There were over 200 new cases of COVID-19 reported in the past week in Hastings and Prince Edward counties.
In the period between Saturday, December 11 and Friday, December 17, 217 new infections were discovered and on Thursday public health confirmed the first omicron variant in the two counties.
The week ended with 249 active cases and 20 outbreaks.
Seven people were in hospital with 5 of them in intensive care.
Seventeen people have now died from the illness since the pandemic began.
