Public Health Sudbury and Districts (PHSD) has reported three new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the local jurisdiction today and one death, which was reported late last night.
There are now 47 active cases being monitored in our service area.
Since the pandemic was declared in March 2020, there have been 535 total COVID-19 cases reported to the Sudbury health unit, with 488 of those cases being resolved locally.
With respect to local geography, the PHSD daily update page also reported that all three of the new cases occurred within the Greater Sudbury Area.
In terms of possible causes of the new cases, PHSD reported one new cases is outbreak related, two new cases are related to close contact of a confirmed case, one new case is travel-related and one new case with no known epidemiological link. There was a decrease of two cases listed as information pending or missing.
As in other days this past week, these numbers do not correspond with the current case count numbers because the health unit does not indicate when the causes are determined or how long it takes to post the cause numbers on its website.
The health unit is now providing information on its website regarding the number of vaccine doses administered to date, which as of Feb. 4 was 985. The vaccines approved for use require two doses, administered a few weeks apart.
PHSD reported one COVID-19-related death in Greater Sudbury in a release sent out Saturday night (Feb. 6). The individual was a resident of Amberwood Suites retirement home. A total of 10 deaths have now been reported across our service area since the beginning of the pandemic.
Additionally, PHSD received confirmation from Public Health Ontario that a second individual in our service area has tested positive for the COVID-19 UK variant (B.1.1.7). This individual is one of the three possible cases of the more highly transmissible strain of COVID-19 reported on Feb. 5. Two possible cases are still pending confirmation as genome sequencing is still underway.
Also announced Saturday night, an outbreak was declared at Sudbury's Health Sciences North hospital after a patient and a staff member tested positive for COVID-19.
Admissions and designated care partners to the affected unit are restricted. Patients are in isolation, being monitored and tested for symptoms. The hospital remains open with clinics and procedures continuing as normal.
Since Jan. 18, the number of admitted patients at HSN with COVID-19 has declined from 15 to 5. Two of the five current COVID-19 patients are in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
On the provincial COVID-19 report today, the Ontario government daily website reported there were 1,489 new confirmed COVID-19 cases across the province. Also today, the province reported 22 new deaths, 97 hospitalizations and 1,937 new recoveries.
