Happy New Year, Greater Sudbury! Here are a few stories to kick off 2022!
Here's a breakdown of Ontario's current COVID-19 response
From heading back to school, testing to isolation changes — there have been a lot of changes to the COVID-19 guidance in Ontario. The highly contagious Omicron variant has led to record-high daily case counts in the province. With the province's testing capacity overwhelmed, Ontario chief medical officer of health Dr. Kieran Moore announced changes to who can get tested this week. The new approach, he said, is to focus on testing and case and contact management at high-risk settings.
For the full breakdown click here.
With testing restricted, employers told to be 'trusting' of workers who report COVID symptoms
Ontario's decision to limit the number of COVID-19 PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests to only those most at risk of being infected could change the dynamics for Ontario workers who suspect they have been exposed but cannot get a test to confirm their status. While the Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) has a quick turnaround time, it is not considered 100-per-cent accurate. Dr. Kieran Moore, Ontario's chief medical officer of health, said Thursday that the rapidly spreading Omicron variant has resulted in a shortage of resources for PCR testing. Ontario's COVID-19 Science Table has described the RAT testing as useful and helpful in screening, but most employers have been requesting the PCR test for employees suspected of having COVID. The new testing protocol has raised the question of how employers will react for workers who need testing to allow them to safely return to work, or for workers who cannot get a test to conclusively prove they have COVID and need to take time off work to isolate. Moore told the news conference that employers will have to be understanding. While he does not have the legislative power to change employment law, Moore said employers will be advised to be forgiving.
Lake Wahnapitae Home and Campers Association advocates for retaining Skead lake access
Public debate regarding an unofficial Lake Wanapitei boat launch in Skead heated up even more, with the Lake Wahnapitae Home and Campers Association weighing into the controversy. “We would just like them to remove all the boulders at the Poupore Road West landing, period,” president Chuck Jackobs told Sudbury.com, adding that the negatives ascribed by opponents to the longstanding boat launch area have been overstated. Located at the end of Poupore Road West, the unofficial boat launch became a controversial topic last month when the city installed several large boulders to block lake access. A handful of area residents had petitioned the city to block lake access in response to various nuisance complaints related to people launching their boats and ice fishing huts from the site. The decision by city staff to install the barriers resulted in an immediate pushback from lake users, many of whom require the launch to get their ice fishing huts onto the lake. In response, Mayor Brian Bigger ordered staff to remove a few of the boulders to accommodate winter users and plans on requesting the city to undertake public consultation to come up with a permanent solution that accounts for all user groups. The topic is expected to come up during the Jan. 11 city council meeting, when a pro-lake access petition is slated to be presented.
Opposition parties slam Ford government over approach to school reopening
Ontario’s opposition parties have slammed the Ford government for not implementing more public health measures in schools, arguing the failure to take bolder action has made it uncertain whether classrooms will be safe for the scheduled return of students on Monday. A surge of COVID-19 cases, fueled by the Omicron variant, has led other provinces including Quebec, B.C., and Nova Scotia to push back the resumption of classes after the holidays by up to a week. Ontario is expected to announce whether it will follow suit on Thursday. In a press conference Wednesday, Ontario Liberal leader Steven Del Duca said making that announcement just days before school is set to resume had created unnecessary anxiety among students, caregivers, and education workers. “It’s a real tough consideration” whether to send his own daughters back on Monday given that case counts have more than doubled over the past week, Del Duca said.
An incohesive city council, family priorities push Jakubo not to seek re-election in 2022
The next municipal election is still several months away, but Ward 7 Coun. Mike Jakubo wants people to know early that he’s not seeking re-election. He also has some critical words for the current incarnation of city council he has been working with, citing their conduct as a mitigating factor in his departure. By announcing his intentions early, Jakubo said he hopes to see more candidates express an interest in running for Ward 7 in the Oct. 24 municipal election. “I needed to make sure to have this announcement be made now, not let it get blurred as the months move forward and we get closer to the nomination period,” he said. His main reason, he told Sudbury.com, for not seeking re-election relates to family, which he said has also been central in informing every decision to run for council thus far, including the 2014 and 2018 elections. But another reason not to seek re-election has to do with what he said is the increasingly unprofessional nature of city council. “Our new council started out on a reasonable track, but increasingly has been drawn into personal attacks and outbursts at meetings, attacks in the media and it has slowed the decision-making process most of the time,” he said, adding that it’s a “minor miracle” they got through this year’s budget deliberations in five meetings.
Read the full story on the Sudbury.com homepage.
Sudbury Five adds 6-9 worth of height in Zena Edosomwan
Zena Edosomwan has committed to the Sudbury Five for the 2022 season. Edosomwan, 28, is 6-9 and comes from Los Angeles, California. “I’m happy to bring in another quality player and person to the Five,” said Sudbury Five head coach and general manager Elliott Etherington. “It seems like we’re slowly becoming a hotbed for Ivy League talent, and I’m excited to see Zena out on the court. He will bring athleticism and tenacity in the front court and should really help bolster our defence. “He’s a great rebounder and the fans are going to appreciate his level of work ethic. Zena is another great individual that will fit well in our locker room and only help to build up our culture. Our team is rounding into form and I’m excited to get training camp up and going in January.”
Read the full story on the Sudbury.com homepage.
Not a bad weekend weather-wise to start 2022
Expect a few flurries for your New Years weekend, folks. Today will be mainly cloudy with a 30-per-cent chance of flurries in the morning. The skies will clear somewhat in the afternoon, with wind out of the north at 20 km/h, but gusting to 40. It should lighten as the afternoon winds on. While the high is -10, expect the temperature to fall to -15 in the afternoon which, coupled with the wind, means a wind chill near -21. Tonight, expect increasing cloudiness with a low of -19. For Sunday, expect mostly sunny skies with a daytime high of -15. Clear skies are expected Sunday night with a low of -19.
