The provincial government says the number of COVID cases circulating in the community has been holding fairly steady over time, that’s despite the emergence of a new, even more transmissible, variant.

The latest stats, updated this week, show 20 people in hospital due to the virus, three of whom are in critical care.

There are no COVID-related deaths being reported over the previous two-week period.

The XBB.1.5 variant, first detected in the US last fall, is now the dominant variant in circulation across the country. The variant is even better at evading the body’s immune response, but is not believed to make people any sicker than other Omicron subvariants. Public Health officials in this province say the new variant does not appear to be driving an increase in the overall incidence of COVID.

The province is continuing to monitor the incidence of COVID in the community through testing in health care settings, monitoring hospitalizations and deaths, and the monitoring of waste water.

Public Health says the best way to protect against infection is staying up-to-date on vaccinations, staying home when ill, masking in public and washing your hands frequently.