Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
Canada's top doctor says the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) has detected more than 100 cases of a new Omicron subvariant known as BA.2, doubling the number of infections from the virus lineage that were reported earlier this week.
Dr. Theresa Tam said during Friday's federal COVID-19 update that the BA.2 subvariant was first detected in Canada in November 2021, and has since been "closely" monitored by experts.
"We're one of the first countries to actually pick up on this variant, and we have at least over 100 identifications," Tam said.
In an emailed statement to CTVNews.ca, PHAC previously said it had detected 51 cases of the BA.2 subvariant as of Wednesday. The agency added that the majority of infections have been from international travellers.
BA.2 is a descendant of the highly transmissible Omicron variant and has been found in nearly 50 countries as of Friday, according to global coronavirus data sharing platform GISAID.
While the World Health Organization (WHO) has not yet dubbed BA.2 a "variant of concern," it is tracking the sub-lineage's spread.
The Omicron variant B.1.1.529 has four sub-lineages: BA.1, BA.1.1, BA.2 and BA.3.
The BA.2 sub-lineage is widely considered "stealthier" than the original version of Omicron because some of its genetic traits make it harder to detect. Some scientists say it could also be more contagious, however they acknowledge there are still a lot of unknowns about the subvariant.
"We're still learning, of course, about this subvariant, but at the moment, the international data suggests that it could potentially have an increase advantage on spread," Tam said. "There doesn't seem to be any specific increase in hospitalizations or the severe outcomes compared to BA.1, but we'll be tracking that very closely."
While cases of the subvariant are increasing around the world, Tam said it is still too soon to know how it will impact Canada amid the current wave.
"The vast, vast majority of our identifications are the BA.1, but that doesn't mean BA.2 couldn't pick up later on. There's always a possibility that that could occur, but we don't actually know that yet," Tam said.
"At the moment it is really a BA.1 Omicron wave," she added.
PHAC told CTVNews.ca on Wednesday BA.2 has "many similarities" to BA.1, but does exhibit some differences, including in mutations that may affect transmissibility, detection and possibly immunity evasion.
"There is very limited evidence at present to determine how impactful the differences between BA.1 and BA.2 may be, hence the ongoing efforts by PHAC scientists to monitor cases here in Canada and track developments internationally," PHAC said in the statement.
Despite ongoing uncertainty around the subvariant, the health agency says Canadians should continue to follow the advice of public health officials.
"While the impact of all variants continues to be monitored in Canada, the Government of Canada knows that vaccination, in combination with public health and individual measures, is key to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and its variants," PHAC said.
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
A judge has ordered a Quebec man to stand trial on charges of first-degree murder in the deaths of two children killed when a bus rammed into a Montreal-area daycare last year.
Former Humboldt Broncos goaltender and bus crash survivor Jacob Wassermann has qualified Canada for a rowing event for the 2024 Paralympic games in Paris.
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
Canadians will be missing out on a sweet new partnership between McDonald's and Krispy Kreme, which will see doughnuts available at McDonald's locations across the U.S. by the end of 2026.
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
A Calgary police officer has been charged after allegedly assaulting a handcuffed man two years ago.
B.C. conservation officers recently seized a nine-foot-long Burmese python from a home in Chilliwack.
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
The Ontario government is introducing changes to auto-insurance, but some experts say the move is ill-advised.
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
Newfoundland’s unique version of the Pine Marten has grown out of its threatened designation.
A Toronto man is out $12,000 after falling victim to a deepfake cryptocurrency scam that appeared to involve Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
It started small with a little pop tab collection to simply raise some money for charity and help someone — but it didn’t take long for word to get out that 10-year-old Jace Weber from Mildmay, Ont. was quickly building up a large supply of aluminum pop tabs.
There’s a group of people in Saskatoon that proudly call themselves dumpster divers, and they’re turning the city’s trash into treasure.
Ontario is facing a larger than anticipated deficit but the Doug Ford government still plans to balance its books before the next provincial election.