Good morning, Greater Sudbury.
Here are some stories to start your weekend.
Case #91: Latest COVID-19 case reported by Public Health Sudbury is man in his 30s
Public Health Sudbury & Districts says a Greater Sudbury man in his 30s has tested positive for COVID-19. The health unit made the new case public at 10 a.m. Friday morning. The man’s exposure to COVID-19 is unknown — he had not been travelling, and had no contact with a known case. He is self-isolating. The health unit said the man was tested Aug. 5. Through contact tracing, Public Health will notify all close contacts directly. If you are not contacted by Public Health, you are not considered a close contact. This is the 91st COVID-19 case reported in the area served by Public Health Sudbury & Districts since the pandemic began.
CRA building evacuated Thursday evening after report of suspicious package
The Canada Revenue Agency building on Lasalle Boulevard was evacuated Thursday evening after an employee found a suspicious package. Greater Sudbury Police said that at 6:15 p.m. Aug. 6, they received a call from a CRA employee about what was believed to be a suspicious package found in a mailbox within the building. Members of the GSPS tactical unit specializing in explosives disposal investigated the incident. Through video surveillance footage, a man was seen leaving a package and acting suspiciously as he left the area. Due to the man’s behaviour, the location being a federal building and the unknown contents of the package, the building was evacuated. The suspicious package was removed from the mailbox using the robot and transported to a safe location. A controlled detonation was conducted, and the package was rendered safe. It does not appear that the package contained any explosives, according to police. The investigation into the incident is ongoing.
Breastfeeding moms encouraged to continue, despite COVID-19
The importance of breastfeeding was highlighted by public health agencies around the world this past week as well as by Public Health Sudbury and Districts (PHSD), despite the worries people might have about the COVID-19 pandemic. This is World Breastfeeding Awareness Week. Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada's Chief Public Health Officer said this week that regardless of the concerns over COVID-19, it is still more important for mothers to breastfeed their babies. "At the outset of the pandemic, we knew very little about the virus and how it would spread and impact pregnant women and their newborn babies," Tam said. "We are still learning about how COVID-19 is spread. At the present time, there is little evidence that the virus is spread from a mother to her infant through breastfeeding, and the benefits of breastfeeding are considered to far outweigh any potential risks." That position is endorsed by PHSD, said Lorraine Jones R.N. a public health nurse with the Health Promotion Division of PHSD. Jones is also IBCLC qualified which makes her an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant.
Suspension of city bus pass agreement due to COVID-19 takes Laurentian students by surprise
If you register as a student at Laurentian University in a normal year, that means that on top of tuition, you’re paying a number of student fees, including about $200 for a discounted GOVA city bus pass. The bus passes are offered through an agreement with Laurentian’s student associations and the City of Greater Sudbury. But because only around one per cent of LU’s classes will be offered in person this fall, the bus pass agreement between the student associations and the city has been suspended as of September. Learn more here.
Video: Sudbury woman raised more than 190 Monarch butterflies in her backyard
Marie St-Denis has spent the past four years raising Monarch butterflies in her backyard in New Sudbury. The 87-year-old enjoys collecting the tiny caterpillars from milkweed leaves in her backyard and giving them a safe place to make their chrysalis inside containers. Over the past four years, St-Denis said she has raised and released more than 190 Monarch butterflies. Click here to watch our video.
Sudbury’s unemployment rate dips slightly to 9.2%
Four months after the economic shutdown resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, Greater Sudbury’s unemployment dropped slightly to 9.2 per cent in July, down from 9.4 per cent in the month of June, according to Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey. There were 76,700 people employed throughout the city, while 7,800 were reported as unemployed out of a total workforce of 84,400, said the LFS. In Ontario, employment rose by 151,000, or 2.2 per cent, in July, building on an increase of 378,000 in June and bringing employment to 91.7 per cent of its pre-pandemic February level. The initial easing of COVID-19 restrictions occurred later in Ontario than in most other provinces. Additional easing was introduced in most regions of the province on July 17, at the end of the LFS reference week.
Weekend Weather:
Looks like a pretty nice summer weekend is ahead, weather-wise. Saturday will be mainly sunny, wind becoming southwest 20 km/h near noon. High of 26 C. Humidex 30 C. UV index 8 or very high. Saturday night will be cloudy with a 60 per cent chance of showers. Low of 18 C. Sunday there will be a mix of sun and cloud with a 40 per cent chance of showers. High of 27 C. Sunday night there will be cloudy periods with a 30 per cent chance of showers. Low of 19 C.
