ONTARIO LIKELY IN NEW COVID-19 WAVE DRIVEN BY BA.5 SUBVARIANT, SCIENCE TABLE SAYS

Ontario’s expert pandemic advisory group says the province appears to have entered another wave of infections driven by the BA.5 Omicron subvariant.

The Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table says wastewater signals, test positivity and hospitalizations from the virus are rising, and the virus is showing exponential growth in regions across the province.

Dr. Fahad Razak, scientific director of the group, says the highly infectious BA.5 variant also appears to be more immune evasive, meaning recently infected people can catch the virus again soon after.

Evidence so far doesn’t suggest that BA.5 causes more severe illness, but Dr. Razak says the number of people infected can lead to further strain on the health system.

He says people should take precautions like masking in crowded spaces and getting vaccinated if eligible.