Good morning, Greater Sudbury.
Here are some stories to start your day.
Greater Sudbury area moved down to Yellow level under COVID-19 framework:
The area covered by Public Health Sudbury & Districts has moved down the chain of protection under Ontario’s new COVID-19 framework. In Friday’s press conference, Health Minister Christine Elliott provided an updated list of the levels public health areas have been moved to to deal with the rising tide of COVID-19 cases. Elliott said Public Health Sudbury, which was in the Green-Prevent zone, has been moved down to the Yellow-Protect level. The areas with the highest levels of virus transmission — Hamilton, Halton, Peel Region, Toronto and York Region — have moved down to Red-Control, meaning they’re being dropped from Stage 3 to modified Stage 2. That is one level higher than Grey, which is a full lockdown. Under new modelling released Nov. 12, Ontario could see as many as 6,500 new daily cases of COVID-19 by mid-December unless steps are taken to limit the spread of the virus. The new modelling predicts the province will reach 2,500 new daily cases by that time if the growth rate is at three per cent, or 6,500 if growth is at five per cent. In announcing the province is stepping up protection measures in the wake of rising COVID-19 cases, Premier Doug Ford didn’t mince words. “We’re staring down the barrel of another lockdown,” Ford said. Ontario residents are being advised to remain home except for work, school, groceries, medical appointments and exercise. Ontario paused social circles on Oct. 3, and the public is asked not to visit other people’s homes, to avoid social gatherings and not to visit people in other communities. Full story here.
Sutcliffe: Our actions determine if we allow the virus to spread or if we contain it:
The Government of Ontario placed Public Health Sudbury & Districts in the “Yellow-Protect” category of the provincial COVID-19 response framework on Nov. 13. Strengthened public health measures will come into effect in our service area to help control the spread of COVID-19 on Monday, Nov. 16 at 12:01 a.m. These measures include limited hours of operations for certain settings, reduced recreational program sizes, additional enforcements and fines, and enhanced education in high-risk settings. “Our case counts are at an all-time high with 42 of our 204 total cases reported in the last week alone. We are averaging about 12 high risk contacts for each case so far. These numbers combined with how stretched our public health and health care systems are, mean that stronger protection measures are needed,” said Dr. Penny Sutcliffe, Medical Officer of Health with Public Health Sudbury & Districts. “The Yellow-Protect restrictions must be accompanied by a re-commitment of everyone to the basic public health prevention measures. How this surge in cases evolves and the measures and restrictions that will be necessary to control it are in our hands. Make no mistake, our everyday actions either allow the virus to spread or allow us to contain it. We can choose wisely and dig deep." More on this story here.
Eight Sudbury Walmart employees have tested positive for COVID-19:
A spokesperson for Walmart has confirmed that eight employees at two Sudbury locations have tested positive for COVID-19. Six employees from the Lasalle Boulevard location in New Sudbury tested positive, while two employees from the South End store also tested positive. "We're keeping the associates in our thoughts and wish them a speedy recovery," said am email from Walmart to Sudbury.com "Out of an abundance of caution, associates identified as being in close prolonged contact have been directed to self-isolate. We are in contact with local public health." Three of the employees from the New Sudbury location who tested positive last worked on Oct. 28, while two last worked on Oct. 31 and one last worked on Nov. 1. At the South End locations, the two employees last worked on Nov. 1 and Nov. 2 respectively.
Three Real Canadian Superstore Sudbury employees have tested positive for COVID-19:
In the latest of a series of local businesses that have recently revealed that staff members have tested positive for COVID-19, Real Canadian Superstore said it has had three positive cases among its employees. The Lasalle Boulevard grocery store’s parent company, Loblaw Companies Limited, revealed on its website the “team members” tested positive Nov. 7, and the last day they worked was Nov. 2 and 3. "At this point there is no evidence to suggest that there is a link between the cases and the store," Loblaw public relations said in an emailed statement. "We have been working closely with the local public health team who has assured us that we have taken all necessary precautions (the sanitization, distancing measures and mandatory masks) and that the risk remains low for our customers." Loblaw said on its website that for transparency, it regularly updates its website with all positive COVID-19 cases in its stores (that includes Your Independent Grocer and Shoppers Drug Mart, along with Real Canadian Superstore here in Greater Sudbury) for the past 15 days. “For privacy, we will not release any personal information about our colleagues and employees,” the website said.
Northeastern Elementary School student tests positive for COVID-19, school remains open:
The Rainbow District School Board says a student at Northeastern Elementary School has tested positive for COVID-19. The school remains open for in-person learning, the board said in a letter posted to its website Friday morning. The student who tested positive is currently self-isolating and being monitored by public health. The board says one class in the school has been asked to self-isolate until Nov. 28. Affected students, their parents/guardians and relevant staff have been notified. Students on the morning bus run for route NW524 as well as the afternoon bus run for route N518 have also been asked to self-isolate. Affected students, their parents/guardians and relevant staff have been notified. Public Health will directly contact all parents/guardians of students and all school personnel who have been identified as close contacts.
Sudbury among five cities with the highest property tax rates in Ontario:
Real estate website Zoocasa released its list of Ontario cities with the lowest and highest property tax rates* on Nov. 11 and Sudbury came in as the fifth highest in the province at 31 out of 35 cities. Despite having some of the most high-priced homes in the country, Toronto ranked as the lowest in terms of property taxes in Ontario at 0.599 per cent. Cities with high-valued local real estate and larger populations generally have more flexibility on keeping their tax rate low, as the amount collected from individual homeowners is, as a reflection of the real estate prices in the area, generally higher, plus there are more taxpayers to contribute to the pot. Sudbury meanwhile ranked 31st out of the 35 cities that made the list, with a property tax rate of 1.49 per cent. Full story here.
Video: Byfield talks fav Sudbury hangouts, movies, plans for L.A.:
Back in October, Sudbury Wolves centre Quinton Byfield became the highest-drafted Black player in National Hockey League history, as well as the highest-drafted Wolves player in the team's 48-year history. Sudbury.com's Matt Durnan was able to connect with the popular Los Angeles Kings prospect last week. Watch as Byfield chats about his favourite Sudbury hangouts, what he's looking forward to in L.A., his favourite movies and training for the upcoming season. Video can be found here.
Tim Hortons serves up $25K worth of soup to Elgin Street Mission:
Since March, a local family that owns five Tim Hortons locations in Greater Sudbury has provided $25,000 worth of chicken noodle soup to the Elgin Street Mission. The MacKenzie family has partnered with the Mission since COVID-19 shut down the dining area and created the need for takeout meals. Every Saturday, they provide 220 meals and will continue to do so into the New Year. Amanda Robichaud, director Chaplain of the Elgin Street Mission, said the number of people looking for a hot meal has definitely increased since the start of the pandemic. “We were seeing an average of about 180 a night before the pandemic, but when the pandemic hit, we were up to about 240,” Robichaud said. “For Thanksgiving, we had a record number of people served in the 32-year history of the Mission at 278 meals. The Mission is grateful for the support of Tim Hortons, she said. “Trying to feed this many people a takeout meal is a real challenge, and it’s people like the MacKenzies, whose generosity and commitment make sure we can provide nutritious meals for our patrons,” Robichaud said. Get the full story here.
