Mr. Chair and honourable members, thank you for this opportunity to speak to you about COVID-19 variants and the actions the Public Health Agency of Canada is taking to protect Canadians during this pandemic.
I would like to start with a bit of background information on variants. All viruses mutate over time. It's only natural that the virus that causes COVID-19 will also mutate. By mutate, I mean change the genetic material in the virus. While all viruses mutate, not all mutations are of concern. A variant of concern is a mutation that has the potential to have an impact on the characteristics of the virus. A variant is of concern when it affects the disease spread, the severity of the disease, the vaccines and treatments or the tests used to detect the virus.
We are working with international partners, including the World Health Organization, to build our knowledge base and better understand the COVID-19 variants and their potential impacts. In recent months, several COVID-19 variants of concern have emerged internationally. As of yesterday, we are aware of three variants of concern in Canada: those first identified in the United Kingdom, South Africa and Brazil.
The situation with variants of concern in Canada continues to evolve rapidly. As of February 16, across provinces, a total of 637 cases associated with variants of concern have been reported publicly. To date, there have not been any variants of concern identified in any of the territories.
The majority of the cases in the provinces have been of the B.1.1.7 variant first identified in the United Kingdom. The majority of cases related to this variant are linked to travel. However, there is evidence of community spread as there have been cases without any direct or indirect link to international travel or to travellers.
Five provinces—British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, and Nova Scotia—have confirmed the B.1.351 variant first identified in South Africa. So far, the P.1 variant first identified in Brazil has been confirmed only in Ontario.
Between mid-January and mid-February 2021, there have been 21 outbreaks of COVID-19 in Canada associated with a variant of concern. These have occurred in a variety of settings, including long-term care facilities, workplaces, health care settings, child care centres, schools, residential apartments and social gatherings.
Ontario has reported the majority of these outbreaks, with a total of 13. Quebec has reported four; Alberta, two; and, Manitoba and Newfoundland and Labrador, one each. The variants of concern continue to spread in Canada, and it's likely they will become more widespread over time.
We are continuing to track emerging variants both in Canada and internationally. As our understanding of these variants increases, we will update our guidance on case and contact management and community-based measures. Evidence from other countries shows that COVID-19 activity can be brought under control even when variants of concern are widespread.
Strict public health measures, along with strong border controls and strict adherence to personal protective practices, can slow the spread and impact of variants of concern. Slowing the spread will buy us the time we need to get Canadians vaccinated.
Vaccine manufacturers are investigating the impacts of the known variants of concern on their vaccines. There are reports that certain types of vaccines may be less effective against the variants of concern first identified in South Africa and in Brazil. However, given the limited data on the new variants of concern, more research is needed to confirm these early findings.
As new variants are identified, it's more important than ever that we continue to follow recommended public health measures.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, public education and communications have played a critical role in the Government of Canada’s response to COVID-19. We work closely with the provinces and territories, public health partners, multicultural and indigenous organizations and other stakeholders to make sure that information is accessible to all Canadians and that up-to-date information and public health guidance are available through a wide variety of channels.
I would now like to turn to my colleague Dr. Guillaume Poliquin. He will talk to you about sequencing, surveillance and vaccines.