COVID-19 in Sudbury & districts: Your weekly update January 21, 2021

Reporting period: Thursday, January 14, 2021, to Wednesday, January 20, 2021.

January 21, 2021 — The following is a summary of how the status of COVID-19 has changed in Public Health Sudbury & Districts’ service area over the last seven days up to end of day January 20, 2021: 30 new cases, 33 cases were resolved, and 4 deaths occurred. Five (5) outbreaks were active, including 2 in schools, 2 in long-term care homes, and 1 in a retirement home. At end of day January 20, 2021, there were 73 active cases in our service area, and 5 active outbreaks. Twelve (12) cases were hospitalized, while the rest were self-isolating.

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been a total of 410 local cases of which 337 are resolved, and six people have died in our service area.

Trends in the past seven days

• Of the 30 new cases in our service area, 10 were associated with an outbreak, while 13 were close contacts of confirmed cases. This means that Public Health identified how these people were exposed to COVID-19 and was able to take quick action to prevent further spread. The source of exposure was unknown for 3 cases, while 4 were travel-related.
• All 30 cases reside in Greater Sudbury.
• By end of day on January 20, contact tracing information was available for all 30 of the new cases. Through our investigation, we identified 159 people who had high-risk close contacts with these cases. That is an average of 5.3 high-risk close contacts per case, compared to 3 contacts per case on average last week. Public Health follows up directly and regularly with every high-risk close contact to monitor them for symptoms, ensure they are self-isolating, and make recommendations for testing according to provincial guidance.
• The 7-day incidence rate was 15.1 new cases per 100 000 population (compared to 38.2 for the previous 7 days).
• The percent positivity was 0.65% for the period of January 12 to January 18 (compared to 1.3% for the previous 7 days).
• For the period of January 13 to 19, the effective reproductive number (Rt) was 0.71 for Northern Ontario, and 0.87 for Ontario overall.

Stay COVID-safe

• A provincial stay-at-home (Government of Ontario) order is in effect. Stay home and avoid travel unless it is essential like for work or attending a medical appointment out of region. Follow enhanced public health measures and restrictions (Government of Ontario) when out for groceries, medical appointments, exercise, or work.
• Planning on going outside for some fresh air? Bring a few face coverings or masks just in case you cannot keep a two-metre distance from people you do not live with. Remember to change your face-covering if it becomes wet or damp.
• The COVID-19 vaccine continues to be discussed on the news, on social media, and at our dinner tables. Make sure you are consuming the most current information by turning to credible sources like the Ontario Ministry of Health and Health Canada. Remember, our COVID-19 vaccine webpage is being updated regularly.

What’s new

• On Friday, January 15, 2021, Public Health Sudbury & Districts released its COVID-19 Vaccination Program Playbook (PDF, 2.53 MB). Executing the Playbook is dependent on receiving vaccine from the province.
• Although we do not know precisely when the vaccine will arrive given recent federal and provincial announcements regarding delays for shipments of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, Public Health does anticipate receiving vaccine over the next few weeks.
• Public Health Sudbury & Districts continues to be in close communication with the Ministry of Health to be fully prepared to begin vaccinating when vaccine arrives locally.

Message from Dr. Penny Sutcliffe, Medical Officer of Health

This week in Greater Sudbury, we saw the harsh reality and toll of this virus on our community. Four residents of the Amberwood Suites retirement home lost their lives after contracting COVID-19. On behalf of everyone at Public Health, we were extremely saddened by this news and extend sincere condolences to the families, friends, and caregivers affected by these losses. These somber events truly remind us of the important need to protect one another through our actions. We cannot lose sight of why we’re doing what we’re doing and the sacrifices we are making, knowing they are making a difference. We will get through this pandemic by supporting one another and doing our part. Stay safe, stay home, and stay well.

Regular updates

Visit phsd.ca/COVID-19/data for regular updates about COVID-19 testing, confirmed cases, as well as outbreaks and potential exposures in Greater Sudbury, the District of Sudbury, and the District of Manitoulin. In addition, a detailed epidemiology summary is posted Mondays and Thursdays that includes information about cases over time, case characteristics, probable exposures, case outcomes, testing, and outbreaks in facilities.

For more information or if you have questions, please visit phsd.ca/COVID-19 or call Public Health Sudbury & Districts at 705.522.9200 (toll-free 1.866.522.9200).