Good morning, Greater Sudbury.
Here are some stories to start your day.
Staff shortages, old buildings and old infrastructure continue to pressure LTC homes, assoc. says:
Ontario's Long-Term Care Association (OLTCA) said the industry is facing major problems as Ontario continues to battle the COVID-19 pandemic and is moving into what most health care experts are calling the third wave. The organization is looking into what the third wave of pandemic means for Ontario's long-term care homes. Donna Duncan, the CEO of the OLTCA, spoke at a recent media briefing where she said there is hope and some optimism but the third wave of the pandemic continues to threaten the well being of Ontario's senior citizens. Duncan said the newest study by the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) outlined several of the root causes for the sickness and spread of COVID-19 in many of the long-term care homes in the earlier days of the pandemic. "What were the root causes in Wave One and Wave Two where we saw the tragic loss of life and we saw consistency in both waves and the CIHI report validated that older and overcrowded buildings, even with reduced occupancy, these are smaller homes with smaller hallways, shared washrooms, not optimal for infection prevention and control." Duncan said such older homes were also not optimal for cohorting and OLTCA concluded such homes created "significant risks." She said another serious issue at this time is the staffing crisis in the home care community. She said the pandemic happened at a time when there was already a staffing shortage in many long-term care homes. Find more on this story here.
Public Health Sudbury reports 21 new cases of COVID-19 for April 5:
Sudbury's health unit is reporting 21 new cases of COVID-19 for Monday April 5. Public Health also said there are now 256 active cases being monitored. Also, since the Public Health Sudbury and Districts (PHSD) began tracking COVID-19 cases just over one year ago, there have been 1,554 total COVID-19 cases confirmed locally. PHSD also said 1,298 of those cases have been resolved. This all follows a long weekend in Sudbury where PHSD also revealed three more COVID-related deaths that occurred April 1, April 2 and April 4. PHSD is not providing any further information. So far since the pandemic began, there have been 23 COVID-related deaths in the local health jurisdiction. On the provincial COVID-19 register Monday, the Ontario government daily website reported 2,938 new confirmed COVID-19 cases across the province. Also, the province reported 10 new deaths had occurred in the previous 24 hours.
Medical school and First Nations working together to improve health care in the North:
The Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) and the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) have signed an agreement to improve the health care system within the NAN Territory. The new Relationship Accord was signed during the recent NAN Chiefs Assembly on Health Transformation and Governance, said a joint statement from both organizations. The purpose of the accord said the statement is to develop mutually supported initiatives that will build capacity and strengthen the health system within NAN territory. Nishnawbe Aski Nation territory encompasses James Bay Treaty No. 9 and the Ontario portion of Treaty No. 5, a landmass covering two-thirds of the Province of Ontario. NAN represents 49 First Nations with a total population (on- and off-reserve) of 45,000, said the statement. Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler responded that he was pleased and grateful to see experts committed to working with First Nations communities for the design and function of an effective health system. Full story here.
Four people charged in death of 23-month-old child near North Bay:
Four people are facing charges in last year's death of a 23-month-old child near North Bay, Ont. Provincial police say they began investigating in January 2020 after being called to a home in East Ferris Township and finding a toddler without vital signs. The child was pronounced dead at the scene, but police have offered no details about the toddler's cause of death. Police say they arrested four people related to the case on March 31 and April 1. They did not disclose what, if any, relationship exists among the accused, nor their specific links to the child. Two men and two women are all charged with one count each of manslaughter, criminal negligence causing death and failing to provide the necessaries of life.
Northern Ontario firm welcomes more study after Health Canada removes graphene masks from market:
Health Canada has issued an advisory warning Canadians not to use face masks containing graphene, citing potential health risks. The agency has directed distributors, importers, and manufacturers to stop selling the products pending a “thorough scientific assessment.” Individuals are advised to immediately stop using masks labelled to contain graphene or biomass graphene, consult a health provider if they have used the masks and experienced any concerns such as shortness of breath, and report any adverse events to Health Canada. Roughly 4.6 million graphene-coated masks were distributed to schools by the Quebec government, sourced from a Quebec company but manufactured in China, multiple media outlets have reported. It's unclear how widely such masks have been used in other areas of the country. The potential health risks associated with the masks remain uncertain, the agency noted in its advisory. The material is a carbon allotrope reported to have antiviral and antibacterial properties, Health Canada said. Find the full story here.
Opinion: Massive administrative staff a good place to start for LU streamlining:
If Laurentian needs to streamline, instead of gutting programs, retired professor Dieter K. Buse says the growth in administrative staff over the past 20 years is the place to start. In his latest opinion piece Buse writes, "As the university goes through what in my opinion is an inappropriate process at streamlining, individuals outside the institution probably do not know about an important development inside it: the growth of administration." Before 2000, the research administration at the university had one person and an assistant who served directly under the Vice President Academic. They handled the following tasks: reviewing large grant applications, helping faculty to find external funding, managing the internal grant competition, co-ordinating workshops by the national granting councils, advising faculty on improving their research profile, solving issues when team research projects dissolved, and resolving misuse or over spent grant issues. The office organized some book launches and conferences to showcase faculty achievements. No special vice president or associate vice president for research existed. Read more here.
Let’s eat! Legendary for more than music: The Townehouse builds beautiful burgers:
A magnet for the music scene well beyond Sudbury, Veronica Desjardins, sat down with Hugh Kruzel to explore some myths he believed about the persona of the Townehouse. As general manager, she didn’t have to set him straight on this one: on the Trans-Canada route the Townehouse Tavern is an iconic destination for performers. But it wasn’t always so. “We were sort of the first live music venue in Sudbury,” Desjardins said. “We have a reputation now for decades. Stompin’ Tom never played here, but he did write some pretty famous lyrics upstairs. Did you know the Townehouse has also become known for outstanding burgers? It may be the burger connoisseur’s nirvana. “It’s only a few years ago we added a kitchen. Before that we used to pass food from The (Laughing) Buddha next door. We added the burgers six years ago. It changed our identity,” Desjardins said. “My family owns both this location, and down the street, The Laughing Buddha. They work together nicely. Elgin Street was not always the best part of town.” Learn more about the famous Sudbury hot spot here.
Tuesday Weather:
Mix of sun and cloud to start the day with chances of some rain this afternoon. Increasing cloudiness throughout the morning with a 70 per cent chance of afternoon showers. Daytime high will get up to 12 for Tuesday. Mostly cloudy into the evening with a 70 per cent chance of rain. Overnight low will be sitting at around 6. For current weather conditions, short-term and long-term forecasts visit Sudbury.com's weather page at www.sudbury.com/weather.
