Good morning, Greater Sudbury.
Here are some stories to start your day.
Scammers pretending to be GSPS and demanding payment for arrest warrants:
Greater Sudbury Police are warning the public against a scam that has been circulating of late. The police service has received complaints from community members that scammers have been spoofing the GSPS phone number and making it appear on the caller ID and demanding bitcoin payment for outstanding arrest warrants. In some cases, the scammer claims that the individual's SIN card has been compromised. "Please be reminded that the GSPS does not demand payment," said the police service in a Facebook post. "Don’t get scammed! Legitimate government agencies, businesses or organizations will not request payment via bitcoin, prepaid credit cards or gift cards."
Two new COVID-19 cases reported by North Bay Parry Sound HU, still no new cases in Sudbury region:
Public Health Ontario reported 356 new cases of COVID-19 Thursday morning, and 45 more deaths attributed to the coronavirus. That’s the highest number of deaths reported in a single day since May 11 when the province reported 56 deaths. The latest victims of the coronavirus include one person between the ages of 40 and 59, eight people between the ages of 60 and 79, and 36 people over the age of 80. For months now, the number of deaths reported by Public Health Ontario have lagged behind those reported by the Ministry of Long-Term Care, and they continue to do so. Public Health Ontario has reported the deaths of 1,509 long-term care residents, but the ministry has reported 1,679 deaths of long-term care residents to-date. In Northern Ontario, there are seven known active cases. The Thunder Bay District Health Unit has the highest number of confirmed cases, while the Porcupine Health Unit, which covers Timmins and the surrounding area, still has the highest rate of confirmed cases per 100,000 population. Full story here.
Inspection reports outline mistakes in Northern Ontario nursing homes:
Inspection reports for long-term care homes in Northern Ontario show a variety of different complaints that have been filed in recent years, but none appear to be as serious or disturbing as was revealed in the recent document tabled by members of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) who were brought in to lend assistance to several homes in the Greater Toronto Area. The Canadian Forces report, revealed in the last week of May, outlined "horrific conditions" in several homes located in North York, Pickering, Etobicoke, Scarborough and Mississauga. It was revealed that CAF members were asked to provide personnel, medical aid and logistics support to the homes that were struggling to deal with the COVID-19 crisis. Among the conditions discovered by CAF members were patients left far too long with soiled diapers, improper installation of catheters, inadequate bathing procedures, outdated medical procedures by staff and even problems with ants and cockroaches. The CAF report angered Ontario premier Doug Ford and also prompted Ontario Ombudsman Paul Dube to announce his office would investigate conditions at long-term care homes in Ontario in general. Full story here.
New council will advise province on supporting youth during COVID-19 and beyond:
The Ontario government announced the Premier's Council on Equality of Opportunity on June 4, a new advisory group that will provide advice on how young people can overcome social and economic barriers and achieve success. The council will also advise government on long-term actions that can be taken to support youth during the COVID-19 outbreak. "At a time when the world is facing some of its most difficult challenges, we have to do everything we can to help our next generation of leaders overcome the social and economic barriers before them," said Ford. "Our young people are the future of this province and I truly believe this council will be a strong advocate that will set them down the path to even greater success." The council will have up to 20 members, including a chair and a vice-chair. Membership will be intergenerational and cross-sector, and will include youth between the ages of 18 to 29 and adults with expertise from community organizations, not-for-profit businesses, education, and government services. Watch the Premier's press conference from Thursday here.
Awesome educators: Animation Culturelle 2.0 team producing fun French videos for kids during pandemic:
With the COVID-19 pandemic shuttering schools this spring, educators have been thrown into an unfamiliar role — trying to teach their students at a distance. We wanted to throw a spotlight on Greater Sudbury educators who have gone above and beyond the call of duty for their students in these unusual times, and perhaps shown a bit of creativity as they engage their students. Sudbury.com asked readers for their nominations for local educators who fit this bill, and we received a nomination for the “Animation Culturelle 2.0” team at the local French public school board, Conseil scolaire publique du Grand Nord de l’Ontario (CSPGNO). Nominator Natalie Rondeau said the team has been uploading fun songs and activities to the Internet that “bring a smile to many faces.” “These videos are also shared on Facebook pages for Franco-ontariens, engaging people provincewide!” she said. Animation Culturelle 2.0 team member Natalie Lalonde said as a cultural animator, she is typically in charge of organizing large Francophone arts and culture events for the board. The team also produces original digital content to support the work CSPGNO teachers do, and to provide an online Francophone space for students, and their efforts have redoubled during the pandemic. Find out more here.
Dr. Peter Zalan: We’ve paid a price for the pandemic lockdown — make sure it’s not in vain:
We’ve had zero confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Sudbury district since May 17, but stories from other places show we shouldn’t get overconfident. Dr. Peter Zalan's column this week looks at the potential for spikes in COVID-19 cases as restrictions begin to relax. New Brunswick was the first province in Canada to begin relaxing the restrictions it put in place to control the spread of the coronavirus. That was in late April. At that point, the number of confirmed cases was 118 with 0 deaths for the entire province. A pretty awesome performance. Then a family doctor from Campbellton, New Brunswick travelled to Quebec, and on his return, sparked a COVID-19 outbreak, derailing the reopening plans of a province that hoped it had stamped out the virus. Twelve people have tested positive so far in Campbellton, a town of 7,000. They include the doctor’s elderly father, his six-year-old son and four residents all over 80 at a long-term care facility. The government re-imposed the restrictions on the community that had just been lifted. Elsewhere in the province, the next phase of re-opening was postponed. In the Sudbury District, we have had zero confirmed cases since May 17. The province re-opened the economy on May 19. So far, so good. But what happened in New Brunswick could very well happen here. Read more here.
Friday Weather:
Mainly cloudy for Friday with rain showers possible throuhgout the day. Today's high will get up to around 24. There's a 60 per cent chance of showers in the afternoon. Skies will clear this evening. Overnight low expected to drop to 12. For current weather conditions, short-term and long-term forecasts visit Sudbury.com's weather page at www.sudbury.com/weather.
