COVID-19 in Sudbury & districts: Your weekly update June 10, 2021

Reporting period: Thursday, June 3, 2021, to Wednesday, June 9, 2021.

June 10, 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 June 9, 2021: 12 new cases, and 19 cases were resolved. There were no COVID-related deaths. Six (6) new cases screened positive for a COVID-19 variant of concern (VOC), which is 50% of the cases reported in this period. One (1) outbreak was active in the past week, in a workplace. It has since resolved.  At end of day June 9, 2021, there were 25 active cases in our service area, and no active outbreaks. Three (3) cases were hospitalized, while the rest were self-isolating.

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been a total of 2 110 local cases of which 2 087 are resolved, and 30 people have died in our service area. Nine-hundred and thirty-eight (938) have screened positive for a COVID-19 variant of concern (VOC).

Trends in the past seven days

• Of the 12 new cases in our service area, 9 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. No cases were associated with an outbreak, nor were any travel-related. The source of exposure was unknown for 3 cases.
• Nine (9) cases reside in Greater Sudbury, while 1 resides in Sudbury North and 2 reside in Sudbury West. There were no cases among residents of Sudbury East or Manitoulin District in the past 7 days.  (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)
• Contact tracing information was available for all cases reported from June 3 to June 9. Through our investigation, we identified 71 people who had high-risk close contacts with these cases. That is an average of 6 high-risk close contacts per case, an increase from an average of 5 contacts per cases reported last week for the previous 7 days. Public Health follows up directly and regularly with every high-risk close contact to monitor them for symptoms, ensure they are self-isolating, and make recommendations for testing according to provincial guidance.
• The seven-day incidence rate was 6.0 new cases per 100 000 population, compared to 9.6 cases per 100,000 in the previous 7 days.
• The percent positivity was 0.90% for the period of June 1 to June 7, (compared to 1.06% for the previous 7 days).
• For the period of June 2 to June 8, the effective reproductive number (Rt) was 1.0 for Northern Ontario, and 0.8 for Ontario overall.

Vaccination Program Update

• To date, the COVID-19 Vaccination Program has administered a total of 143 669 doses to residents in Sudbury and districts. Thus far, 116 880 people have received their first dose of vaccine, and 26 779 people have been fully vaccinated (current as of 4 p.m. June 9, 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 June 9, 2021, a total of 14 273 vaccine doses have been administered.
• Overall, 71.4% of Sudbury and district residents aged 18+ have received their first dose of a vaccine, compared to 76.4% for all Ontario residents aged 18+.
• Second doses have been received by 16.4% of those aged 18+ in Sudbury and districts compared to 11.6% 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

• Starting tomorrow we will be in Step 1 of the Reopening Ontario Roadmap (Government of Ontario.) This includes limiting gatherings to 10 people outdoors while maintaining physical distancing. Time spent indoors should only be with members of your household. We are not out of the woods yet; we need to continue to follow public health measures. Learn more about the Roadmap to Reopen Ontario  (Government of Ontario).
• Be COVID-safe during your breaks (Government of Ontario) at work! Try staggering your breaks with others to minimize the number of people in the break room at once. Remember to keep practicing physical distancing. If possible, take advantage of the beautiful weather and eat outside.
• Times like COVID-19 can be challenging, give yourself a break, you are doing the best you can. Treat yourself like you would a close friend, with kindness and support. It is important for our emotional resilience. Try listening to guided self-compassion practices for adults and teens (Centre for Mindful Self-Compassion).
• If you got a first dose of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, there are two options for your second dose. You can get a second dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine or you can choose to get an mRNA vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna) for your second dose. Both options for your second dose are safe and will provide strong protection against COVID-19. Learn more about second dose options (Government of Ontario)  for those who received a first dose AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.
• Individuals who have received their mRNA vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna) should be offered the same mRNA vaccine for their second dose. If the same mRNA vaccine is not readily available, another mRNA vaccine can be offered to complete the vaccine series.

What’s new

• As of June 7, 2021, more people are eligible to receive their second doses of COVID-19 vaccine sooner than previously scheduled. These individuals include those aged 70 and over in 2021 as well as individuals who received their first dose of an mRNA vaccine (Pfizer or Moderna) on or before April 18, 2021. For a complete list of who is eligible to receive their second dose sooner, visit ca/covid-19/vaccine-clinics.

Message from Dr. Penny Sutcliffe, Medical Officer of Health

I am very pleased that our communities, along with the rest of the province, will be entering Step 1 of Ontario’s Roadmap to Reopen tomorrow. It has been a very long road and we are not out of the woods yet, but it is a sign of the progress we have made. Please remember that while more outdoor activities are permitted, you are still only allowed to gather indoors with those who you live with. Early this week, even more people became eligible to get their second dose of the vaccine sooner than expected. I know the phone lines have been busy and people are eager to get fully vaccinated. This is great news. Please be patient as we work to get appointments for everyone who is eligible. There will be enough for everyone!

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 Mondays and Thursdays 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).