‘It’s not the same as it was in 2020 and 2021’: Why Ontario shouldn’t fear the new COVID-19 variant – CTV
April 07, 2026
A new COVID-19 variant has made its way to Ontario but one infectious diseases expert says it will likely not trigger as many hospitalizations seen at the height of the pandemic.
The new variant, called BA.3.2., was first identified in South Africa on Nov. 22, 2024, before the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention’s traveller surveillance program detected it in the United States this past June.
The CDC detected BA.3.2. in at least 23 countries and Canada is among them. Between Jan. 18 and Feb. 14, Public Health Ontario identified 21 infections in the province from the new virus, according to its recent data published in April.
Speaking to CP24 Breakfast on Tuesday morning, infectious diseases expert Dr. Isaac Bogoch said Ontario is not likely to see another wave of hospitalizations like it did during the height of the pandemic.
He pointed to three factors for this: COVID-19 is a virus that circulates year-round, most people have been infected by the virus, and many people have now been vaccinated against COVID-19.
