Residents living in the jurisdiction of the Sudbury health unit have surpassed the 70-per-cent mark for receiving first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. Based on numbers published Monday afternoon, there were 121,845 area residents who have taken their first dose since the vaccine rollout began local back in January. That's 73.2 per cent.
The adult population for the PHSD area is 166,310 based on census data provided by Statistic Canada. The number was confirmed by PHSD and includes the population aged 15 and over.
PHSD reported Monday that 37,183 second doses of the vaccine had been administered locally, which is 22.3 per cent of the district population.
This compares with recent provincial numbers that indicate roughly 75 per cent of all Ontario residents have received their first dose of a vaccine, and roughly 26 per cent have received their second dose. The information, updated to June 22, was in a provincial news release promising accessible rides to vaccine sites.
The release said the Accessible Drive To Vaccines program will ensure that anyone who wants a vaccine is able by connecting eligible individuals with staff and volunteers who will drive them to and from local vaccination sites across the province. This includes individuals who have not yet received their first shot, or anyone who may require additional support to access their second.
More information on the Accessible Drive to Vaccines program is available from the Ontario Community Support Association.
The local numbers may actually be higher in the sense that they do not reflect vaccines received by individuals younger than 15 years of age, nor do they reflect the number of vaccines administered by local pharmacies.
The most recent COVID-19 case numbers released by Public Health Sudbury and District also reveal that the "resolved rate" for the Sudbury health unit is at 98.6 per cent, which is a better rate that Northeastern Ontario (93.1 per cent) and a better rate than Northern Ontario as a whole (95.9 per cent).
The Sudbury statistic, however, is still a few points lower than the Ontario rate (99.4 per cent) and the all Canada rate (99.2 per cent).
The numbers were published Monday in the PHSD twice-weekly epidemiological summary which outlines new case numbers.
In terms of outbreaks in the Sudbury district, PHSD also reported that since the pandemic began in March 2020, there have been 96 known outbreaks altogether.
This includes 39 outbreaks in "community settings" reported in the local jurisdiction. Of that amount, 38 of the outbreaks have been resolved. Currently, PHSD is reporting only one active outbreak, which was declared on June 12, at the Flying Post logistic camp which is part of the IAMGOLD Cote Lake gold mine construction project located just north of the Watershed.
In addition, the health unit reported a total of 32 outbreaks that occurred in local hospitals, long-term care homes and retirement homes. All of those outbreaks have been declared as over.
Added to that number, were 25 outbreaks that occurred in area schools and licenced daycare centres.
In all of the above situations, an outbreak is declared when there are two or more individuals with COVID-19 found in a 14-day period and have a link with each other and evidence that the link occurred at that venue.
Health unit numbers also showed that the majority of COVID-19 cases that occurred in the district were "close contact of a confirmed case" with 1,239 cases (57 per cent).
Next most common cause was listed as "outbreak associated" with 503 cases (23 per cent).
There were only 83 cases of infections linked to travel (3.9 per cent).
