New Omicron sub-variant ' Kraken' detected in Sudbury District
Sudbury's health unit says the new Omicron sub-variant, nicknamed the 'Kraken,' has been detected in the area.
The World Health Organization said this strain, also called XXB and XXB.1.5, is the most transmissible variant to date.
Public health officials said Kraken infections will make up over 20 per cent of all strains detected in Ontario this week.
The health unit is reminding everyone of the importance of continuing to practice personal protective measures to prevent COVID-19 transmission, including staying up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations and getting a bivalent booster when eligible.
“If it’s been more than six months since you completed your primary vaccination series, your last COVID-19 booster, or since your last infection, now is the time to get a bivalent booster dose,” said Dr. Imran Adrian Khan, a public health physician with Public Health Sudbury & Districts.
"Although children under five years of age are not currently eligible for a booster dose, it is strongly encouraged that they complete an initial vaccination series for protection against COVID-19," public health said.
It says a bivalent booster helps the immune system to remember how to recognize and fight COVID-19 and it provides greater protection against the Omicron strains of COVID-19 now circulating.
Other protective measures include:
- Wearing a well-fitted high-quality mask when feasible indoors or in crowded spaces.
- Use of outdoor spaces when weather permits.
- Covering your cough or sneeze by using your upper sleeve or a tissue.
- Washing your hands often or using hand sanitizer, especially after being in contact with others or being in a shared or public space.
- Avoiding touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands to prevent germs from entering your body.
- Cleaning and disinfecting high-touch surfaces.
- Staying home when sick.
- Staying away from people who are sick.
Vaccine appointments can be made online or by calling 705-522-9200.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Parents of infant who died in wrong-way crash on Ontario's Hwy. 401 were in same vehicle
Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit has released new details about a wrong-way collision in Whitby on Monday night that claimed the lives of four people.
Three Quebec men from same family father hundreds of children
Three men in Quebec from the same family have fathered more than 600 children.
'What have we done?' Lawyer describes shock at possible role in Trump's 2016 victory
A lawyer who negotiated a pair of hush money deals at the centre of Donald Trump's criminal trial recalled Thursday his "gallows humor" reaction to Trump's 2016 election victory and the realization that his hidden-hand efforts might have contributed to the win.
Conservative MP says Chinese hacking attack targeted his personal email
A Conservative MP is challenging claims by House of Commons administration that a China-backed hacking attempt did not impact any members of Parliament, because the attack was on his personal email.
B.C. mayor stripped of budget, barred from committees over Indigenous residential schools book
A British Columbia mayor has been censured by city council – stripping him of his travel and lobbying budgets and removing him from city committees – for allegedly distributing a book that questions the history of Indigenous residential schools in Canada.
Loblaw leaders call criticism 'misguided,' say they aren't to blame for high food prices
Loblaw chairman Galen Weston and the company's new CEO are pushing back against critics who blame the grocery giant for soaring food prices, as a month-long boycott of the retailer gets underway.
Orangutan observed treating wound using medicinal plant in world first
Scientists working in Indonesia have observed an orangutan intentionally treating a wound on their face with a medicinal plant, the first time this behavior has been documented.
'Giant-killer' Kazushi Kimura to race in Kentucky Derby this weekend: 'I'm representing Canada and Japan'
Six years ago, at age 18, Kazushi Kimura left his home and family behind in Hokkaido, Japan to chase a dream. This weekend, he'll ride in the Kentucky Derby.
President Joe Biden calls Japan and India 'xenophobic' nations that do not welcome immigrants
President Joe Biden has called Japan and India “xenophobic” countries that do not welcome immigrants, lumping the two with adversaries China and Russia as he tried to explain their economic circumstances and contrasted the four with the U.S. on immigration.