Capacity restrictions return as Greater Sudbury tries to get soaring COVID-19 cases under control

Sudbury -

 

As the province presses pause on reopening, residents in Greater Sudbury are also taking a step back in an attempt to get control of the surging number of cases in the city.

Public Health Sudbury & Districts announced Monday that, after consultations with Ontario’s chief medical officer of health, capacity restrictions for indoor and outdoor events are being reinstated beginning as of 12:01 a.m. Wednesday.

The move comes as the health unit announced 122 cases were reported since Saturday in the city, and another person has died from the disease, the area's 32nd pandemic-related fatality. A total of 21 people are now in hospital at Health Sciences North with the disease.

"Greater Sudbury is experiencing a spike in people testing positive for COVID-19," the health unit said in a news release.

"The timing of the increases is aligned with the lifting of provincial protections, beginning Oct. 9, 2021, and we now have the highest case rates in the province by far."

Public Health said another 27 cases were added Saturday, 34 cases Sunday and 61 on Monday.

"With 219 cases currently active, Public Health … is recording the highest rate of active cases amongst Ontario’s 34 health units and the highest we’ve seen since April 2020," the release said.

"The recent surge is in the City of Greater Sudbury. Since no single setting or sector is driving the increase, broad measures are required to reduce the number of contacts people have with one another. Transmission is widespread—especially in those aged 18 to 39, for whom vaccination rates are low and case rates are high—and Greater Sudbury is experiencing a record number of COVID-19 outbreaks."

The new "circuit-breaker" measures include reinstating capacity limits and physical distancing requirements, strengthening masking requirements at organized public events held indoors and outdoors, and requiring proof of vaccination for anyone aged 12 and older actively participating in organized sports (not just coaches, officials, etc.).

As expected, some residents weren't excited about the news.

“So disappointing to see those numbers keep going up. Disappointing, disheartening, you can think of all the adjectives to use because it doesn’t make sense. We should still be smart,” said Sudburian Lucille Quesnelle.

“The fact that they’ve opened up really fast, again, to me it’s fast. I know the businesses need their business, but for people and just to be smart, not to bring it home and not to share it, especially with the seniors and everyone else.”

 “Very disappointed and frustrated," said Debra Rogers. "All the cutbacks and shutdowns and everything else is just getting very hard and very … for lack of a better word … old, fast.

“I thought we were doing good, we were all getting our vaccinations, I thought we were out of the woods and on our way back to a little bit of normal,” she added.

The health unit said it was news no one wanted to hear. 

“Obviously, no one wants to hear this news, but we need to turn back the clock and protect people and the health system," Dr. Penny Sutcliffe, medical officer of health, said in the release.

"We are implementing these protections as a circuit-breaker in an effort to interrupt chains of transmission within the community and protect local businesses and workers by — we hope — avoiding any need for more drastic measures."

Must act now

“I am appealing to everyone in Greater Sudbury to ramp up your COVID-19 prevention actions—help us keep kids in school, protect vulnerable individuals, and safeguard our health system capacity," Sutcliffe added.

It's important to act now, she said, because transmission rates are expected to increase in winter, with more people gathering indoors.

“We are in a very different place than the rest of the province," Sutcliffe said.

"In addition to the current requirements in the regulation, the reinstatement of additional mandatory measures, and the class order I issued recently, I am also asking everyone to work from home where possible, minimize your outings to what’s really essential, get tested if you are even mildly unwell, and if you have to or choose to interact face-to-face with others, take all the precautions you can. Consider the number of people and the vaccination status of your potential contacts.”

A summary of the new measures for Sudbury:

- Reinstatement of capacity limits and physical distancing requirements at premises that require proof of vaccination, while preserving their proof of vaccination requirements.

- Businesses and organizations to ensure masking at organized public events held indoors and outdoors where participants are within 2 metres of individuals not part of their households.

- Anyone 12 years of age and older who actively participates in organized sports (not just coaches, officials, etc.) will be required to provide proof of vaccination unless a medical exemption applies. This additional requirement will also be implemented for the broader Public Health service area.

In addition, the health unit is exploring targeted COVID-19 rapid antigen screening in schools for Greater Sudbury, in partnership with boards of education.

And enforcement continues in collaboration with partners including Greater Sudbury bylaw and the Greater Sudbury Police Service.

For more information or if you have questions, click here or call Public Health Sudbury & Districts at 705-522-9200, toll-free 1-866-522-9200.

--Files from Alana Pickrell