Good morning, Greater Sudbury! Here are a few stories to get you started on this Tuesday morning.
Eight new COVID-19 cases and one new death over the past few days
Public Health Sudbury & Districts reported eight new COVID-19 cases since Friday and recorded one new death this past weekend. On Saturday, seven new cases were reported, two were linked to an outbreak, while five occurred through close contact with another case. Of the people associated with the outbreak, two of the cases are male, while five are female. That same day, a new death was recorded, linked to the outbreak at Pioneer Manor. No new cases were reported on Sunday, while one new case was reported yesterday.
Bigger to send formal request to Premier Ford for OPP checkpoints on Highway 69
Greater Sudbury Mayor Brian Bigger said this week he is formally asking Premier Doug Ford to set up checkpoints on Highway 69 to discourage travel into and out of Northern Ontario. The mayor told Sudbury.com during an interview on Jan. 21 that it was time for the province to step up and do something to protect Northern Ontario. "Short of everyone in Greater Sudbury being vaccinated we need the province to step up and do their part," said Bigger during the Jan. 21 interview. "If it means checkpoints, they have the OPP. If there are other solutions and if they refer to our local police, then they need to change some legislation. Encouragement is not working and there are real impacts of people not following the province's suggestions." Former Sudbury mayor Jim Gordon has spoken publicly about the need for a Northern Ontario bubble that would prevent travellers from the southern part of the province from entering the north. On Feb. 9 during a meeting of city council, Bigger said he is taking the next step in the effort toward securing a bubble around Sudbury and Northern Ontario. Bigger tabled a motion that will see him send a letter to the premier, asking to establish awareness checkpoints along Highway 69 in order to discourage travel from Southern Ontario to the North.
Missing Sudbury woman passed away last night in hospital, police report
Greater Sudbury Police reported Feb. 14 that Stephanie Allan, who had been reported missing since Feb. 4, was pronounced dead in hospital after being transported to HSN for what police are saying was “medical distress.” Greater Sudbury paramedics responded to a call for service at 12:20 a.m. on Feb. 14 to a residence on McNeil Boulevard. Paramedics attempted live-saving measures while transporting Stephanie Allan, 29, to Health Sciences North, police reported. “Paramedics attempted life-saving measures while transporting the woman to the hospital where she was unfortunately pronounced deceased by medical professionals,” police said. “Our deepest condolences go out to Stephanie’s family and friends. We ask that you respect her family’s privacy during this difficult time.”
Ontario plans to expand vaccination as COVID cases stabilize in several provinces
Ontario unveiled plans to expand its COVID-19 vaccination rollout to more target groups on Sunday ahead of an expected boost in nationwide shipments of the Pfizer vaccine that could lend ammunition to the provinces' fights against the spread of contagious variants. The Ontario government reported Sunday that all long-term care residents across the province had been "given an opportunity" for a first dose of COVID-19 vaccine. The province's vaccine taskforce told regional public health officers in a memo that it is expanding its focus in the coming weeks, with staff and essential caregivers in long-term care homes, top priority health-care workers and Indigenous adults in remote and higher risk communities among those first in line for the vaccine. Delays in vaccine shipments forced the province to concentrate its inoculation efforts on long-term care residents in recent weeks, but the memo says the province expects those deliveries to increase again, allowing it to expand the scope of its vaccination drive. Vaccine deliveries are expected to ramp up across the country this week, with Pfizer-BioNTech slated to deliver its biggest shipment to date.
Don’t forget: Garbage collection is now every other week
Have you missed your new garbage day yet, since the City of Greater Sudbury moved to every-other-week garbage collection? You’re not alone. The city offered a few reminders this week to smooth the transition to every-other-week garbage pickup. Always ensure your garbage, recycling, and organics are collected by placing them at the curb by 7 a.m. Routes have changed and so have pick up times. Never miss another garbage day by input your address on the city’s Waste Wise website, download the Waste Wise app or contact 311. Some addresses may now have different collection days. Do not rely on a neighbour on a different street for information, as schedules may have changed. The Waste Wise app allows you to set up a collection day reminder. Residents can also contact 311 to sign up for phone call reminders. Residents are encouraged to visit greatersudbury.ca/everyotherweek for additional information, including helpful frequently asked questions.
Sudbury skiers will be able to hit the slopes at Adanac, Lively on Feb. 17
The provincial stay-at-home order is slated to be lifted for Greater Sudbury on Feb. 16, and those craving some outdoor activity will have at least one new outdoor option at their disposal. On Feb. 12, the city posted to its website that Adanac and Lively ski hills would be open as of Feb. 17 for a shortened season. Adanac will open at noon that day, while Lively will open at 6 p.m. The outlook for ski hills wasn’t good at council’s Jan. 26 meeting, when director of social services Tyler Campbell informed council that the city’s ski hills at Lively and Adanac had stopped making snow, and that ski hill staff had been redeployed elsewhere.
