Cases ranged between a low of 2,476 and a record-high of today's 4,249 this week.
Northern Ontario's lockdown, which was originally slated to lift on Saturday, has been extended another 14 days. Dr. David Williams said he was told by medical officers of health across the North that the region should be staying in lockdown.
Premier Doug Ford told media today that lockdown may not lift at the end of January. The premier also said that new COVID-19 projections that will be released next week 'are very concerning.'
He also told media outlets that he has no firm details on Northern Ontario's vaccine rollout.
This week, the province's students returned to virtual school as part of lockdown measures. Students will return to the classroom on Monday.
On Tuesday, the province confirmed three more cases of a contagious new strain of COVID-19. An early Pfizer study has suggested that its vaccine can protect against a mutation found in two easier-to-spread variants of the coronavirus that erupted in Britain and South Africa.
The province also reported on Tuesday that it plans to vaccinate all long-term care residents, workers, and essential caregivers in COVID-19 hot spots by Jan. 21. The province says those living and working in nursing homes in Toronto, Peel Region, York Region and Windsor-Essex will be immunized by that date.
Here's the latest local, provincial, and federal news regarding COVID-19 cases and funding that you need to know:
Algoma region sees surge in new cases of COVID-19
Between New Year's Eve (Dec. 31) and this afternoon, Algoma Public Health has confirmed 45 cases of COVID-19. This is the largest weekly increase our region has seen since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Algoma's top doc says this spike in numbers is not surprising. Dr. Jennifer Loo told SooToday that holidays and gatherings with out of town visitors are partly to blame. Loo also told SooToday that the recent spike in cases would place Algoma Public Health in the yellow zone, and quite possibly, the orange zone, based on the number of cases alone once the province-wide lockdown comes to an end.
In response to a spike in cases, Garden River First Nation has once again made the decision to close its community to the east of Sault Ste. Marie.
Police told SooToday that they would lay charges if house parties were found on New Year's Eve, but nothing of significance was reported by the force.
Public exposure advisories issued by Algoma Public Health:
- APH issued a public advisory for passengers and flight crew who may have been exposed to COVID-19 on Air Canada flight 8325 from Toronto to Sault Ste. Marie on Dec. 28.
- APH issued a public advisory for passengers and flight crew who may have been exposed to COVID-19 on Air Canada flight 8498 from Windsor to Toronto and Air Canada flight 8321 from Toronto to Sault Ste. Marie on Dec. 30.
- APH issued a public advisory about a New Year's Eve party at 66 Sage St. in Garden River with high-risk of COVID-19 exposure, encouraging anyone who attended the party to self-isolate.
- On New Year's Day, an outbreak was declared at Extendicare Maple View Long-Term Care Home, after two staff members tested positive for the virus. More than 240 residents were tested and all came back negative.
- On Thursday, an outbreak was declared at Great Northern Retirement Home after a staff member tested positive for COVID-19. Surveillance testing is now being done on all staff and residents.
Other COVID-19 cases disclosed by communities and businesses:
- A staff member at Tim Hortons 699 Trunk Rd. location tested positive for COVID-19. The staffer last worked at the location on Sunday.
- A staff member at Shoppers Drug Mart in the Cambrian Mall at 44 Great Northern Rd. tested positive for COVID-19. The staffer last worked at the location on Sunday.
- A staff member at Rome's Your Independent Grocer at 44 Great Northern Rd. tested positive for COVID-19. The staffer last worked on Dec. 30
- Three contract workers on site during the last week of December at Algoma Steel tested positive for COVID-19.
- Garden River First Nation alerted band members to a confirmed case of COVID-19 in the community.
- A health-care worker at Sault Area Hospital tested positive for COVID-19. The hospital sent notice today and stated that the individual has been isolating since they learned of possible exposure to a positive case.
Here are the latest COVID-19 numbers from Algoma Public Health, updated on Thursday at 7:00 p.m.:
- 74,409 tested
- 110 confirmed
- 44 (1)* active case
- 66 resolved
- 0 deceased
* The number in brackets are active cases in non-Algoma residents who are temporarily in Algoma. These cases are not counted as part of Algoma’s confirmed case count. APH conducts contact tracing and monitoring of self-isolation for all cases within Algoma.
Total confirmed cases by area of residence:
- 103 in Sault Ste. Marie and area, with evidence of community spread
- 5 in central and east Algoma
- 2 in Elliot Lake and area
- 0 in north Algoma
Hospital reinstates visitor restrictions as COVID-19 cases rise in the region
Sault Area Hospital has implemented visitor restrictions that start today.
In a release issued Wednesday afternoon, SAH advised that the restrictions will "only allow labouring mothers, pediatric patients, patients undergoing urgent surgery, long-stay patients with identified support, or patients who are at end-of-life to have one consistent visitor throughout their stay."
Sault Police investigate alleged gathering hosted by one of its members
Sault Ste. Marie Police Service is investigating a complaint alleging one of its members hosted a gathering sometime "around the new year."
Read more about the investigation here.
Teachers union reps upset, surprised with province's choice to open schools Monday
The provincial government's decision to allow elementary and secondary level students and teachers back into northern classrooms beginning Monday, Jan. 11, despite extending the COVID-19 lockdown of Northern Ontario until at least Jan. 23, has taken some educators and union leaders by surprise.
Some aren’t happy about the government’s choice at all.
Read more from SooToday's Darren Taylor here.
Sault airport cuts more than 40 per cent of jobs due to COVID-19
The Sault Ste. Marie Airport says it has reduced staffing levels by 41 per cent.
In a press release issued today, the Sault Ste. Marie Airport Development Corp. cited reduced revenue and increased costs for cleaning and other safety measures due to the COVID-19 pandemic as the reason for the reduction.
Read more on the airport's traffic numbers and cuts to staff here.
Rod Philips resigns as finance minister following Caribbean vacation
Ontario's finance minister resigned from his cabinet position Thursday, hours after returning from a Caribbean vacation amid a provincewide lockdown.
Rod Phillips travelled to St. Barts on Dec. 13 despite provincial guidelines urging people to avoid all non-essential travel.
Premier Doug Ford announced the finance minister's resignation in a written statement.
One-third of Ontario's long-term care homes now experiencing outbreaks
A third of Ontario's long-term care homes are reporting COVID-19 outbreaks, marking a new record for the province, as advocates say spread among staff has forced some facilities to seek new sources of support to care for residents.
According to provincial data, 207 of the 626 long-term care homes in Ontario are currently experiencing outbreaks of the virus, including 19 new ones reported Sunday.
Long-term care commission hears that the provincial government didn't replenish stockpiles before COVID-19 hit
A commission examining the impact of COVID-19 on Ontario's long-term care system has heard the province did not replenish its stockpiles of personal protective equipment in the years leading up to the pandemic.
Ontario's former deputy minister of health and long-term care, Bob Bell, told the independent commission last month that the province's supply of personal protective equipment should have been refilled around 2017 or 2018.
Read more about the commission's findings so far here.
Feds weigh cutting COVID-19 benefit for travellers as Canada surpasses 600,000 cases
The federal Liberal government mulled the possibility of barring Canadians who travelled abroad from receiving a sick leave benefit aimed at those who must quarantine due to COVID-19 on Sunday amid fresh admissions of foreign excursions from a growing list of politicians and a national case count that surpassed 600,000.
The Canada Recovery sickness benefit was launched in the fall to help Canadians who are unable to work because they must quarantine during the pandemic. It pays $500 per week to a maximum of two weeks.
Read more about the options that feds are considering here.
Medical journal editor urges us not to name and shame those who defy pandemic precautions
An opinion piece in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) is suggesting that public shaming during the coronavirus pandemic might not be the best way to deal with people who break the rules.
Read more from Diane Duong here.
NOJHL announces January cohorts, return date remains up in the air
Exactly when the Soo Thunderbirds and the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League will return to play remains up in the air.
The league will remain off the ice until after Jan. 9 when the provincial lockdown due to COVID-19 is set to expire in northern Ontario.
Once the league is given the go-ahead to return to the ice the Soo Thunderbirds cohort for January will be with the Rayside-Balfour Canadians while the other cohorts will see the Blind River Beavers face the French River Rapids, the Timmins Rock face the Cochrane Crunch, and the Hearst Lumberjacks will face the Kirkland Lake Gold Miners.
Read more from SooToday's Brad Coccimiglio here.
Local families, couples cope with ongoing border closure
The Sault’s Penny Levine met her husband Stuart online 20 years ago. The two maintained a long-time, long-distance relationship while he worked as a skilled trades worker in the southern U.S. before he retired, the couple eventually marrying in Sault, Mich. in May, 2018.
Due to COVID-19 and the Canada-U.S. border closed to non-essential travel since March 2020, the Levines are once again finding themselves forced to maintain a long-distance relationship as a married couple. Read more about their story here.
Meanwhile, the Sault’s Katie and Dan Elliott have come up with some creative ways to see distanced family members across the river. With the border still closed, the couple still found a way to take part in a cousin's wedding and wish their Michigan family a Merry Christmas. You can read more about their story here.
Province launches free voluntary COVID-19 testing at Pearson Airport
Starting Wednesday, the province, in partnership with the Greater Toronto Airports Authority, is offering free and voluntary COVID-19 testing for international travellers arriving and staying in the province for at least 14 days.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced his government is launching a new voluntary and free border testing pilot program at Toronto Pearson International Airport for eligible international travellers returning to Ontario to help quickly identify and stop the spread of COVID-19 in the province.
Watch the full press conference for more information here.
Ski hills in Espanola, North Bay banning southern Ont. residents during January lockdown
Two Northern Ontario ski hills are telling southern Ontario residents they are not welcome at their facilities while the lockdown continues in the southern part of the province.
All ski hills in Ontario have been shut down due to the COVID-19 provincial lockdown, which started on Dec. 26.
Read more about these decisions here.
Queen's Park offers forest sector COVID-19 relief
The Ontario government is providing $5.3 million to help the forest sector offset the cost of COVID-19 safety measures.
Companies deemed eligible are engaged in timber tract operations, logging, supply and service, wood product and pulp manufacturing, and employ fewer than 500.
Read more about the funding here.
