Four Cases Of The New UK COVID-19 Variant Have Been Reported In Two Provinces

Four cases of the new UK COVID-19 variant have been found in Canada.

Ontario has identified three cases of the virus' variant, and B.C. has found one. Two of these cases belong to travellers from the United Kingdom who recently arrived in Canada.

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It is important to note there is no evidence that the new COVID-19 variant is more likely to cause severe illness. Dr. Bonnie Henry

After Ontario reported its first two cases on Saturday night, a third was found in Ottawa.

In a press release issued Sunday, Ontario's Associate Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Barbara Yaffe said the case belonged to an individual in Ottawa who had recently travelled from the United Kingdom.

And Dr. Yaffe said that the first two cases had in fact been in touch with travellers from the UK, which wasn't reported at first.

Shortly afterwards, British Columbia announced that an individual in the province's Island Health region had tested positive for the new strain of the virus.

The individual had returned to B.C. from the UK on flight AC855 on December 15 and tested positive after developing symptoms while in quarantine.

Both governments stressed that the strain was not more dangerous and that would still be effectively targeted by COVID-19 vaccines.

But they said residents should continue to follow public health guidelines and stay home as much as possible.

Canada is currently banning all incoming flights from the United Kingdom.