COVID-19 in Sudbury & districts: Your weekly update July 29, 2021

Reporting period: Thursday, July 22, 2021, to Wednesday, July 28, 2021.

July 29, 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 28, 2021: 7 new cases were reported and 4 cases were resolved. To date, 3 of the 7 cases had a mutation profile that is commonly associated with a COVID-19 variant of concern (VOC), including 2 that were associated with the Delta VOC. There were no COVID-related deaths nor active outbreaks this week. At end of day July 28, 2021, there were 7 active cases in our service area and no active outbreaks. The 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 2 183 local cases of which 2 176 are resolved, and 31 people have died in our service area. Nine-hundred and ninety-nine (999) have were confirmed or presumed to be COVID-19 variants of concern (VOC).

Trends in the past seven days

• Of the 7 new cases in our service area, 5 were close contacts of confirmed cases. 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. Two (2) cases were travel related. No cases were linked to an outbreak.
• Five (5) cases reported this week reside in Greater Sudbury, while 2 cases reside in Manitoulin District. There were no cases among residents of Sudbury District in the past 7 days.
• Between July 22 and July 28, Public Health identified 18 people as having had high-risk close contact with a case of COVID-19. This represents and average of 2.6 high-risk close contacts per local case reported in the past 7 days, compared to 2.8 high-risk close contacts per case 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 (usually not required for 14 days if fully vaccinated), and make recommendations for testing according to provincial guidance.
• The seven-day incidence rate was 3.5 new cases per 100 000 population, compared to 2.0 cases per 100 000 in the previous 7 days.
• The percent positivity was 0.44% for the period of July 21 to July 27, compared to 0.43% for the previous 7 days.
• For the period of July 21 to July 27, the effective reproductive number (Rt) was 0.8 for Northern Ontario, and 1.0 for Ontario overall.

Vaccination Program Update

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

• To date, a total of 262 777 doses of COVID-19 vaccinations have been administered to residents in Sudbury and districts. Thus far, 141 220 people have received their first dose of vaccine, and 121 557 people have been fully vaccinated (current as of 4 p.m. July 28, 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 28, 2021, a total of 6 171 vaccine doses were administered.
• Overall, 80.4% of Sudbury and districts residents aged 12+ have received their first dose of a vaccine, compared to 80.0% for all Ontario residents aged 12+.
• Second doses have been received by 69.2% of those aged 12+ in Sudbury and districts compared to 67.4% 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

• Let’s make this an epic Olympic summer and reach the podium for community wide protection against COVID-19. Set a gold standard by encouraging friends and family to get their two doses this summer; visit our clinic page and let them know where they can get their vaccine.
• Are you a parent or caregiver looking for trusted information about supporting your child or youth living with mental illness during the pandemic? Check out the new Family Care Centre by Children’s Mental Health Ontario for evidence-based information.
• The Delta variant is now the most dominant strain in our area. With the Delta variant spreading, everyone is strongly encouraged to get their COVID-19 vaccine without delay. While local vaccination rates have reduced the number of new cases, the virus still poses a threat. Personal health measures, such as physical distancing, masking, and limiting gatherings, not only help us to stay COVID-safe, but help prevent the spread of the virus and its variants.
• Haven’t gotten around to getting vaccinated yet? Make it a priority to get both doses of your COVID-19 vaccine and help us to reach our vaccination goals for Sudbury and districts. The vaccine is safe and effective against COVID-19 and the variants; it is our best protection against further Delta outbreaks across the province. Get your COVID-19 vaccine today and let’s get back to doing more of our favourite things with our favourite people. For more details, visit our clinic page.
• Pregnant? The COVID-19 vaccine is recommended for pregnant individuals who don’t have contraindications. To help you decide, refer to this user-friendly COVID-19 Vaccination in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding Patient Decision-Making Tool (PDF, Government of Ontario) or talk to your health care provider. Vaccines are safe, effective and provide a good immune response when given to pregnant individuals.

What’s new

• Public Health Sudbury & Districts is reporting that the more transmissible and dangerous COVID-19 Delta variant is now dominant in the area. Since July 1, 2021, the majority (70%) of COVID-19 cases reported in the Public Health Sudbury & Districts area are infected with a variant that has the Delta (B.1.617.2) mutation profile. For more information, see the July 23 news release on phsd.ca.
• A reminder, youth aged 12-17 are eligible to attend a mobile, pop-up, or walk-in vaccine clinic if their first dose was more than 21 days ago (Pfizer-BioNTech). Adults aged 18 or older can attend a mobile, pop-up, or walk-in vaccine clinic if their first dose was more than 21 days ago (Pfizer-BioNTech) or 28 days (Moderna).

Message from Dr. Penny Sutcliffe, Medical Officer of Health

It is hard to believe it will be August next week and for many that means thinking about the upcoming school year. To say that the last two school years have been a challenge would be an understatement. Everyone involved in our school system has felt the burden of COVID-19. It is my goal to have as normal a school year as possible but for that to happen we must increase our vaccination coverage as much as possible before the end of August. Time is running short for youth aged 12-17 to be fully vaccinated before the start of school. If you have not received your first dose, it is not too late. There are many convenient options to receive the vaccine including booked appointments, walk-in opportunities, mobile, and pop-up clinics. We recently reached 80% dose-one coverage for those 12+ in our service area. While this is wonderful news, we need to finish the job and make sure our communities, including our school communities, are optimally protected this fall.

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).