COVID-19 in Sudbury & districts: Your weekly update September 16, 2021

Reporting period: Thursday, September 9, 2021, to Wednesday, September 15, 2021.

September 16, 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 September 15, 2021: 39 new cases were reported and 19 cases were resolved. To date, 24 of the 39 cases had a mutation profile that is commonly associated with a COVID-19 variant of concern (VOC). There were 2 active COVID-19 outbreaks this week, one of which was declared over. There were no COVID-related deaths. At end of day September 15, 2021, there were 52 active cases in our service area and 1 active outbreak in a school. There were no local cases in hospital.  All cases were self-isolating.

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been a total of 2 354 local cases of which 2 302 are resolved, and 31 people have died in our service area. One thousand, one hundred and nineteen (1 119) were confirmed or presumed to be COVID-19 variants of concern (VOC).

Of the 262 local cases of COVID-19 reported since June 1, 2021, 31 cases (12%) have been among fully vaccinated individuals. There have been 197 cases (75%) in unvaccinated residents, while 34 (13%) have occurred among those who have received one dose of vaccine. During that same period, there have been 8 local hospitalizations among unvaccinated (6 cases, 75%) and partially vaccinated (2 cases, 25%). 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 10.8 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 62.9 new cases per 100,000 population. Residents who were 20 to 29 years of age had the highest rate at 147.0 per 100,000 population. The rates among 0 to 19-year-olds (98.7 per 100,000) and 30 to 39-year-olds (86.2 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 19.6 new cases per 100 000 population, compared to 10.6 cases per 100 000 in the previous 7 days.
• Of the 39 new cases in our service area in the past week, 23 were a close contact of confirmed case and 1 case was 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. Two (2) cases were travel-related, while 11 had no known epidemiological link.  Two (2) cases remained under investigation.
• Thirty-three (33) cases reported this week reside in Greater Sudbury, while 3 cases reside in Sudbury East and 3 reside in Manitoulin District. (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)
• Between September 9 and September 15, Public Health identified 334 people as having had high-risk close contact with a case of COVID-19. This represents an average of 9.0 high-risk close contacts per local case reported in the past 7 days, compared to 1.0 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 if fully vaccinated), and make recommendations for testing according to provincial guidance.
• The percent positivity was 1.8% for the period of September 1 to September 6, compared to 1.6% for the previous 7 days.
• For the period of September 8 to September 14, the effective reproductive number (Rt) was 1.12 for Northern Ontario, and 0.99 for Ontario overall.

Vaccination Program Update

• To date, a total of 291 090 doses of COVID-19 vaccinations have been administered to residents in Sudbury and districts. Thus far, 151 585 people have received their first dose of vaccine, and 139 505 people have been fully vaccinated (current as of 4 p.m. September 15, 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 September 15, 2021, a total of 3 017 vaccine doses were administered.
• Overall, 86.3% of Sudbury and districts residents aged 12+ have received their first dose of a vaccine, compared to 84.8% for all Ontario residents aged 12+.
• Second doses have been received by 79.4% of those aged 12+ in Sudbury and districts compared to 78.5% of Ontarians of the same age.

* Rates are based on 2020 population estimates from the Ministry of Finance to match provincial coverage calculations.

Stay COVID-safe

• Oh deer, bow hunting has begun! Stay COVID-safe by wearing a mask (when applicable), practising physical distancing, and washing your hands while hunting this season. If you have symptoms of COVID-19, postpone your hunting trip.
• Start your day by using the online COVID-19 self-assessment Based on your answers, the tool will recommend what you should do next. Don’t forget, if you are a high-risk close contact of a confirmed case, you must follow local public health direction and self-isolate regardless of your vaccination status. Screening and self-isolation help prevent the spread of the virus.
• Applying for a new job? Many businesses have a COVID-19 vaccination policy. Don’t delay. Get your two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. Book an appointment, visit a walk-in clinic, pop-up clinic, or mobile clinic. Learn more by visiting ca/COVID-19/vaccine-clinics.
• Many children and youth have been struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic. Parents and guardians may wonder if they should be concerned. Check out this tip sheet from School Mental Health Ontario’s to know what to look for, how to support your child, and where to access help.

What’s new

• On September 14, the Government of Ontario released the regulations and guidance for businesses and organizations to support them in implementing proof of vaccination requirements, which take effect September 22. For more information, read the full news release on news.ontario.ca.
• Public health guidance continues to strongly encourage anyone responsible for a business or organization to ensure that any person who performs work for the business or organization conduct their work remotely unless the nature of their work requires them to be on site at the workplace. Though this is not required under the current Ontario Regulation 364/20 (Rules for Areas at Step 3 and at the Roadmap Exit Step), limiting contact with individuals who are not part of your household continues to be a key measure in minimizing the impact of COVID-19, including more easily transmitted variants of concern.
• In Sudbury and districts, there have been confirmed breakthrough cases of COVID-19, and in these circumstances, the high-risk close contacts are usually advised to self-isolate and seek testing regardless of whether they are fully vaccinated or not. This is an additional measure required to reduce the transmission of the COVID-19 virus. A breakthrough case is when an individual who is fully vaccinated tests positive for the virus. As with all cases, the guidance provided by Public Health to close contacts is based on an investigation and risk assessment.

Message from Dr. Penny Sutcliffe, Medical Officer of Health

With the official start of fall next week and the province requiring proof of vaccination in certain settings, it is the perfect time to get the COVID-19 vaccine if you have not already done so. Reaching the goal of 90% of eligible people being fully vaccinated against the virus is critically important to prevent potential impacts on school or businesses, and to protect the capacity of our health care system. Through modelling and projections, we anticipate the fall and winter months will present some challenges. It’s critical that we all take the actions within our control to lessen the impact of the fourth wave. Although the negative effects of COVID-19 are felt by everyone in our communities, those working in health care see it on a daily basis. Hats off to our hard-working health care professionals who have pulled out all the stops to be there for us when we most need them. This work does not go unnoticed, and we very much appreciate your dedication. Our local response to a global pandemic is a team effort – all supporting one another!

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 Monday 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).