Canada’s top public health officer believes it’s ”not unexpected” that we’ll see increased transmission as provinces and territories lift public health measures and cases around the world rise.

Dr. Theresa Tam also says the number of infections nationally have started levelling off after weeks of decline.

The daily average fell by 11% since last week, and the number receiving intensive care dropped by 14%.

The spread internationally is partly blamed on the BA.2 – the subvariant called ”stealth Omicron.”

Deputy Chief Public Health Dr. Howard Njoo says the spread’s highest in places where booster coverage is low and fewer people were infected with Omicron.

Tam says in this country BA.2 is spreading relatively slowly and does not appear to be more severe than other variants.