Hospitals face the "challenges and uncertainties" of Omicron

Plus, your fave NHL players won't be playing in Beijing, and a man's deportation after 21 years in Canada [The Star] First Up [By Allan Woods] By Allan Woods Good morning. Here’s the latest on the Omicron variant, NHL players’ refusal to play in the Beijing Olympics, and an elderly man facing deportation 21 years after seeking asylum in Canada. DON’T MISS Steve Russell/The Star omicron [Ontario hospitals are preparing for the Omicron spike]( The Omicron surge has yet to overwhelm COVID-19 wards, but hospitals across the GTA are bracing for the worst, May Warren and Nadine Yousif report. Unity Health Toronto, which includes the St. Joseph’s and St. Michael’s hospitals, has cancelled outpatient appointments and non-essential surgeries, while Toronto’s University Health Network and Mississauga’s Trillium Health Partners are imposing visitor restrictions  One doctor predicts Omicron’s maximum impact won’t hit until mid-to-late January. [Here’s what you need to know](. - More: “We are still learning about this new variant,” said Unity Health’s president and CEO Tim Rutledge. “One thing that we have all seen is the extremely rapid pace of transmission between people.” - Go deeper: [Here are eight ways Omicron changes what you thought you knew about COVID-19](. - Another angle: Remember that $20-million COVID-19 Alert app that was meant to trace the virus’ spread and alert potential contacts? [Here’s what happened to it](. Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images Olympic hockey faceoff [NHL players won’t be going for gold in Beijing]( The NHL and its Players’ Association have agreed to take a pass on the upcoming Olympic Games in Beijing. This is surely a relief for the league and team owners, who were already fretting about their superstars catching COVID-19 in China and potentially being forced to spend five weeks in quarantine. The players took a longer time to decide against going — with their final decision likely influenced by the current league-wide shutdown to deal with the wave of infected players. Chris Johnston argues the decision could mean [some Olympic dreams are lost forever](. - Bad news for: The players yearning for an Olympic experience. Sidney Crosby was pushing behind the scenes for a chance to capture a third medal and hit the ice with Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon. - Another angle: “We are back to a time … in which [the Stanley Cup matters to North Americans significantly more than any other prize in hockey]( Damien Cox argues. - Have your say: [Do you agree with the decision for NHL players to skip  the Olympics?]( - ICYMI: Hockey Canada may not be able to send the world’s best to Beijing, but there are others willing to brave infection and lengthy Chinese quarantines in order to don the Canadian jersey —[ex-Maple Leaf Eric Fehr, for one](. Nick Kozak for The Star immigration [Meet a 74-year-old being deported after 21 years in Canada]( More than two decades after arriving in Canada, Samuel Ndesanjo Nyaga spends his days caring for his 85-year-old roommate, who has dementia, and volunteering at his church. But if the federal government has its way, he will soon be returning to Kenya — a country the former banker claims he was forced to flee amid government threats and persecution when he began advocating for the country’s rural poor. Though Canada refused his asylum claim in 2000 and authorities ruled in 2007 it was safe for him to return to Kenya, it was only last month that he learned the date of his deportation: Jan. 4. Nicholas Keung has[the full story of Nyaga’s fight to stay in Canada](. - More: “I have nowhere to go,” Nyaga told the Star. “All I am asking for is, ‘Please allow me to spend my remaining years in Canada.’” - What the law says: Failed asylum claimants, including criminals, are supposed to be deported within one year of a final negative decision. - What Nyaga’s lawyer says: “They say their job is to make sure that people without status will not stay in Canada. They allowed someone more than 10 years to remain here without status. It’s stupid, but they contributed to the situation we’re in. We have a man who is 75 with literally no future going back home.” [Give the gift of trusted news] Give the gift of trusted news. Treat your loved ones to a digital Star subscription for 3 months, 6 months or 1 year. Plus, pick our year-long offer and get a treat for yourself: a $25 President’s Choice gift card. [Give the gift of the Star and choose yours here](. WHAT ELSE Here’s why Toronto’s downtown core has become the [Omicron variant’s breeding ground](. Omicron’s arrival is throwing a wrench in the federal government’s [plan to pivot back to normal](. Your fashion-friendly cloth mask may not be protecting you or those around you. [It’s time to get more serious about face coverings](. [“It’s easier not to open at all.”]( COVID-19 uncertainty has some Toronto restaurants and bars shuttering — and shuddering. A Brampton man told the court his [“life filled with emptiness”]( since a dangerous driver killed his wife and three daughters. “The YCJA anonymity piece is bulls---.” One of the notorious “Bathtub Girls” is [finding online anonymity doesn’t exist](. Is it an abomination or an homage? [Emily in Paris is back on Netflix for season deux!]( Raptors fans found their refunded tickets back up for sale — [at a higher price](. POV Toronto Star File Photo [Want to resolve to be a better diner? Karon Liu lists what to keep in mind in 2022.]( PREVIOUSLY... David Cooper/The Star DECEMBER 22, 2000: In a time before Omicron, last-minute Christmas shoppers jammed into the Eaton Centre for their annual endurance test. Thanks for reading. You can reach me and the First Up team at [firstup@thestar.ca](mailto:firstup@thestar.ca?source=newsletter&utm_source=ts_nl&utm_medium=emailutm_email=6C53B63A8E3FAD70AD4EF13004527437&utm_campaign=frst_94298). I’ll see you back here tomorrow. [The Star]( If you're not enjoying these emails, please tell us how we can make them better by emailing newsletterfeedback@thestar.ca. Or, if you'd prefer, you can unsubscribe from this newsletter by clicking the first link below. [Unsubscribe From This Newsletter]( [Sign Up for More Newsletters and Email Alerts]( [Become a Star Subscriber]( [View in Browser]( [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [Twitter]( Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. One Yonge Street, 4th Floor, Toronto, ON M5E 1E6. 416-367-2000 [PRIVACY POLICY](