Good morning, Greater Sudbury! Here are a few stories to start your day on this Friday morning.
Top doc confirms kids return to in-person learning Jan. 5
Ontario's chief medical officer of health confirmed all elementary and secondary students will be returning to in-person learning on Jan. 5. Dr. Kieran Moore delivered a virtual update on Dec. 30, and said the two-day delay in return to school will allow time for schools to prepare for public health measures that were announced today. The measures include providing non-fit-tested N95 masks for staff in schools and licensed child care settings as an optional alternative to medical/surgical masks. Supply of high-quality three-ply masks is also strongly encouraged and free for children and students returning in January. Testing changes made today will allow a rapid test positive result to stand without a PCR confirmation, so any staff or children who test positive with a rapid test would be assumed to have COVID-19 and must follow isolation requirements. Only low-contact indoor sports and "safe" extra-curricular activities will be permitted in January.
Ontario changing who can access publicly funded COVID testing
With a high number of cases being reported with the Omicron variant, Ontario is taking a different approach to testing. It means the general public with mild symptoms should not seek testing. Chief medical officer of health Dr. Kieran Moore announced a number of changes today, including who can get tested, return to school, isolation requirements and contact tracing. Starting Dec. 31, publicly funded PCR testing is only available for vulnerable individuals, said Moore. This includes people with significant medical issues who are symptomatic or at risk of severe disease from COVID-19, including for the purposes of confirming COVID diagnosis prior to beginning treatments. It also applies to workers, residents and others in highest risk settings such as hospitals, long-term care and retirement homes and congregate living settings. "Members of the general public with mild symptoms are asked not to seek testing," reads the announcement.
Public Health: Unprecedented case counts ‘just the tip of the iceberg’
Even though Wednesday's "unprecedented" COVID-19 case count for the Sudbury Health Unit was likely the highest single-day case count in the past year, Public Health Sudbury and Districts said the numbers "are just the tip of the iceberg". That was part of a message posted to Twitter by PHSD Wednesday evening. PHSD provided a day-by-day breakdown on case counts over the Christmas break, showing that the Omicron variant of the coronavirus is spreading locally. "Today and in recent days, Public Health Sudbury & Districts has experienced an unprecedented increase in cases. Today, we reported 169 new cases of COVID-19, and a total of 650 active cases in our communities," said PHSD. "Since December 24 the daily case count is as follows: Dec. 24 (96), Dec. 25 (44), Dec. 26 (37), Dec. 27 (95), Dec. 28 (78), and Dec. 29. (169)," said the health unit. "These confirmed cases are just the tip of the iceberg. The number of confirmed cases is an underestimate of the true number of people with COVID-19 in Sudbury and districts, given that access to PCR testing is increasingly limited, increased use of rapid antigen tests and positive test results not reported to Public Health, and the likelihood that asymptomatic people with infections may not seek testing," the PHSD statement continued.
Ontario study of COVID cases suggests Omicron not as severe as Delta
A new study on recent Ontario COVID-19 cases suggests the Omicron variant is less likely to cause hospitalization or death than the Delta variant, but could still significantly impact health-care systems due to its high transmissibility. The study by Public Health Ontario comes as the province has set several records for daily COVID-19 infections in quick succession, with the latest peak — 13,807 new infections — reported Thursday. The agency identified 6,314 Omicron cases that saw symptoms emerge between Nov. 22 and Dec. 17, and matched them with Delta cases based on age, gender and onset date. It found that after adjusting for vaccination status and region, the risk of hospitalization or death was 54 per cent lower in Omicron cases than Delta cases. "Omicron appears to be the first dominant variant to demonstrate a decline in disease severity," the study said.
The 92% cut in fee for criminal record pardon takes effect Jan. 1
Effective Jan. 1, it will be more affordable for those living with a criminal record to seek a record suspension or pardon, making it easier for them to integrate into the community. On Dec. 22, the Canadian government announced a fee reduction, slashing the previous fee of $658.00 to $50, plus any additional fees needed for the application. In a release issued the same day, The John Howard Society of Sudbury announced they were greatly pleased by the change. Not only will it make it a more affordable process for those looking to move on with their lives, but it is the fulfillment of a promise made long ago, and one that the John Howard Society of Sudbury has been advocating for. Almost four million Canadians are living with a criminal record and a record suspension eases the process of applying for jobs, volunteer work and reintegration into communities.
New long-term care restrictions take effect, here's what you need to know
With the Omicron variant leading to a record number of daily COVID-19 cases, Ontario is making temporary changes at long-term care homes. Starting Dec. 30, there are two new rules in effect. General visitors will not be allowed access to long-term care homes. Designated caregivers are allowed to continue entering the facilities. Day absences for social purposes are also paused for all residents. Earlier this month, the province put in place other changes, including testing fully vaccinated visitors and staff at long-term care and retirement homes.
Mild day but flurries in the forecast
Expect a mild day for your Friday with a high of -1 this afternoon. Flurries are expected in the morning, ending in the early afternoon with a 60-per-cent chance of more flurries after that. The wind will be out of the southeast at 20 km/h, but becoming light over the morning. Expect a wind chill of -17 in the morning and -3 in the afternoon. Tonight, expect cloudy skies with a 40-per-cent chance of flurries and a low of -12.
