There is a good chance the local COVID-19 risk level — currently in the moderate range — could spike to “high risk” in the coming week, given the current trends, Public Health Sudbury & Districts said today.
In a news release, the health unit said it continues to monitor virus trends in the region and is concerned “by that increasing trends signal a resurgence of COVID-19 spread in the community.
“Following a two-week uptick of COVID-19 trends, it’s vitally important that people take extra steps to prevent the spread of COVID-19,” said Dr. Penny Sutcliffe, the region’s medical officer of health. “The BA.5 subvariant of Omicron is now the dominant sub-variant in the province. Emerging data on BA.5 suggest it has similar severity to previous Omicron sub-variants, but it is likely more transmissible.”
Sutcliffe said the variant also seems to show increased reinfection rates among those who were infected with earlier strains of Omicron.
“For all these reasons, I am reminding people to use as many layers of personal protection as possible to protect yourself, your close ones, and our health care system.
The message, Public Health Sudbury said, is the pandemic is surging again locally.
In the region this week, 62 new COVID-19 cases have been reported per day, on average — compared with just 14 cases per day reported in late June.
There are currently 298 known active cases, a number that has not been reported since May 11, when cases were falling.
“These numbers are a gross underestimation of the actual cases as they include only those who are eligible for PCR testing under current provincial guidelines,” Public Health said.
Hospitals are also seeing more patients admitted with COVID-19, the health unit said, with 63 patients in hospital with confirmed COVID-19 as of July 20, up from fewer than 13 cases on July 1.
“Public Health continues to see both new cases and re-infections in the community. It is important to note that while a previous COVID-19 infection may provide some degree of short-term immunity, immunity does decrease over time and a person’s risk of severe illness may also increase with each re-infection (Public Health Ontario).”
It is for this reason staying up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations is important, Public Health said.
The public is not only encouraged to be vaccinated and boosted, but also to wear well-fitting masks in any crowded public situation, whether indoors or outdoors, to social distance and to wash hands frequently.
To book a vaccine appointment, visit covid-19.ontario.ca/book-vaccine or call 705-522-9200 (toll-free: 1-866-522-9200) or attend a walk-in opportunities.
You can check out the Public Health Sudbury & Districts COVID-19 Risk Index here. The index has four risk levels—low, moderate, high, and very high and is updated every week by Wednesday morning.
