Good morning, Greater Sudbury.
Here are some stories to start your day.
Public Health Sudbury reports 26 new COVID-19 cases over the weekend:
Public Health Sudbury & Districts reported 26 new cases of COVID-19 over the weekend. The health unit reported 19 cases on Saturday and seven on Sunday. With the latest positive cases, Greater Sudbury and area currently has 66 active cases of COVID-19. Public Health Sudbury & Districts also provided updated information to a number of cases that had missing information regarding exposure category. There were 15 more cases that were outbreak-related, 13 related close contact and one that was travel-related. Since March, Greater Sudbury has had 352 positive cases of COVID-19.
City relocates day warming centre to 199 Larch St.:
The Homelessness Network Day Centre is moving from its Frood Road location at Centre de Santé to the main floor of 199 Larch St. beginning Monday, Jan. 11. “I am very proud of how our passionate community partners have come together to help us provide this new warming space for those seeking shelter from the cold," said Greater Sudbury Mayor Brian Bigger. "Addressing the needs of our most vulnerable remains a top priority for City Council and I am confident that this new, central and familiar location will provide impactful support and services to those in need." The Day Centre, a partnership between the City of Greater Sudbury, the Centre de Santé Communautaire du Grand Sudbury (CSCGS) and the Homelessness Network, will offer drop-in services previously offered at 19 Frood Rd. Warming services at the Frood Road location were forced to move after the landlord of the building raised concerns that were brought to him by other tenants and owners of neighbouring businesses. The centre provides access to washrooms, breakfast, water, coffee and free wifi, while safely maintaining physical distancing. Lunch and dinner are delivered to the Day Centre from the Elgin Street Mission and Blue Door Soup Kitchen. More on this story here.
Three people sustain minor injuries in King Street apartment fire:
Three people were treated for minor injuries after a fire at an apartment on King Street Saturday afternoon. Greater Sudbury Fire Services responded to the fire at around 4:30 p.m. on Jan. 9, along with police and emergency services. The second-floor fire was brought under control by firefighters and has been deemed suspicious. Police and the Fire Marshall are investigating the fire. The fire is believed to be an isolated incident and police say there is no threat to public safety at this time.
Ontario reported 3,945 new COVID cases Sunday:
Public Health Ontario has reported a record 3,945 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday, Jan. 10. The province reported 61 deaths on Sunday. Of those, 21 were residents of long-term care homes. Four of the deaths reported were individuals between 40 and 59 years old, 18 were between 60 and 79 years old, and 38 were over the age of 80. Since Saturday's report, 112 people were hospitalized with COVID-19, and 31 COVID patients were admitted to intensive care units. Get the full breakdown of COVID-19 numbers in Ontario here.
Online calculator estimates when Canadians will get COVID-19 vaccine:
A woman from Ontario has created an online calculator to give Canadians a sense of when they will be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine. Jasmine Mah, who has a master’s degree in science, familiarized herself with the federal government’s guidelines, but couldn’t figure out when she could expect to get the vaccine. So she used the criteria, and co-created the Vaccine Queue Calculator, which launched Thursday. “The calculator is based on the national guidelines, provided from the Government of Canada. So you’re going to put in your age, and then there’s a bunch of little questions: Are you a health worker? Do you live in a group setting, like a long-term care home? Those will help determine which stage you’re going to be categorized as,” she explains. While the calculator can’t predict the exact date on which any given Canadian will get a shot in the arm, Mah says it offers a “general guide.” She notes each province will navigate each stage of vaccination slightly differently, and the calculator assumes all the doses Canad has announced will be delivered on time. Get the full story here.
Murder suspect Felicity Altiman still in custody following bail hearing Friday:
The woman charged with second-degree murder in the Boxing Day death of Robert Keskinen, 75, appeared in bail court Friday, and the matter has been adjourned to Jan. 28 in video remand court. Felicity Altiman, 40, was arrested Jan. 7 and charged with second-degree murder and indignity to a dead body. Police have also arrested Matthieu Doucet, 36, and charged him with accessory after the fact. He attended bail court on Dec. 31 and made a video remand appearance on Jan. 7. A publication ban has been issued in relation to this matter and no further details can be provided. Altiman is no stranger to the court system. She has an extensive criminal record, referred to as “atrocious” by Ontario Court Justice Richard Humphrey when he sentenced her in 2013 to a jail term of 16 months for breaches of recognizance, possession of a flick knife (a prohibited weapon), trafficking cocaine, possession of Hydromorph Contin, and two counts of possession of crack cocaine and cocaine. Get the full story here.
GSPS charged 58 people for impaired driving offenses during Festive RIDE campaign:
Greater Sudbury Police Services saw an increase of impaired driving incidents during their 2020 Festive RIDE campaign. Investigations resulted in a total of 58 drivers being charged with impaired driving offences between Nov. 27 and Dec. 31, 2020. During this time period, 12 Festive Reduce Impaired Driving Everywhere (RIDE) spot checks, resulting in 13 of the 58 drivers being caught. Drivers were impaired by alcohol, drugs, or a combination of both and the police service stated that they are "extremely disappointed" by these statistics. Greater Sudbury Police Services checked almost 1,200 more drivers during their 2020 Festive RIDE campaign than they did in 2019, which resulted in 16 more impaired driving charges than the 42 charges that were laid during the 2019 campaign. Charges laid for drivers impaired by alcohol saw a small increase from 38 in 2019 to 41 in 2020. Impaired charges for drug impairment more than quadrupled in 2020, making a jump from four in 2019 to 17 in 2020. Full story here.
Monday Weather:
Cloudy with chances of flurries today. Mostly cloudy skies overhead Monday with a 40 per cent chance of flurries. Daytime high will be sitting at around -3, feeling like -10 with the wind. There's a 30 per cent chance of flurries this evening. Overnight low will be steady at -6. For current weather conditions, short-term and long-term forecasts visit Sudbury.com's weather page at www.sudbury.com/weather.
