Ontario has 'eliminated all our defences' against COVID subvariant: epidemiologist

An infectious disease expert says "there's no doubt" a sixth wave of COVID-19 is sweeping across Ontario, and it's being driven by the highly transmissible BA.2 subvariant at the same time restrictions have been lifted across the province. 

"We've opened the doors to a new variant," Colin Furness, an expert in infectious disease epidemiology from the University of Toronto, told CTV National News. "Then eliminated all of our defences."

Furness says politicians lifted COVID-19 restrictions at "a really inappropriate time" and with a "healthy dose of denial."

"That denial is going to crumble as cases rise," he warned.

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Furness urged residents to be "extremely careful" as the virus spreads throughout the community and advised that wearing a properly fitted N95 mask is "one thing that will keep you safe."

He also says governments need to update guidance to remind the public of the fact that "you don't want to get COVID."

"What feels like a really mild case can be doing massive internal damage to your body."

Watch the interview by clicking on the video at the top of this article.