American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) says it has detected more than 50 cases of a new Omicron subvariant known as BA.2.
In an emailed statement to CTVNews.ca on Wednesday, PHAC confirmed that 51 cases of the BA.2 subvariant have been reported in Canada, mainly from international travellers.
BA.2 is a descendant of the highly transmissible Omicron variant and has been found in at least 40 countries as of Wednesday, according to global coronavirus data sharing platform GISAID.
PHAC said it is monitoring BA.2, as it does with all new COVID-19 variants, and maintains that 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.
BA.2 was first detected in November 2021 and the U.K. designated it a "variant under investigation" on Friday, saying it could have a growth advantage.
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.
PHAC said BA.2 has "many similarities" to BA.1, but does exhibit some differences, including in mutations that may affect transmissibility, detection and possibly immune escape.
"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.
Infectious disease expert Dr. Isaac Bogoch said "significant degree of uncertainty" remains around BA.2, but the subvariant is worth keeping an eye on as more cases are reported around the world.
"We have a lot of BA.1 for example here in Canada, we also have BA.2. What's interesting is, in other jurisdictions, we're seeing growth of BA.2 whereas BA.1 might be on the downslope," Bogoch told CTV News Channel on Wednesday. "Again, something to keep an eye on for now."
Despite this, Bogoch said Canadians should not be concerned. He noted that the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines against BA.2 will likely be "very similar" to the BA.1 sub-lineage.
"It's not the same [as BA.1], it's probably a little bit more transmissible, but there's probably a lot of other similarities," Bogoch said.
"I think it's too soon to know exactly how this manifests and we need to learn more," he added.
With files from the Associated Press
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
Cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc says he plans to run in the next election as a candidate under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's leadership, amid questions about his rumoured interest in succeeding his longtime friend for the top job.
A group of suspects that allegedly defrauded seniors across Ontario and other parts of Canada using a so-called emergency grandparent scam appear to have ties to 'Italian traditional organized crime,' according to an investigator involved in the OPP-led probe.
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball’s highest scorer Caitlin Clark’s first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.
Most Canadians in March reported feeling angry or pessimistic towards the federal government than at any point in the last six years, according to a survey by Nanos Research.
Short-term rental platforms that violate B.C.'s pending regulations can face administrative penalties of up to $10,000 per day, officials announced Thursday.
A Google Drive link allegedly containing 17 tracks that are purportedly from Swift's eagerly awaited "The Tortured Poets Department" album has been making the rounds on the internet in the past day and people are equal parts mad, sad and happy about it.
A motion to reverse a ban on the keffiyeh within Queen’s Park failed to receive unanimous consent Thursday just moments after Ontario Premier Doug Ford reiterated his view that prohibiting the garment in the House is divisive.
Sophie Kinsella, the best-selling author behind the 'Shopaholic' book series, has revealed that she is receiving treatment for brain cancer.
Molly Knight, a grade four student in Nova Scotia, noticed her school library did not have many books on female athletes, so she started her own book drive in hopes of changing that.
Almost 7,000 bars of pure gold were stolen from Pearson International Airport exactly one year ago during an elaborate heist, but so far only a tiny fraction of that stolen loot has been found.
When Les Robertson was walking home from the gym in North Vancouver's Lower Lonsdale neighbourhood three weeks ago, he did a double take. Standing near a burrow it had dug in a vacant lot near East 1st Street and St. Georges Avenue was a yellow-bellied marmot.
A moulting seal who was relocated after drawing daily crowds of onlookers in Greater Victoria has made a surprise return, after what officials described as an 'astonishing' six-day journey.
Just steps from Parliament Hill is a barber shop that for the last 100 years has catered to everyone from prime ministers to tourists.
A high score on a Foo Fighters pinball machine has Edmonton player Dave Formenti on a high.
A compound used to treat sour gas that's been linked to fertility issues in cattle has been found throughout groundwater in the Prairies, according to a new study.
While many people choose to keep their medical appointments private, four longtime friends decided to undergo vasectomies as a group in B.C.'s Lower Mainland.
A popular highway in Alberta's Banff National Park now has a 'no stopping zone' to help protect two bears.