Infections caused by the BA.2 variant of the Omicron Covid-19 virus have been confirmed in the Northwest Territories, according to the Office of the Chief Public Health Officer (OCPHO).
On March 22, the OCPHO issued a statement confirming that the more infectious variant had been found in both Yellowknife and the Beaufort Delta region.
Although the BA.2 Omicron variant is more infectious than the BA.1 variant that caused cases to spike across the world this winter, no strong evidence exists that BA.2 produces more severe outcomes. However, “with this increased transmissibility, the NWT should expect either a slower decline in cases or an increase in the true number of Covid-19 infections in the coming weeks,” the OCPHO statement reads.
The OCPHO also cautioned that the variant is expected to crop up in other regions.
The variant has already made inroads into the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as of this week infections caused by the BA.2 variant accounted for 35 per cent of all new infections in the U.S.
Despite the arrival of the new variant, the OCPHO says the territory’s current timeline for easing restrictions will remain unchanged.
“On April 1, 2022, there will no longer be any active public health orders in the NWT,” the statement reads.
The OCPHO further said it will be up to communities to conduct their own risk assessments and act accordingly in the future.