N.L. sees first case of new COVID-19 subvariant

Newfoundland and Labrador has confirmed its first case ofa new Omicron subvariant, which according to public health is the most transmissible strain of COVID-19 so far.

In a statement issued Thursday, a spokesperson for the Department of Healthsaid there is no indication the strain, dubbedXBB.1.5, causes more severe illness.

"We anticipate that the spread of XBB in Canada will likely follow what has been seen in other countries," said the statement.

The new variantis on the rise in the United States,where the U.S. Centerfor Disease Control says it will soon represent roughly 40 per cent of new cases, and cases have been confirmed in some Canadian provinces.

According to the most recent update issued on Wednesday, 35 people were admitted to hospital and four people died in the final two weeks of 2022. The province also reported145 confirmed COVID-19 cases from Dec. 18 to Dec. 31, although that number doesn't represent the truespread of the virus since public health has limited PCR testing.

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