SUDBURY -- Eight more people have tested positive for COVID-19 in Greater Sudbury, Public Health Sudbury & Districts announced Monday evening. The new cases now total 13 in the last week in northeastern Ontario, with all but one in Greater Sudbury, marking the first spike since the province began gradually easing restrictions.

A month had passed between new cases in Sudbury before one was reported July 20, a travel-related exposure in someone under age 20. And now, within the last seven days, the number of active cases in Greater Sudbury has grown to 12. 

Seven of the eight new cases are people under age 20, and the eighth is a man in his 30s. The source of one of the eight cases in the new outbreak is also travel-related, while the remaining cases are due to close contact with a travel-related case.

“If there was ever any doubt, these eight cases put us on alert that catching COVID-19 continues to be a risk in our area," Dr. Penny Sutcliffe, medical officer of health with Public Health Sudbury & Districts, said in a news release Monday. "It remains critical to question where you travel, how you interact with people, and what you do when you are feeling unwell. You may feel that it won’t happen to you. The bad news is that it can."

The good news, Sutcliffe said, is there are "simple and effective steps to prevent infection with COVID-19."

With Phase 3 reopening, she said there will be many more people interacting and more opportunities for the virus to spread.

"The virus simply cannot spread easily if we limit our travel, stay within our social circles, keep our distance and wear face coverings outside of our circles, wash our hands, and stay home and call for testing when we don’t feel well," Sutcliffe said. "It is really that simple to keep our health and our economy afloat.”

Since the pandemic began, there have been 79 cases of the novel coronavirus confirmed in the Public Health Sudbury & Districts service area, which includes Manitoulin Island, and there have been two COVID-related deaths.

Correction:

The 12 of the 13 new active cases in northeastern Ontario are located in Greater Sudbury, while one is in Timmins.