Good morning, Greater Sudbury.
Here are some stories to start your day.
Man in his 20s is Sudbury's 39th case of COVID-19:
Public Health Sudbury and Districts is reporting a new COVID-19 case in a resident in the service area of Greater Sudbury, Sudbury District, and Manitoulin District. A man in his 20s was confirmed as the area's 39th positive case of COVID-19 and he is currently self-isolating. The man was tested on April 13 and it is unknown at this time how he came into contact with the virus.
City councillor partners with business to get essential products to vulnerable Sudburians:
Ward 2 Councillor Michael Vagnini has put on his delivery boy hat and has partnered with some local businesses to ensure vulnerable Sudburians isolating at home can still access essential products. Earlier this month, Vagnini teamed up with local business owners Brent Battistelli, owner of Battistelli’s Your Independent Grocers, Lonnie Doherty of Walden Home Hardware, Todd Duhamel of Guardian Drugs and the Palsy family of the Lively IDA, to offer free delivery of essential products for those unable to leave their homes. Carlo’s Transport, as the initiative has been called, was named in honour of the business Vagnini’s family operated in the town of Creighton, now a local ghost town, with the goal that “No One Eats Alone,” in reference to his own annual Christmas initiative. The intention was to keep his name out of it, as publicity is the last thing on his mind at this time, the city councillor said when contacted by Sudbury.com. But in a community as tight-knit as Greater Sudbury, news travels fast. Vagnini has always been an active representative of his riding and as such, voluntarily placed himself in self-isolation as a precautionary measure in the wake of the pandemic. Full story here.
Steelworkers, Vale reach tentative one-year agreement:
A pair of steelworker unions reached a tentative collective agreement with Vale, just over a month before their current deal's expiration date of May 31. USW Local 6500 and 6200 bargaining teams have been hard at work along with Vale's bargaining team over the past few months in an effort to reach a new agreement in both Sudbury and Port Colborne. "At the same time, as you all know too well, we find ourselves in extraordinary and unprecedented times," said the unions in a joint news release. "The COVID-19 pandemic is unlike anything the world has ever seen, and has made it extremely challenging to negotiate given the distractions and economic impacts associated with containing the virus." This will be a one-year renewal, which the unions say will allow them to focus their attention on dealing with their health and the health of their loved ones, and allow the necessary time and space for the appropriate attention to bargaining to take place when things return to a more normal state.
Trudeau announces expanded eligibility rules for CERB:
The Government of Canada is taking action to support Canadians and businesses facing hardship as a result of the COVID-19 global pandemic. On Wednesday, the federal government expanded eligibility rules for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB), a taxable benefit of $2,000 every four weeks for up to four months for eligible workers who have lost their income due to COVID-19. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that the government is stepping up to better support those who need help but don't qualify for the CERB, and Canadians working in essential jobs who make less than they would if they received the benefit. The COVID-19 pandemic has placed particular demands on low-income workers in certain sectors, including those on the front-line in hospitals and nursing homes, those ensuring the integrity of the food supply, or providing essential retail services to Canadians. In recognition that these essential workers' salaries are often less or similar than what they would receive from the CERB, the government will work with provinces and territories through a new transfer to cost-share a temporary top-up to the salaries of workers deemed essential in the fight against COVID-19, who make less than $2,500 a month. Watch Trudeau's press conference here.
VIDEO: That time of year: Bear sightings start emerging:
As COVID-19 continues to change the way people live their lives, wildlife will likely carry on as normal, with perhaps more movement through areas where people would normally gather, said the Ministry of Natural Resources. Some of those areas, such as open spaces, will have clearings where vegetation (grasses) will grow that might attract deer, geese or bears, said MNR spokesperson Jolanta Kowalski. It is unlikely the pandemic and the current legislation to help prevent the spread of the virus will change habits of bears in the long-term, though. “Bears and other wildlife will quickly learn to avoid those areas again when the presence of humans returns, provided attractants are managed properly,” said Kowalski. Sabrina MacDonald, who lives near Centennial Arena, said she was surprised by a visiting bear late on April 14. At about 11 p.m., she said she heard a noise and thought someone was on her roof. “We got out of bed and looked out the window and saw a shadow — no bear, just a green bin,” MacDonald told Sudbury.com. “Then we started looking out all of our windows and saw tracks.” It appeared as if the bear came back three different times, judging by the tracks. It tore up the insides of the bin before it hopped the fence into their neighbour’s yard to rummage through their garbage, MacDonald said. Check out video of the bear here.
Province throwing everything they have at long-term care homes:
Ontario Premier Doug Ford says that his government will stop at nothing when it comes to protecting long-term care homes in the fight against COVID-19. The Premier doubled down on his comments that he made during his April 14 press conference on Wednesday, stating that his government will be going all out to fortify the iron ring around long-term care homes. "We'll go further in our testing, screening and surveillance, targetting the homes facing outbreaks," said Ford. "We will ensure the staff at these homes have the tools they need. That means strengthening protocols, training and education on infection prevention and control and it means ensuring priority distribution of personal protective equipment. We're getting PPE to long-term care homes within 24 hours or less." Prevention and preparedness were also highlighted by Ford in the Ontario COVID-19 Action Plan: Long-Term Care Homes, as long-term care homes that have not been impacted by COVID-19 outbreaks will be equipped with a plan to put into play in the event of an outbreak. You can watch Wednesday's press conference here.
LU scientist joins 'Moonshot Project' in using virtual reality against COVID-19:
A researcher at Laurentian University is joining scientists from across the planet in using virtual reality to study and come up with ways to disrupt the COVID-19 virus. Stefan Siemann, a professor of chemistry and biochemistry at the university, said such work could eventually lead to a drug to combat the virus. He said his research normally focuses on proteins and enzymes, especially those that contain metal. In terms of COVID-19, scientists in the UK have identified one of the main proteins in the virus. In a type of crowdsourcing as part of the “Moonshot Project,” scientists — including Siemann — have been asked to find ways they can use that protein to stop the replication of the COVID-19 virus. Full story here.
Thursday Weather:
Mainly cloudy today with 40 per cent chance of flurries in the morning and early in the afternoon. Flurries will be heavy at times this afternoon and the high will only get up to zero. The wind will be gusting up to 50 km/h today and it's going to feel like -12 with the wind chill this morning. Flurries are expected to end in the evening then partly cloudy with 40 per cent chance of flurries. Overnight low will be -9, feeling like -14. For current weather conditions, short-term and long-term forecasts visit Sudbury.com's weather page at www.sudbury.com/weather.
