Canadian respiratory virus surveillance report: COVID-19

Update schedule: This page was last updated on September 27th, 2024, 10am ET, with data up to and including ... (surveillance week ...).

COVID-19 highlights  for the week ending (week )

COVID-19 activity levels

Figure 1: Map of COVID-19 activity levels and trends by province and territory in Canada, week (week ending )

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Figure 1: Data notes

The COVID-19 activity map reflects only a single FluWatch+ indicator and is based on specific definitions. Provincial and territorial partners may choose to apply these definitions where appropriate. This map is not reflective of who is and is not reporting surveillance indicators contained in the report.

For more information on the definitions, provincial and territorial coverage of each surveillance indicator or links to Provincial and territorial reports, please consult the About this report tab.

Laboratory-confirmed detections

Figure 2: Number of reported COVID-19 detections and percentage of tests positive in Canada by report week

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Figure 3: Percentage of tests positive for COVID-19 in Canada for surveillance period 2025-2026 compared to previous periods

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Figure 4: Number of COVID-19 detections in Canada by age group and report week, 2025-2026 surveillance period

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Figure 5: Proportion of reported COVID-19 detections in Canada by age group, 2025-2026 surveillance period

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COVID-19 variants

A percentage of all positive COVID-19 PCR test results in Canada undergo whole genome sequencing. This graphic below shows the percentage mixture of variant lineages detected in Canada through whole genome sequencing over the last 16 weeks.

The first 6 bi-weeks of the figure reflect the actual data from the National Genomic Database. The last 2 bi-weeks reflect the nowcasted estimates.

Figure 6: COVID-19 variants in Canada, breakdown by two week periods Updated: May 28, 2024, 9 am ET download COVID-19 weekly variant breakdown data in .csv format

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Weekly variant breakdown

Percentage of COVID-19 cases identified through whole genome sequencing, presented by variant and by 2-week periods of sample collection. The date represents the start of the bi-week, n is the total number of sequences collected that bi-week.

Table 1. Percentage of COVID-19 cases identified through whole genome sequencing, presented by variant and by 2-week periods of sample collection.

Variant grouping	Variant

* Includes all descendant lineages, unless otherwise designated.

† The growth rate of this lineage is likely to decrease once more data accumulates.

Contributing laboratories

• Provincial laboratories from the Canadian Public Health Laboratory Network (CPHLN)
• National Microbiology Laboratory (NML) - supplemental sequencing for all provinces and territories

Figure 6: Data guide

You can see the numbers for each date by hovering over, tabbing to, or long-pressing any of the bars. To see a specific variant or variant grouping, click or press return. Repeat to restore the complete graph. Click on the name of the variant in the legend to reveal or hide any descendants or offshoots. The date for each bar represents the start of the bi-week, thus for the nowcasting periods the proportion estimates are for up to 2 weeks after this date.

Figure 6: Data notes

• It takes time to collect, sequence and process viral genomes, so there is often a period of 2 to 3 weeks where data are still being processed. We use a nowcasting model to estimate the current variant proportions for this period.
• When a new lineage first emerges, its detection levels will be too low to include it in the nowcasting model. Once it is included, data will still be limited at first and its growth and overall proportion will be estimated with lower confidence. As data rolls in, the accuracy and precision of the predictions improve and the predictive interval shrinks. During periods of slow data collection, the overall proportions may be skewed and the predictions may be less accurate. Under such conditions, interpret the model projections with caution.
• The numerical values for each lineage are shown in the legend, along with predictive intervals. Predictive intervals are ranges (for example, 16-19%) that indicate the confidence of each estimate. The narrower the range, the more confident we are that the prediction is accurate.

Antigenic characterization

Changes in circulating SARS-CoV-2 viruses are monitored by antigenic characterization. In order to assess vaccine strain relatedness, the Nationl Microbiology Labortory Branch (NMLB) antigenically characterized circulating strains using ferret-derived antisera raised against the current vaccine strain, LP.8.1.

Table 1: Lineages with low antigenic reactivity against KP.2 antisera

Note: XFG* lineages represent the majority of specimens submitted to the NMLB. Compared to the LP.8.1 vaccine strain, viruses of XFG* lineages contain 9 amino acid mutations in the spike protein and may play a roll in the reduced reactivity observed.

Antiviral susceptibility

The National Microbiology Laboratory Branch (NMLB) also assesses the antiviral susceptibility of SARS-CoV-2 viruses received from Canadian laboratories.

Outbreaks

Figure 7: Number of new test-confirmed outbreaks associated with COVID-19 in Canada by setting and report week

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Severe outcomes

Provincial and territorial hospitalizations

Among reporting provinces and territories, some do not provide data on all severe outcomes (hospitalizations, ICU admissions, and deaths) and some do not provide age data. For additional information about the current reporting situation, please refer to the data sources and coverage section in the About this report tab.

Figure 8: Number and crude rate of COVID-19-associated hospitalizations in Canada (from participating provinces and territories) by report week, 2025-2026 surveillance period

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Figure 9: of COVID-19-associated hospitalizations by age-group and surveillance week, Canada, participating provinces and territories

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Sentinel hospitalizations (pediatrics)

Pediatric (less than 18 years of age) COVID-19, influenza, and RSV-associated severe outcomes data are reported by the Surveillance Program for Rapid Identification and Tracking of Infectious Diseases in kids (SPRINT-KIDS).

Figure 10: Number of pediatric laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 hospitalizations, by report week, reported by SPRINT-KIDS, 2025-2026 surveillance period

• *: Preliminary data are shaded in grey.

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Figure 11: Proportion of pediatric laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 hospitalizations by age group, reported by SPRINT-KIDS, 2025-2026 surveillance period

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