Public Health Sudbury & Districts is reporting three new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in residents in their service area (Greater Sudbury, Sudbury District, and Manitoulin District).
Two individuals have either close contact with a case or international travel history. A third individual has no known contact with a case or any travel history and the situation indicates community spread of COVID-19.
“People have been following safety precautions with the assumption that COVID-19 has been spreading locally, meaning that they distance themselves from others to avoid spreading the virus because we assume anyone could be infected,” said Dr. Penny Sutcliffe, Public Health Sudbury & Districts Medical Officer of Health.
“Today’s news of an individual with COVID-19 with no travel or exposure history is evidence that we have been doing the right thing by taking these precautions. The indication of community spread reinforces the critical sacrifices we have all been making, such as staying home as much as possible and isolating ourselves when directed."
The three new cases reported today represent cases 14, 15 and 16 in Greater Sudbury.
Case number 14 is a man in his 50s who has been hospitalized. The exposure category for the man is unknown at this time, indicating possible community spread of the virus.
Case number 15 is a person under the age of 19 and their gender has not been specified. The health unit indicated that the person was in close contact with a confirmed case. They are currently self-isolating.
Cases 14 and 15 were both tested on March 30.
The 16th case in Greater Sudbury is a man in his 60s who is also self-isolating. He came into contact with the virus through international travel. He was tested on March 27.
Additionally, the health unit has updated Sudbury's 13th COVID-19 case, the first confirmed case that was admitted to Health Sciences North. The woman remains in hospital and her exposure to the virus was through close contact.
"Everyone is asked to continue to take their role in this pandemic seriously. Each of our actions count in flattening the curve: stay home, maintain physical distance of two metres when you have to go out, practise meticulous handwashing and respiratory hygiene, and follow any direction specific to your situation," said the health unit in a news release.
Public Health continues to conduct intensive contact tracing for all COVID-19 cases and close contacts.
Under provincial legislation, medical officers of health in Ontario are authorized to issue Orders to control communicable diseases. Such orders can include, for example, requiring an individual to be isolated, quarantined, or to submit to an examination by a physician.
If individuals are not following Public Health direction and if Dr. Sutcliffe is of the opinion that this non-compliance poses a risk to public health, an order may be required under Section 22 of the Health Protection and Promotion Act (HPPA) to protect the public.
To date, no such orders have been required in the Sudbury & Manitoulin districts related to COVID-19.
