the cabinet swearing-in ceremony at Rideau Hall in Ottawa, Tuesday, Oct. 26, 2021. Labour Minister O’Regan says he has tested positive for COVID-19 after taking a rapid test.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang

Seamus O’Regan, right, arrives for the cabinet swearing-in ceremony at Rideau Hall in Ottawa, Tuesday, Oct. 26, 2021. Labour Minister O’Regan says he has tested positive for COVID-19 after taking a rapid test.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang

Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan tests positive for COVID-19 and is isolating

Case counts have soared recently due to highly contagious Omicron variant

Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan says he has tested positive for COVID-19 after taking a rapid test.

O’Regan shared the result Monday on Twitter, noting he will stay in isolation and continue to follow public health guidelines.

The minister did not share where or how he contracted the virus or provide any details about the state of his health.

O’Regan tweeted he’s grateful for his three COVID-19 vaccine doses, “the thousands of health care workers keeping us safe, and for vigilance of millions of Canadians.”

Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly made a similar announcement last week, saying she tested positive on a rapid test and would continue to work virtually until receiving the results of her PCR test.

Due to the highly transmissible Omicron variant, COVID-19 case counts have soared in Canada in recent days, with cases surpassing the two-million mark as of Boxing Day.

———

This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Facebook and Canadian Press News Fellowship.

The Canadian Press


Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

Coronavirus