At least two experts told Reuters that while the strain can evade the immune system and transmit more easily than other currently circulating variants, it has not shown any signs of more severe disease.
While there might be more cases with the variant, JN.1 doesn't pose a greater risk, said Andrew Pekosz, a virologist at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
JN.1 was previously classified a variant of interest as part of its parent lineage BA.2.86, but WHO has now classified it as a separate variant of interest.
WHO said current vaccines will continue to protect against severe disease and death from JN.1 and other circulating variants of the COVID-19 virus.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said earlier this month the subvariant JN.1 makes up about an estimated 15% to 29% of cases in the United States as of Dec. 8, according to the agency's latest projections.
The CDC had said currently there was no evidence that JN.1 presents an increased risk to public health relative to other currently circulating variants and an updated shot could keep Americans protected against the variant.
JN.1 was first detected in the United States in September, according to the CDC.
Last week, China detected seven infections of the COVID subvariant.
(Reporting by Mrinmay Dey and Sriparna Roy in Bengaluru; Editing by Lisa Shumaker, Krishna Chandra Eluri, Shailesh Kuber and Shounak Dasgupta)
As we head into another respiratory illness season, here’s a look at where Ontario stands when it comes to COVID-19 and what you need to know.
In a Canadian lotto first, the national Lotto Max jackpot has reached an estimated $80 million prize.
Vehicles used to come with a "full-sized" spare tire, but about 30 years ago, auto manufacturers moved to a much lighter, smaller tire, sometimes called a "donut spare." But now, depending on the car you have, it may not have any spare at all.
A 26-year-old man has been charged with first-degree murder in connection to the death of his father on the Sunshine Coast last year.
Decades after soaring through Vancouver's skies, spending years in a storage container in Saskatoon, and finally being restored in Ontario, a plane built by hand by two teenagers at the height of the Great Depression will be unveiled to their family for the first time.
Mounties have captured a fugitive wanted for murder and on the run since early August, and it happened while they were working another case.
On Monday, Parliamentarians will return to the familiar stone walls of West Block in Ottawa to find the political landscape has shifted significantly.
Dick Cheney is a career Republican still vilified by Democrats for his bullish defense of the Iraq War as U.S. vice president. But his partisan loyalties were cast aside in extraordinary fashion last week when he endorsed Democrat Kamala Harris for the White House.
A born-and-raised Vancouver resident is among the film and television artists from the FX drama Shogun who swept the Creative Emmy Awards.
Mounties have captured a fugitive wanted for murder and on the run since early August, and it happened while they were working another case.
In a Canadian lotto first, the national Lotto Max jackpot has reached an estimated $80 million prize.
Decades after soaring through Vancouver's skies, spending years in a storage container in Saskatoon, and finally being restored in Ontario, a plane built by hand by two teenagers at the height of the Great Depression will be unveiled to their family for the first time.
Ottawa is recognizing Canada’s first female forensic pathologist as a person of national historic significance.
A 26-year-old man has been charged with first-degree murder in connection to the death of his father on the Sunshine Coast last year.
Longtime Progressive Conservative MPP Lisa MacLeod has announced she will not be seeking re-election in the next provincial election, bringing an end to a lengthy time at Queen's Park.
Gisele Pelicot, the woman who was allegedly drugged by her now ex-husband over the course of a decade so that she could be raped by dozens of men while unconscious, is becoming a symbol of France's fight against sexual violence.
Starting next year, China will raise its retirement age for workers, which is now among the youngest in the world's major economies, in an effort to address its shrinking population and aging work force.
A man who worked as a U.S. State Department diplomatic security officer pleaded guilty on Friday to joining a mob's attack on the U.S. Capitol over three years ago, court records show.
Dick Cheney is a career Republican still vilified by Democrats for his bullish defense of the Iraq War as U.S. vice president. But his partisan loyalties were cast aside in extraordinary fashion last week when he endorsed Democrat Kamala Harris for the White House.
On the streets of Iranian cities, it's becoming more common to see a woman passing by without a mandatory headscarf, or hijab, as the second anniversary of the death of Mahsa Amini and the mass protests it sparked approaches.
Four ISIS leaders were killed as part of a U.S.-Iraqi raid in Western Iraq on Aug. 29 that killed 14 operatives, the U.S. military said on Friday.
On Monday, Parliamentarians will return to the familiar stone walls of West Block in Ottawa to find the political landscape has shifted significantly.
Byelections rarely draw the kind of attention that has now put a spotlight on a vibrant and densely populated Montreal riding. The Monday vote in Lasalle-Ville Emard-Verdun, in the city’s southwest, is shaping up as a three-way race and a test of the strength of the Liberal party’s base.
The NDP is caving to political pressure from Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre when it comes to its stance on the consumer carbon price, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Friday.
As we head into another respiratory illness season, here’s a look at where Ontario stands when it comes to COVID-19 and what you need to know.
The experience of 23-year-old Muskoka, Ont., resident Robyn Penniall, who recently had a stroke, comes as concerns are being raised about the future of health care in her community.
In a move to safeguard public heath, Health Canada has officially banned the use of brominated vegetable oil (BVO) as a food additive. Here's what you need to know.
Stuck-in-space astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams said Friday they appreciated all the prayers and well wishes from strangers back home.
Group of 20 leaders agreed Friday to join efforts to fight disinformation and set up an agenda on artificial intelligence as their governments struggle against the speed, scale and reach of misinformation and hate speech.
The world still holds many unanswered questions. But thanks to the efforts of the research teams awarded the IG Nobel Prize on Thursday, some of these questions – which you might not even have thought existed – now have answers.
A born-and-raised Vancouver resident is among the film and television artists from the FX drama Shogun who swept the Creative Emmy Awards.
When Barbara Adhiya first learned that Terry Fox had run the length of a marathon a day during his journey across Canada, she was shocked.
A controversial documentary that had its screenings cancelled at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) will now play at the Windsor International Film Festival (WIFF).
With the current North American free trade agreement up for review in 2026, the next U.S. president will have the power to press for changes or preserve the status quo.
Labour talks between Air Canada and its pilots are approaching a midnight deadline, when either side could trigger the start of a shutdown for Canada's largest airline.
Personal finance contributor Christopher Liew provides practical tips for parents who want to give their children skills to develop intelligent money habits early on in their lives.
A Facebook post has sparked a debate in Gimli about whether to make a cosmetic change to its iconic statue.
Two sisters have finally been reunited with a plane their father built 90 years ago, that is also considered an important part of Canadian aviation history.
Years afterward, Iga Olszak often thought about the moment she first spotted Vlad Dimovski, on the sandy shores of Skotina, in Greece.
Stephen Peat, the former Washington Capitals enforcer who fought concussion issues and was homeless at times after leaving hockey, has died from injuries sustained late last month when he was struck by a car while crossing a street. He was 44.
The driver charged with killing NHL hockey player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew as they bicycled on a rural road had a blood-alcohol level of .087, above the .08 legal limit in New Jersey, a prosecutor said Friday.
Major League Baseball teams will have advertising on their helmets during the postseason.
Vehicles used to come with a "full-sized" spare tire, but about 30 years ago, auto manufacturers moved to a much lighter, smaller tire, sometimes called a "donut spare." But now, depending on the car you have, it may not have any spare at all.
Hyundai and General Motors have agreed to look for ways to work together on developing new vehicles, supply chains and technologies in an effort to cut costs and move more quickly.
Halton Regional Police say they have disrupted a group believed to be responsible for the theft of at least 40 vehicles in Halton Region and the Greater Toronto Area worth over $3 million.
Two sisters have finally been reunited with a plane their father built 90 years ago, that is also considered an important part of Canadian aviation history.
A Facebook post has sparked a debate in Gimli about whether to make a cosmetic change to its iconic statue.
A Pokémon card shop in Richmond is coming off a record-setting month, highlighted by a customer opening a pack to discover one of the most sought-after cards in the world.
Abandoned homes line the streets of Lauder, a town that's now a ghost of what it once was. Yet inside, a small community is thriving.
Perhaps Saskatchewan's most famous encounter with Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon (UAP/UFO) – "The Langenburg Event" is now being immortalized in the form of a collector's coin.
It's been 420 days since 22-year-old Abbey Bickell was killed in a car crash in Burnaby, a stretch full of heartbreak for her family as they not only grieved her death, but anxiously waited for progress in the police investigation. Wednesday, they finally got some good news.
A Simcoe, Ont. woman has been charged with assault with a weapon after spraying her neighbour with a water gun.
The dream of a life on water has drowned in a sea of sadness for a group of Chatham-Kent, Ont. residents who paid a Wallaceburg-based company for a floating home they never received.
In 2022, Tanya Frisk-Welburn and her husband bought what they hoped would be a dream home in Mexico.
A Coquitlam ice arena had to be evacuated Tuesday due to elevated levels of carbon monoxide.
A born-and-raised Vancouver resident is among the film and television artists from the FX drama Shogun who swept the Creative Emmy Awards.
A corrections officer at B.C.'s only maximum security federal prison was taken to hospital after an assault earlier this month.
As we head into another respiratory illness season, here’s a look at where Ontario stands when it comes to COVID-19 and what you need to know.
In a Canadian lotto first, the national Lotto Max jackpot has reached an estimated $80 million prize.
Decades after soaring through Vancouver's skies, spending years in a storage container in Saskatoon, and finally being restored in Ontario, a plane built by hand by two teenagers at the height of the Great Depression will be unveiled to their family for the first time.
Mounties have captured a fugitive wanted for murder and on the run since early August, and it happened while they were working another case.
Premier Danielle Smith says Alberta is not open to having additional asylum seekers settled in the province.
Israeli airstrikes hit central and southern Gaza overnight into Saturday, killing at least 14 people as friends and family members of a Turkish-American activist killed by an Israeli soldier honored her in a funeral.
On this fifth anniversary of LRT, CTVNewsOttawa.ca compares the system we were promised to the system we have.
Longtime Progressive Conservative MPP Lisa MacLeod has announced she will not be seeking re-election in the next provincial election, bringing an end to a lengthy time at Queen's Park.
Members of Ottawa's Somali community came together Thursday to denounce the Ottawa police use of wiretaps and video surveillance on five of its own Black officers of Somali decent and their family members.
The leaders of the four major Canadian political parties - Justin Trudeau, Yves-Francois Blanchet, Jagmeet Singh and Pierre Poiliever - made their pitches for why voters should choose their parties in the upcoming Montreal byelection in LaSalle-Emard-Verdun.
A 25-year-old Montreal man is looking for a living kidney donor and has made a public appeal on social media. Until he finds one, Julian Zadrozny must undergo 10 hours of dialysis a day.
A man from Montreal is dead following a late night stabbing in Ottawa's ByWard Market.
Mounties have captured a fugitive wanted for murder and on the run since early August, and it happened while they were working another case.
It isn't hints of eggnog and peppermint thrilling our senses at Edmonton cafes and stores, at least not yet: Pumpkin spice is back again for another season.
On the streets of Iranian cities, it's becoming more common to see a woman passing by without a mandatory headscarf, or hijab, as the second anniversary of the death of Mahsa Amini and the mass protests it sparked approaches.
Police in Nova Scotia now believe a woman reported missing earlier this month is dead, and a man has been charged in her disappearance.
Many orchards in the Maritimes are getting ready for apple picking season
Halifax Regional Municipality is focusing on voter accessibility ahead of the October election.
The Kinsmen Club of Winnipeg held its first meeting on Feb. 20, 1924. The club is marking its 100th anniversary this month.
For decades, the Town of Ste. Anne was stagnant, but that all changed about 10 years ago. Now it is seeing one of the highest spikes of growth in the province.
One person has died and three people were injured following a crash involving a vehicle and a pedestrian at a Portage Avenue intersection Friday morning.
Two people are facing charges after officers seized items valued about $900,000 following a drug trafficking investigation on Thursday.
The provincial government says it will be investing more than $25 million into 13 industry driven emissions reducing projects through a special fund.
A Regina based artist is using his platform to fundraise for the family of a young boy with a genetic disease.
Two sisters have finally been reunited with a plane their father built 90 years ago, that is also considered an important part of Canadian aviation history.
The streets of Port Dover roared to life on Friday for a tradition that has been going on for decades.
The hot summer weather has created the perfect conditions for blue-green algae in local lakes and reservoirs.
Data from the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA), obtained by the provincial NDP through a freedom of information request, shows that between August 2019 and May 2024, there were more than 200,000 hours of healthcare blackouts at 58 hospitals and health centres, not including Saskatoon and Regina.
After years of delays and planning, a new oriented strand board (OSB) mill is coming to Prince Albert.
The new Aquatic and Arenas Recreation Centre continues to take shape, and the City of Prince Albert is excited to show off the progress to residents.
CTV News Northern Ontario provides and update on the story of more than 1.5 million bees be lost earlier this summer.
On Monday, Parliamentarians will return to the familiar stone walls of West Block in Ottawa to find the political landscape has shifted significantly.
A northern Ontario teen has been charged with several weapon offences after police responded to a report of a prohibited weapon at a Kapuskasing residence.
The rally on Wellington Street, near London City Hall, was in support of strike CUPE local 2361 members, who are now entering their third week on the picket line.
As we head into another respiratory illness season, here’s a look at where Ontario stands when it comes to COVID-19 and what you need to know.
More than five years after city council refused to fund a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) route between Downtown London, Western University, and Masonville Place mall, a new concept is being discussed openly at city hall.
Pickleball fever is taking over the City of Barrie, with its first state-of-the-art indoor pickleball facility in the former Sears site at Georgian Mall.
The jury was shown an exhibit video for the first time on Friday that took them inside Katherine Janeiro's Barrie apartment in the hours that followed her violent death 30 years ago.
Conservation officers are urging hunters to follow the rules after a Muskoka man was fined for illegally possessing bear parts.
Windsor International Airport is serviced by Air Canada Jazz, and officials have confirmed that in the event of a pilot strike, that carrier can continue to operate.
A collision at Howard Street and Tecumseh at around 2:00 p.m. on Friday afternoon kept emergency crews busy.
Vehicles used to come with a "full-sized" spare tire, but about 30 years ago, auto manufacturers moved to a much lighter, smaller tire, sometimes called a "donut spare." But now, depending on the car you have, it may not have any spare at all.
“There has to be love in your life and forgiveness,” Hilda smiles. “I think the only way out of the mess in the world is to start loving each other.”
A Canadian warship has seized more than 1,400 kilograms of cocaine during an anti-drug-trafficking operation in Central America.
Mounties have launched a suspicious death investigation after a man was found dead Thursday in Nanaimo, B.C.
More than a year after a missing Kamloops, B.C., woman’s body was found, her son has been arrested and charged with her murder, Mounties announced Friday.
A woman suffered life-threatening injuries after being stabbed during a home invasion in Kelowna, according to authorities.
A 12-year-old collie was killed by three pit bulls in the B.C. Interior Sunday morning, according to authorities.
Lethbridge police say a 28-year-old man is facing charges of attempted murder following a frightening attack on a woman inside her home this week.
A police operation in near Vauxhall, Alta. has ended.
A man is in police custody with charges pending in relation to a break-in and violent assault of a woman earlier this week.
A 36-year-old woman is facing assault charges after some unruly behaviour towards staff at Sault Ste. Marie building.
A 30-year-old suspect is being held in custody on criminal charges in Sault Ste. Marie after an argument escalated Thursday afternoon.
One person remains in custody and officials are searching for an aggressive dog that was subdued with a stun gun, Sault police said Thursday evening.
Newfoundland and Labrador's chief medical officer is monitoring the rise of whooping cough infections across the province as cases of the highly contagious disease continue to grow across Canada.
A 16-year-old biennial event aimed at fostering business in the country's eastern Arctic and northern regions has been cancelled indefinitely as a dispute unfolds between Inuit in Canada and a Labrador group claiming to share their heritage.
Jim Lester’s farm hopped on the cow-cuddling trend in early August, and his time slots have been pretty well sold out ever since.
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