COVID-19: Here's the situation in the Sault this week

New daily cases in the province ranged this week between a high of 166 and a record-low of 114. The province's July 12 update also included zero deaths. 

The province has officially moved into Step 3 of its Roadmap to Reopen as of 12:01 a.m. today.

This allows for a further lifting of restrictions, including indoor dining and expanding indoor activities where face coverings can't always be worn. Face coverings in indoor public settings and physical distancing are still required. Face coverings are required in some outdoor public settings as well.

The province will stay at Step 3 for at least 21 days and until 80 per cent of the eligible population 12 years and up has their first dose and 75 per cent have received their second dose. All public health units must also have at least 70 per cent of their population fully vaccinated.

A full breakdown of the Roadmap to Reopen is available here.

Here's the latest on new cases in Algoma

As of 2:45 p.m., Algoma Public Health has not reported any new cases of COVID-19.

The last case of the virus in the region was reported on June 22, and the region has been clear of any active cases as of June 30.

Here are the latest COVID-19 numbers from Algoma Public Health, updated at 11:15 a.m. today:

• 157,368 tested
• 400 confirmed 
• 0 active cases
• 0 currently hospitalized
• 400 resolved
• 6 deceased
• 110 cases screened positive for variants of concern

Algoma Public Health is reporting that recent results from additional laboratory testing have detected the following variants of concern in Algoma:

• B.1.1.7 (Alpha), first detected in the UK
• B.1.617.2 (Delta), first detected in India
• P.1 (Gamma), first detected in Brazil

According to data on howsmyflattening.ca, a University of Toronto-led website which collects and analyzes data from Ontario's COVID-19 cases, 48 per cent of ICU beds in Algoma Public Health's jurisdiction are currently occupied, none of which are COVID patients.

The data also describes the community risk level for COVID-19 in our region as 'very low.'

Total confirmed cases by area of residence: 

• 313 in Sault Ste. Marie and area
• 51 in central and east Algoma
• 31 in Elliot Lake and area
• 5 in north Algoma

Comparatively, in Chippewa County, which covers Sault Ste. Marie Mich. and surrounding area, the COVID-19 data as of July 14 states:

• 2,541 cumulative positives
• 2,474 cumulative recovered
• 34 deaths
• 0 cases currently hospitalized

Here's the latest on COVID-19 vaccinations in Algoma:

Algoma Public Health is continuing in phase two of Ontario's 3 Phase Vaccine Distribution Program. As of 9:45 a.m. July 15:

• 134,833 total doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered
• 80,372 people have received their first dose only (63.1 per cent of youth 12-17 have received at least one dose and 80.1 per cent of the adult population (18+) have received at least one dose)
• 54,450 people are fully vaccinated (56.4 per cent of eligible population)
• 80,372 people have received at least one dose (70.2 per cent of the population or 79.3 per cent of the eligible population)

Indian Friendship Centre to host COVID-19 vaccine clinic (July 14)

The Sault Ste. Marie Indian Friendship Centre and Maamwesying North Shore Community Health Services hosted a COVID-19 vaccine clinic on Wednesday, July 14, administering the Moderna vaccine.

Urban Indigenous people (First Nation, Metis, Inuit) in Sault Ste. Marie and the surrounding area18 and up were the focus of this clinic.

Provenzano praises your pandemic performance

Mayor Christian Provenzano congratulated the people of Sault Ste. Marie Monday night for significant progress in eradicating COVID-19 from the city.

But Provenzano warned citizens against letting down their guard prematurely.

"I don't think Algoma Public Health has announced a confirmed COVID case since the week of June 21," the mayor said.

"The last active COVID case that we knew of came off the books on June 30."

"Since that point, we have not had an active case ongoing. I should note that's what we know of. It very well may be that there are active cases in the community that are beyond our knowledge and attention, but I do want to take a moment to thank the community for that tremendous result."

ONTARIO: Province's family doctors want clear plan on their future COVID-19 vaccination role

Family doctors are awaiting clear details of Ontario's plan to ramp up their involvement in the COVID-19 vaccination effort. 

Provincial officials said this week that they hope to include more family care practitioners in the immunization campaign in an effort to reach residents still without first doses and slowly shift away from mass clinics.

Now that Ontario's first-dose adult vaccination rate has hovered at just under 80 per cent for several weeks, the province has also started to cite the patient-doctor relationship as a powerful tool to reach the holdouts.

Ontario hasn't set a target for how many doctors it hopes to have administering the shots, or a timeline for their involvement. Solicitor General Sylvia Jones said this week she envisions eventually having COVID-19 shots largely handled in doctors' offices and pharmacies, much like annual flu shots. 

COVID-19: Quarantine exemptions lure visitors to Canada in advance of busy travel weekend

The number of incoming visitors to Canada has been gradually increasing in the days since travel restrictions began easing for fully vaccinated, eligible travellers — and the country's border agents are expecting more this weekend. 

The Canada Border Services Agency says incoming traffic last week increased about 25 per cent after quarantine rules were waived Monday for fully vaccinated Canadians, permanent residents and others already allowed to cross the border. 

But despite the agency's best efforts to publicize the requirements, roughly half of the people seeking the exemption had to be turned away, said Denis Vinette, vice-president of the agency's travellers branch. 

Read more here. 

Current numbers could mean 'long recovery ahead,’ Sault job report shows

The good news is that the unemployment rate for Sault Ste. Marie fell to 6.5 per cent in June, compared to a provincial rate of 8.4 per cent and a nationwide rate of 8.2 per cent.

The concerning part is that less of the community’s overall population is working or actively looking for work.

That from June employment numbers compiled by the Algoma Workforce Investment Corporation (AWIC). 

Sectors such as tourism and hospitality have been hit hard by COVID-19 restrictions and have yet to open up, which could mean some people are still waiting to get back into the labour market.

A lower participation and employment rate means a tighter labour market, making it difficult for some employers to find workers.

However, AWIC says we could expect to see the employment rate go up in the coming months as COVID restrictions are hopefully eased. 

Read more here. 

BEYOND LOCAL: 'This cannot be right,' says Barrie couple issued $12K in travel fines under expiring rule

A completely vaccinated Barrie couple in their 80s is sitting in isolation after returning home from missionary work and now trying to figure out what to do with more than $12,000 in travel-related fines under COVID-19 health regulations.

The Perrys, 87-year-old Glen and 80-year-old Thelma, arrived at Toronto's Pearson International Airport on July 4 at 8:20 p.m., having returned from missionary work in Jamaica. 

They arrived home just a couple hours before the rules around government-ordered hotel stays for travelling Canadians was set to expire.

The pair, who earn a combined annual salary of $12,000 for their missionary work, were each issued a ticket for $6,255 — for a total of $12,510. 

COVID-19: Better vaccine outreach to younger Canadians needed as first doses slow, says Tam

Chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam says she is concerned that vaccination rates among younger Canadians aren't high enough as the rate of first-dose shots is slowing.

"Now that the vaccine’s been around for some time we are getting a bit concerned that that group isn’t offering their arm, as it were," Tam said at a virtual news conference Thursday.

She said younger Canadians tend to be socializing more, and can infect older Canadians if they carry COVID-19, who may be more vulnerable to the disease even if they are fully vaccinated. Vaccines are reducing infection rates greatly, and evidence suggests vaccinated people who do end up contracting COVID-19 get very mild, if any symptoms. But there are some who still experience serious illness.

As of July 3, two in three Canadians between 12 and 39 have had at least one dose, but that leaves 4.5 million Canadians in that age group without any protection.

Sault's casino slated to reopen Friday

This Friday at 9 a.m., Gateway Casinos Sault Ste. Marie will reopen to the public with a capacity limit of 50 per cent.

The Sault Ste. Marie facility will be open from 9 a.m. to 2 a.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 9 a.m. to 3 a.m. Friday and Saturday.

To learn more, click here.

COVID-19: Canada monitoring 'whole slew' of variants, says chief public health officer

Chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam says the latest variant of interest in the COVID-19 pandemic has popped up in Canada in small numbers, but it's too early to know how widespread it is or what impact it could have.

Tam says 11 cases of the Lambda variant that was first identified in Peru last year have been reported to Health Canada to date. However, the National Institute of Public Health of Quebec said Thursday it has confirmed 27 cases already, all in March and April.

Lambda is just one of a "whole slew" of variants the Public Health Agency of Canada is keeping an eye on, said Tam, and watching how much is it spreading and how it will respond to vaccines.

ONTARIO: Fully vaccinated people won't need COVID tests to enter long-term care homes

Ontario is lifting COVID-19 testing requirements for vaccinated visitors, caregivers and staff at long-term care homes, provided they aren't showing any symptoms.

The new guidance from Ontario's chief medical officer of health also recommends exempting fully vaccinated people from routine testing. 

The change takes effect on Friday as the province lifts public heath restrictions on other sectors under the third step of its reopening plan.

CANADA: Non-profit long-term care homes have lost too many residents to COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a humanitarian catastrophe for long-term care facilities. A series of policy failures, combined with existing systemic weaknesses, have left Canadians in long-term care extremely vulnerable to COVID-19.

It’s difficult to overstate the scale of this crisis. Almost 4,000 long-term care residents in Ontario have died from COVID-19, a 28 per cent increase in excess deaths in 2020.

With the vaccination of residents and staff now well under way, it’s time to consider how to reform long-term care to ensure this situation never repeats itself. Many are calling for an end to for-profit care. But non-profits, which make up 28 per cent of long-term care homes, have largely been absent from the discussion.

Read more here.

Red Cross providing rapid COVID-19 testing to firefighters in the north

The Red Cross has teamed up with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry this summer to provide rapid COVID-19 testing for firefighters in northern Ontario. 

To help ensure the virus does not impact this summer’s fire season, Red Cross has teams spread across 18 different locations in the north that can provide the "Panibo Rapid Antigen" screening for firefighters and support staff. 

The first tests were administered in Sudbury on June 8, and all sites were operational by June 23. The program, which will run to the end of August, has been well-received so far by fire personnel. 

COVID-19: Ontario top doc says young Ontarians have highest unvaccinated infection rate

Young people in Ontario have the highest rates of COVID-19 infection among unvaccinated individuals, the province's top doctor said Tuesday as he called again for all those eligible to get their shots. 

Over the last three months, 96 per cent of people between the ages of 19 and 29 who were infected with COVID-19 weren't vaccinated against the virus, Dr. Kieran Moore said. 

Ninety-nine per cent of infected people between the ages of 12 and 17 were unvaccinated.

CANADA: Trudeau defends country's early response to COVID-19, admits room for improvement

There are ways to improve Canada's early pandemic alert and response systems, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says, but he also insists the country's top public health officials did start building a national response to COVID-19 very early on.

Trudeau said he welcomed a report the government commissioned reviewing Canada's Global Public Health Intelligence Network, known as GPHIN, which was published Monday.

"We're going to look very carefully at how we can move forward, not just in regards to that particular department or agency, but indeed, across the government to make sure we are better prepared for any future pandemics," Trudeau said Tuesday.

Health Minister Patty Hajdu ordered the review of GPHIN last year after some Public Health Agency of Canada scientists said their early warnings of COVID-19 were ignored.

Read more here. 

COVID-19: Canada to donate 17.7M doses of AstraZeneca, raise money for global vaccination

Canada will donate nearly 18 million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine to poorer countries, but is keeping millions of extra doses of mRNA vaccines for potential boosters as the World Health Organization is urging more generosity to stamp out COVID-19 around the globe.

"While Canadians continue to lead the world in vaccine administration, we know that the picture is very different in many places around the world," Procurement Minister Anita Anand said Monday. "We also know that this pandemic will not end until it ends everywhere."

She said that after talking to the provinces, the federal government determined these vaccine doses were excess supply, as demand for the AstraZeneca vaccine had been met.

ONTARIO: Families and experts want more guidance for unvaccinated kids as province reopens

For Stephen Ouderkirk, the normal anxieties of becoming a parent have been heightened as Ontario rolls back public health restrictions based on high COVID-19 vaccination rates and declining infections.

Children under 12 aren't eligible to receive any of the shots approved for use in Canada, and as Ontario prepares to lift more limits on businesses and gatherings, Ouderkirk is left wondering where his newborn son fits in.

"We feel kind of stuck, where there's clear guidance on what we can do individually but not us as a family," he said in a recent interview. "I know I can go into a restaurant and all that, but what can we do with him?"

Read more here.

COVID-19: Canada to reach 55M vaccine doses by week's end, catching up to U.S. on second doses

Canada is expecting vaccine shipments to keep rolling in this week as the country inches closer to matching the percentage of people in the United States fully vaccinated against COVID-19. 

The federal government expects another 1.4 million doses of the shot from Pfizer-BioNTech to arrive in the next seven days.

It also plans to distribute the 1.5 million doses from Moderna that came in last Friday.

By the end of the week, Canadian officials expect to have received a total of  more than 55 million doses including the latest shipments, though those figures may change. 

Read more here.