Delta strain now dominates, but close to 70% of Sudburians over 12 fully vaccinated, health unit reports
As local cases dry up, Public Health Sudbury & Districts said Thursday that 69.2 per cent of people older than 12 have now been vaccinated against COVID-19 with both shots.
More than 80 per cent have received at least one dose, the health unit said, bringing the area closer to the health unit's goal of getting 90 per cent of people in its coverage area fully vaccinated.
While the number new cases have dramatically slowed – no new cases have been reported in two days – there is a disturbing trend underlying the numbers: the extremely contagious Delta variant, which has sparked a surge of new infections among the unvaccinated south of the border.
"The more transmissible and dangerous COVID-19 Delta variant is now dominant in the area," the health unit said in its weekly roundup.
"Since July 1 … the majority (70 per cent) of COVID-19 cases reported in the Public Health Sudbury & Districts area are infected with a variant that has the Delta (B.1.617.2) mutation profile."
“The Delta variant can spread more easily and is associated with higher rates of hospitalization, ICU admission and death as compared with the Alpha variant,” Dr. Penny Sutcliffe, medical officer of health, said in a news release.
“COVID-19 vaccines are effective against Delta, but there is evidence of reduced protection against symptomatic disease after one dose. This means that two-dose vaccine coverage is important for everyone.
"Also, given how infectious Delta is, vaccination rates need to be as high as possible to protect against community spread. If you were waiting for yet another reason to get immunized, here it is,” she added.
Read the full weekly COVID-19 update from the health unit here.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
What to know about avian influenza in dairy cows and the risk to humans
Why is H5N1, or bird flu, a concern, how does it spread, and is there a vaccine? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Pro-plastic lobbyist presence at UN talks is 'troubling,' say advocates
Environmentalist groups are sounding the alarm about a steep increase in the number of pro-plastic lobbyists at the UN pollution talks taking place this week.
'Too young to have breast cancer': Rates among young Canadian women rising
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
$70M Lotto Max winners kept prize a secret from family for 2 months
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Courteney Cox says her partner Johnny McDaid once broke up with her in therapy
Courteney Cox's longtime partner Johnny McDaid once broke up with her in a therapy session.
Are Canadians getting sick from expired food?
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.