SUDBURY -- Sudbury health officials say one person has died as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak at Health Sciences North (HSN), the district's eleventh death related to the disease.
The outbreak was declared on Feb. 6 and was initially only in the Level 6 area of the south tower after two people, one patient and one employee were infected. It was expanded to include the medical overflow of the south tower on Wednesday.
As of noon on Thursday, there were seven patients with confirmed cases of COVID-19 at the hospital, two of which were in the intensive care unit. Six other patients at the hospital have been tested and are still waiting for results.
HSN is the largest hospital in the northeast.
As a result of the outbreak, the hospital cancelled more than 50 non-urgent and elective surgeries this week.
Public Health Sudbury & Districts confirmed 10 new outbreak-related cases in Greater Sudbury on Thursday afternoon, however, it is unclear if any are connected to the hospital as there are currently four other active COVID outbreaks in the city. Three of those are long-term care homes, Finlandia Village, Elizabeth Centre and Pioneer Manor. The outbreak at Amberwood Suites Retirement home, that began on Jan. 5 and has killed seven people, is still ongoing as well.
With the news of this most recent death, the number of active cases in Greater Sudbury sits at 34. Despite the province-wide lockdown that went into effect on Boxing Day, there have been 299 new infections confirmed in the Sudbury and Manitoulin Districts along with 268 cases resolved, including nine fatalities since Christmas Eve. Those nine deaths have happened in just under a month.
Since the pandemic began, there have been a total of 556 infections confirmed in the districts and 521 resolved, including 11 deaths.
Northern Ontario remains under the provincial stay-at-home orders until at least Feb. 16 as long as current health trends continue. The province continues to monitor the number of cases and the reopening date could still change. Of particular concern is the emergence of several cases involving the COVID-19 variant of concern B.1.1.7., originally discovered in the U.K.
CTV News Northern Ontario continues to provide daily updates on the status of COVID-19 in the northeast as it has done since the beginning of the pandemic. Find detailed information here.