BREAKING BMO online service outages reported by customers
Dozens of Bank of Montreal customers said they faced website outages early Wednesday morning, according to reports.
We're in the middle of flu season, and a new variant of COVID-19 is making its way through Canada.
The XEC strain, a hybrid of Omicron subvariants KS.1.1 and KP.3.3, was first detected in Canada in mid-August and the number of COVID-19 cases with the XEC variant has rapidly increased.
According to the , the proportion of positive cases with the XEC variant as of Oct. 13 was 18.9 per cent, up from just 3.1 per cent of cases on Sept. 1. The strain with the most cases is the Omicron KP.3.1.1 variant, which accounts for 48.4 per cent of all COVID-19 cases.
Isaac Bogoch, an infectious diseases specialist at Toronto General Hospital, says a virus mutating into different variants is normal.
"We've seen multiple variants through the last almost five years," Bogoch said. "It just means the virus is changing as expected. I think if people are wondering what does this actually mean, it's always difficult to predict the future. But this upcoming winter is likely going to look very similar to last winter from a COVID-19 standpoint."
Health Canada approved Pfizer-BioNTech's updated COVID-19 vaccine in September, which is now available for use across the country.
However, it was developed before the XEC variant hit the general public.
Bogoch says the latest vaccine was designed for a sublineage of Omicron called KP.2, which began circulating several months ago. While it may not be a perfect match to combat the XEC strain, he says each new updated vaccine more closely resembles the circulating mutations of the COVID-19 virus.
"It's always going to be an arms race of the virus mutating and creating a vaccine that's adapted to it," Bogoch said, adding that it's very similar to the influenza vaccine that's updated each year. "You're never going to get it perfect."
Bogoch says since the pandemic, regardless of the vaccine and the active COVID-19 strain that is circulating, "all of the vaccines have done a remarkable job in reducing the risk of severe infection, such as hospitalization and death," especially for those who are most vulnerable.
"It doesn't have to be a perfect match, but we know the vaccines are still pretty darn good."
Bogoch says while we're beyond the era of mask mandates, people can choose to wear one in an indoor setting to reduce their risk of getting sick and that, if possible, people should stay home when sick to prevent others from also getting ill.
Dozens of Bank of Montreal customers said they faced website outages early Wednesday morning, according to reports.
In part two of a four-part investigation into the seedy underbelly of the lucrative clothing donation bin industry, CTV W5 uses trackers tp reveal a for-profit operation masquerading as a charity.
The XEC strain, a hybrid of Omicron subvariants KS.1.1 and KP.3.3, was first detected in Canada in mid-August and the number of COVID-19 cases with the XEC variant has rapidly increased.
Gisele Pelicot, the 72-year-old victim of mass rape whose ordeal has shocked the world, told a trial in southern France on Wednesday that she was determined that making her case public should help other women and change society.
Police have confirmed the body of an employee who died at a Walmart in Halifax over the weekend was found in a walk-in oven.
A father and his two children who suffered severe burns in a Springfield, Ont. house fire have undergone surgery.
The Bank of Canada is set to make its latest interest rate decision this morning.
The U.S. government fined American Airlines $50 million for failing to provide wheelchair assistance to passengers with disabilities and damaging thousands of wheelchairs over a five-year period.
Residents of Ottawa's Rideauview neighbourhood say an aggressive wild turkey has become a problem.
A man who lost his life while trying to rescue people from floodwaters, and a 13-year-old boy who saved his family from a dog attack, are among the Nova Scotians who received a medal for bravery Tuesday.
A newly minted Winnipegger is hoping a world record attempt will help bring awareness for the need for more pump track facilities in the city.
A Springfield, Ont. man is being hailed a 'hero' after running into his burning home to save his two infant children.
Hortense Anglin was the oldest graduate to make her way across the platform at York University's Fall Convocation ceremony this week. At the age of 87, she graduated with an Honours degree in Religious Studies.
Looking for a scare with good intentions this Halloween season? The ghosts and ghouls of Eganville, Ont. invite families to tour the Haunted Walk at Lekbor Manor.
The image of a sleepy Saskatchewan small town with 'not a lot going on' is a well-known anecdote. However, one Saskatchewan company is hoping to change that 鈥 and allow communities both on and off the beaten path to share their stories and advertise what they have to offer.
A Moncton, N.B., home has been donated to the Friends of The Moncton Hospital Foundation and will be transformed into a resource hub for people living with cancer.
A Nova Scotia man crossing Canada on foot is passing through southwestern Ontario. Trevor Redmond is perhaps better known as the 鈥楩ellow in Yellow.鈥