The Department of Health and Community Services confirms that the BA.2 sublineage of the Omicron variant has been identified in Newfoundland and Labrador.

The department says a random sample of all PCR tests done in the province is screened weekly by the lab to determine if they are BA.1 or BA.2.

BA.2 now accounts for approximately 35 to 40 percent of all samples screened in the province. BA.2 has also been detected in wastewater samples as well.

The department says while BA.2 is more easily transmissible than the original Omicron variant, it does not appear to cause more severe illness.