Public Health Sudbury & Districts focused on offering booster doses, updates Instructions and revises Class Order to prepare for Omicron variant

Public Health Sudbury & Districts is taking further steps to prepare for the Omicron variant, which has an alarming ability to spread very quickly and is expected to bring about the most challenging wave yet of the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Penny Sutcliffe, Medical Officer of Health, is introducing additional measures, including:

• Redeploying Public Health resources to focus on vaccination (especially for booster doses and for children 5 to 11) and urgently calling out to other partners for assistance;
• Updating the Instructions to require concert venues, theatres and cinemas to ensure patrons be seated at all times, effective 12:01 a.m. December 18, 2021 (with further amendments potentially forthcoming following a review of today’s provincial announcements);
• Updating the existing Class Order dated October 28 to incorporate changes in management of cases and contacts of COVID-19, effective immediately.

“While we continue to learn more about the Omicron variant, what we know currently is cause for great concern. Recent modelling from the Science Advisory Table shows Omicron could push COVID-19 cases to new heights in a matter of days—and we are already stretched dealing with the recent surge of Delta in our area. Our community continues to deal with the tragic toll of COVID-19. We have seen 47 people lose their lives due to COVID-19 in our area—recently people in their 30s, 50s, and 60s have lost their lives,” said Dr. Penny Sutcliffe, Medical Officer of Health with Public Health Sudbury & Districts. “The additional protections we have put in place since early November have helped control rapid growth. This is good news, however, it is obvious from experience in Kingston and elsewhere, that additional measures are needed with Omicron to reduce the impacts on people and the health care system as much as possible. Please continue to take care of yourselves and others, as we may be in for a difficult next few weeks,” added Dr. Sutcliffe.

Public Health Sudbury & Districts is also pleased to learn of new measures being introduced by the Government of Ontario that align with Instructions currently in place locally, and the existing Letter of Instruction will be amended accordingly. To date, Public Health Sudbury & Districts has no confirmed cases of Omicron in its catchment area. However, residents should be aware that there are multiple cases of COVID-19 under investigation for Omicron as they have screened positive for the variant. The extraordinarily high rate of transmission for Omicron and early evidence that it can produce severe disease, has prompted the Science Advisory Table to warn that without prompt intervention, ICU occupancy could reach unsustainable levels in early January. With the Omicron variant, the focus for Public Health is on reducing severe illness and hospitalizations and maintaining essential services.

Vaccination across Greater Sudbury and in the Sudbury and Manitoulin districts

With the threat of the Omicron variant, it is highly recommended to get a booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to protect against serious disease from COVID-19. Public Health has redeployed all remaining staff resources to quickly ramp up local capacity and vaccination appointments. As more individuals become eligible for booster doses, including those 18 and older starting December 20, 2021, every effort is being made to offer booster doses locally, including offering more walk-in opportunities, extending clinic hours, and requesting more doses from the province. Despite our best efforts, we will not be able to vaccinate everyone eligible in a matter of weeks. We remain focused protecting those who are most at risk, such individuals with underlying health conditions, health care workers and their families, individuals who live or work in congregate settings, and those over the age of 50 and ask for your continued patience.

Case and contact management for positive cases of COVID-19

Public Sudbury & Districts is advising that in the coming days and as per evolving provincial direction, a shift will occur to transition quickly to a high-surge model for case management and contact tracing. This is the result of the expected surge in cases that will outstrip capacity. It is also to maximize the public health workforce focus on vaccination with the aim of reducing severe illness and maintaining essential services as much as possible.

The high-surge model for case and contact management shifts the priority to protect the vulnerable in high-risk settings including schools, retirement homes, long-term care homes, other congregate living settings (for examples, shelters), and acute health care settings (cases who are hospitalized).

“The pandemic has been long—and we are clearly not through it yet and the predictions are for difficult times ahead. I am calling on everyone to remember the messages of kindness and solidarity from earlier on. Help each other out. Reset your norms to reduce spread,” urged Dr. Sutcliffe, adding, “Thank you, stay safe, and look after each other.”

For more information about COVID-19 and vaccination, please visit phsd.ca/COVID-19. Keep connected with our Facebook and Twitter pages or call Public Health Sudbury & Districts at 705.522.9200 (toll-free 1.866.522.9200).