Despite a low number of new cases yesterday, Public Health Ontario is reporting 170 new cases of COVID-19, the highest number of new cases since June 29.
Since the last report, the province's update indicates there were 26,326 coronavirus tests processed and there have been a total of 1.6 million tests processed in the province.
As Sault City Council and the public health unit are poised to discuss the possibility of mandatory face masks, the area has still not seen a new case reported since June 19. There are no known active cases in the district.
There are currently over 1,000 pending cases in Algoma, and as of this morning, over 15,000 tests have been conducted.
Here's the latest local, provincial, and federal news regarding COVID-19 cases and funding that you need to know:
Ontario extends emergency orders again
The emergency orders in Ontario have been extended to July 22.
According to the government, extending the emergency order ensures they have the tools to "safely and gradually reopen the province, while continuing to support frontline health care workers and protect vulnerable populations."
Read more about the extension here.
Mayor, health unit discuss imposing mandatory indoor face masks
City Council will debate the possibility of mandatory face masks after private discussions about the issue took place this week between Mayor Christian Provenzano and Algoma Public Health.
Dr. Jennifer Loo, APH's associate medical officer of health, will appear via teleconference at next week's City Council to speak about the pros and cons of both mandatory and voluntary face masks.
Read Sootoday's full report on the issue here.
Province kicks in $44K to help the Sault keep city buses clean
Sault Ste. Marie is receiving $44,803 from the province to help keep transit riders and operators safe during the COVID-19 pandemic, local MPP Ross Romano announced yesterday.
This funding, part of $15 million in provincial support for 110 municipalities, will be used for enhanced cleaning of municipal transit systems as the province moves into gradually reopening.
No new cases in Algoma region today
Here are the latest COVID-19 numbers from Algoma Public Health, updated at 8:40 a.m. on Thursday:
- 15,298 tested
- 24 positive
- 14,222 negative
- 1,052 pending
- 0 deceased
- 24 resolved
Total confirmed cases by area of residence:
- 19 in Sault Ste. Marie and area, with evidence of community spread
- 2 in central and east Algoma
- 3 in Elliot Lake and area
- 0 in north Algoma
City to reopen one ice pad at John Rhodes
The City of Sault Ste. Marie is set to re-open Arena 2 at the John Rhodes Community Centre on Monday, July 13 as part of stage 2 of the province's reopening plan, with plans to re-open Area 1 in the near future.
Read more about the reopening plan, for the John Rhodes, including visitor restrictions, here.
Museum wants to know how you coped through COVID-19 isolation
The Sault Ste. Marie Museum is looking for community submissions for its newly launched ongoing Re-Creating Our Community project.
The art, craft, written or digital submissions should reflect how you coped and what you hope the future holds for our city post-COVID-19.
Learn more about the project here.
