COVID-19 in Sudbury & districts: Your weekly update July 8, 2021

Reporting period: Thursday, July 1, 2021, to Wednesday, July 7, 2021.

July 8, 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 July 7, 2021: 5 new cases were reported and 22 cases were resolved. There were no COVID-related deaths reported this week. Two (2) new cases screened positive for a COVID-19 variant of concern, which is 40% of the cases reported in this period. One (1) outbreak (in a daycare) was active in the past week. At end of day July 7, 2021, there were 6 active cases in our service area and 1 active outbreak. All cases were self-isolating. There were no local cases in hospital.

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been a total of 2 171 local cases of which 2 165 are resolved, and 31 people have died in our service area. Nine-hundred and eighty-five (985) have screened positive for a COVID-19 variant of concern (VOC).

Trends in the past seven days

• Of the 5 new cases in our service area, 4 were close contacts of confirmed cases and 1 case was travel-related. 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.
• All five (5) cases reside in Greater Sudbury in the past 7 days. (Note: for information on the definition of these geographic regions, please refer to the daily COVID-19 case update at phsd.ca/COVID-19/data)
• Contact tracing information was available for all cases reported from July 1 to July 7. Through our investigation, we identified 10 people who had high-risk close contacts with these cases. That is an average of 2 high-risk close contacts per case, compared to an average of 11 contacts per cases reported 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 seven-day incidence rate was 2.5 new cases per 100 000 population, compared to 6.5 cases per 100 000 in the previous 7 days.
• The percent positivity was 0.25% for the period of June 29 to July 5, (compared to 0.74% for the previous 7 days).
• For the period of June 30 to July 6, the effective reproductive number (Rt) was 0.5 for Northern Ontario, and 0.9 for Ontario overall.

Vaccination Program Update

NEW: Vaccination coverage rates are now being reported for the population 12+ instead of 18+.

• To date, the COVID-19 Vaccination Program has administered a total of 232 284 doses to residents in Sudbury and districts. Thus far, 137 138 people have received their first dose of vaccine, and 95 146 people have been fully vaccinated (current as of 4 p.m. July 7, 2021). Note, this includes vaccines administered by Public Health, First Nation and Indigenous communities, primary care partners, and pharmacies.
• Over the last seven days up to end of day July 7, 2021, a total of 15 575 vaccine doses were administered.
• Overall, 78.1% of Sudbury and districts residents aged 12+ have received their first dose of a vaccine, compared to 77.4% for all Ontario residents aged 12+.
• Second doses have been received by 54.2% of those aged 12+ in Sudbury and districts compared to 48.4% of Ontarians of same age.
• The following is a depiction of vaccinations received by age for individuals 12+ in Sudbury and districts.

* Rates are now based on 2020 population projections from the Ministry of Finance (2018) to match provincial coverage calculations.

Stay COVID-safe

• In Step 2 of the Reopening Ontario Roadmap (Government of Ontario), you can now enjoy in-person shopping. As the business community works to ensure proper safety precautions remain place, shoppers have a responsibility to continue to lower the risk of spreading the COVID-19 virus by wearing a mask, practising physical distancing, and getting vaccinated.
• We all encounter things that cause stress. We can’t avoid stress, but we can choose how we deal with it. Stay balanced and recharge through activities that bring you joy. What does that look like for you?
• Hoping things can return to normal? Getting your COVID-19 vaccine can help. To ensure maximum protection against COVID-19 and the delta variant, individuals 12 and up should attend a walk-in clinic or book their appointment as soon as possible. Remember, the benefits of COVID-19 vaccines continue to outweigh their potential risks, as scientific evidence shows that they reduce deaths and hospitalizations due to COVID-19.

What’s new

• Public Health Sudbury & Districts is ramping up efforts to make getting your COVID-19 vaccination as easy and convenient as possible. We are setting up new pop-up clinics this weekend around Greater Sudbury. For more information, see the news release on phsd.ca.
• As of July 5, 2021, youth aged 12 and over across Ontario who received their first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine more than 28 days ago are eligible to book online for an appointment to receive their second dose. Additionally, youth aged 12 and over in the Sudbury and Manitoulin districts can attend a walk-in COVID-19 vaccination clinic to receive their second dose. Youth are eligible for the walk-in clinics if their first dose was more than 21 days ago (for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine). The online booking system is restricted to dose intervals of 28 days or more.
• As of July 6, 2021, all COVID-19 vaccine mass immunization clinics previously scheduled at the NEMI Recreation Centre (Little Current) or Mindemoya Missionary Church will take place at Manitoulin Secondary School (107 Bay St, M’Chigeeng).
• A reminder, all second dose appointments currently scheduled at a Public Health clinic on or after July 12 in the Sudbury and Manitoulin districts will be cancelled and need to be rebooked, with limited exceptions. Anyone who is currently eligible for an accelerated second dose and has already rebooked their appointment is not affected by the cancellations.

Message from Dr. Penny Sutcliffe, Medical Officer of Health

We continue to make great progress in offering the COVID-19 vaccine to everyone eligible in our service area with over 200 000 doses administered so far. If you have been holding off getting your first dose or have not gotten around to getting your second, I encourage you to get your shot as soon as possible. When it comes to the COVID-19 vaccine, there is no wrong door to choose. Both Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna have been shown to be safe and effective in protecting against COVID-19. Now that youth are eligible to book their second dose sooner, we are well on track to our two-dose summer. Please continue to book your appointments, encourage your friends and family to book theirs, or attend one of our many walk-in clinics.

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 Sudbury District, and the Manitoulin District. In addition, a detailed epidemiology summary is posted on Monday 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).