COVID-19 in Sudbury & districts: Your weekly update December 9, 2021

Reporting period: Thursday, December 2, 2021, to Wednesday, December 8, 2021.

December 9, 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 December 8, 2021: 325 new cases were reported and 246 cases were resolved. (Note: Due to recent changes in laboratory practices, Public Health will no longer be reporting on the variant of concern (VOC) profiles of cases.) Twenty-eight (28) COVID-19 outbreaks were active this week, including 11 in schools or on school buses, 7 in workplaces, 2 in daycares, 2 in hospitals, 5 in community settings (3 sports teams, a dance studio, and a public park), and 1 in a long-term care home. Fourteen (14) outbreaks were declared over in the past 7 days, 8 in schools and school busses, 2 in hospitals, 2 in community settings, and 1 each in a workplace and a daycare. There were 4 COVID-related deaths. At end of day December 8, 2021, there were 363 active cases in our service area and 20 active outbreaks. There were 12 local cases in hospital, while the rest were self-isolating.

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been a total of 4 212 local cases of which 3 849 are resolved. Sadly, 43 people have died in our service area.

Of the 2 070 local cases of COVID-19 reported since June 1, 2021, 654 cases (32%) have been among fully vaccinated individuals. There have been 1 416 cases (68%) in unvaccinated or partially vaccinated residents (those having received one-dose only). During that same period, there have been 70 local hospitalizations of which 50 cases (71%) were unvaccinated or partially vaccinated. Twenty (20) hospitalized cases (29%) were fully vaccinated. Interpreting vaccine status data: please note that data on case counts by vaccination status are preliminary—and highly subject to change. Comparing cumulative numbers from week to week may lead to incorrect estimates of case counts by vaccination status for the previous 7 days.

Based on data from the last 14 days, the risk of contracting COVID-19 for unvaccinated residents of Sudbury and districts was 6.1 times the risk for fully vaccinated residents.

Recent Trends

• In the past 28 days, the overall incidence rate of COVID-19 in our area was 498.8 new cases per 100 000 population. Residents who were 19 years of age and younger had the highest rate at 996.0 new cases per 100 000 population. The rates among those aged 30-39 (556.1 per 100,000), and 40 to 49 (553.8 per 100 000) were also higher than the overall rate in our area. Rates among all other age groups were lower than the overall rate.
• The local incidence rate in the past 7 days was 163.4 new cases per 100 000 population, compared to 130.2 cases per 100 000 in the previous 7 days.
• Of the 325 new cases in our service area in the past week, 102 were a close contact of confirmed case and 33 were associated with an outbreak. 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. forty-one (41) had no known epidemiological link. No cases were travel related. One hundred and forty-nine (149) cases remained under investigation
• Of the 325 cases reported this week, 203 reside in Greater Sudbury while 106 reside in Manitoulin district, 13 in Sudbury West, and 3 in Sudbury East. (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)
• The percent positivity was 5.5% for the period of December 1 to December 7, compared to 4.1% for the previous 7 days.
• For the period of December 1 to December 7, the effective reproductive number (Rt) was 1.26 for Sudbury and districts, 1.09 for Northern Ontario, and 1.13 for Ontario overall.

Vaccination Program Update

• To date, a total of 334 440 doses of COVID-19 vaccinations have been administered in Sudbury and districts. Thus far, 163 782 people have received their first dose of vaccine and 155 517 people have been fully vaccinated, of which 15 141 people have received a third dose (current as of 4 p.m. December 8, 2021). Note, this includes vaccines administered by Public Health, First Nation and Indigenous communities, primary care, and pharmacies.
• Over the last 7 days up to end of day Wednesday, December 8, 2021, a total of 3 944 vaccine doses were administered.
• Overall, 86.9% of Sudbury and districts residents aged 12+ have received their first dose of a vaccine, compared to 90.2% for all Ontario residents aged 12+.
• Second doses have been received by 84.0% of those aged 12+ in Sudbury and districts compared to 87.5% for all Ontario residents aged 12+.
• Overall, 82.2% of Sudbury and districts residents aged 5+ have received their first dose, compared to 85.2% for all Ontario residents aged 5+.
• Second doses have been received by 77.7% of those aged 5+ in Sudbury and districts compared to 80.7% for all Ontario residents aged 5+.
• 78.5% of the total population of Sudbury and districts have received their first dose and 74.3% have been fully immunized. This means that there are over 52 700 residents who are not currently fully immunized.
• The following is a depiction of vaccinations received by age for individuals 12+ in Sudbury and districts.

Stay COVID-safe

• Are you planning on travelling to visit loved ones for the holidays? Be aware that COVID-19 is circulating at different levels around the province—and is unacceptably high in Greater Sudbury. Take precautions and avoid non-essential travel, including holiday travel plans. If you do decide to travel, make it as safe as possible by getting vaccinated, masking, visiting outdoors or in well ventilated areas, and staying home if even mildly unwell. Know that the safest option is to stay in the area of your home community or region.
• The COVID-19 situation can be very stressful. It is important to take care of our mental health during challenging times like these. Sometimes this means being brave and reaching out for additional help. Check out these Government of Ontario mental health, wellness and addictions supports.
• With the increase of COVID-19 cases locally, Public Health Sudbury & Districts recommends that employers and employees connect virtually with colleagues this holiday season for professional and social gatherings. Remember to stay COVID-safe by completing your COVID-19 vaccine series, following all public health measures and stay home even if your symptoms are mild.
• Everyone who is eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine should get vaccinated. Individuals who get infected can have symptoms that last for months (leaving long term effects). The virus can damage the heart, brain, lungs and increase the risk of long-term health problems. Even people who are young and healthy can feel unwell for weeks to months after the COVID-19 infection. Your best protection is to get vaccinated. Visit phsd.ca/COVID-19/vaccine-clinics to book a vaccination appointment as soon as possible.

What’s new

• As of December 6, unless otherwise noted, Public Health moved to appointment only COVID-19 vaccine clinics. A small number of clinics continue to offer walk-in opportunities; however, those clinics are clearly labeled as walk-in. For information on clinics or how to book an appointment, please visit phsd.ca/COVID-19/vaccine-clinics.
• On December 8, Dr. Penny Sutcliffe announced the expansion of the legally enforceable Instructions currently in place locally under the provincial Reopening Ontario Act along with new protective measures that are being implemented throughout the agency’s service area effective Saturday, December 11, 2021, at 12:01 a.m. For more information, read the news release.

Message from Dr. Penny Sutcliffe, Medical Officer of Health

As we are seeing persistently high and growing COVID-19 case rates, yesterday I announced new legally enforceable measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19. These additional measures include, but are not limited to, limiting the size of social gatherings in certain settings, proof of vaccination requirements in non-essential businesses, and increased requirements for team sports. Public Health is also doubling down on the basics like masking, physical distancing, and vaccination, and those requirements will be strengthened in certain settings. After reviewing the trends and considering the risks of the highly transmissible Omicron variant and upcoming holidays, these additional layers of protection are necessary. My public health colleagues and I remain focused on preserving in-person learning and protecting our health care system. We recognize the need to collectively do better at reducing the spread in the community to lessen the impact on our schools and hospitals. These new measures are necessary, and we encourage everyone to be patient and kind with businesses and organizations as they work to follow the measures and recommendations to protect our community.

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.  A detailed epidemiology summary is posted on Tuesday that includes information about cases over time, case characteristics, probable exposures, case outcomes, testing, and outbreaks in facilities. In addition, a detailed vaccination report is produced on Tuesdays that includes information about vaccine administration over time, by regions, by brand, by dose, and by age groups. The report also provides additional context by comparing our data to Ontario.

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).