COVID-19 protocols expanded in the Sudbury and Manitoulin districts
Health authorities in Sudbury are expanding COVID-19 restrictions that were in place for the city to now include the entire Sudbury and Manitoulin districts.
"We are at a point where we need to double down on the basics like masking, physical distancing, and vaccination. But local circumstances also mean that we also need some new rules, rolling back some relaxed measures, to further protect people who are unvaccinated, especially kids," said Dr. Penny Sutcliffe, the medical officer of health with Public Health Sudbury & Districts in a news release Wednesday night. "Today I am announcing new protective measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and do our best to ensure we are as prepared as we can be for the highly transmissible Omicron variant."
The following new instructions take effect Dec. 11 at 12:01 a.m.:
- Businesses and organizations must limit social gatherings and organized public events to 10 people indoors and 25 people outdoors;
- Food service businesses must reimplement some protections from Stage 2, such as no buffets and ensuring customers remain seated, except where dancing is permitted;
- Indoor sport and fitness facilities must increase physical distancing to three metres for some activities and establish new safety precautions in washrooms and change rooms;
- Team sports or games involving physical contact must be modified to eliminate it, with limited exceptions for professional and elite leagues and associations;
- Malls must reduce the music volume, prevent lineup and congregating unless physical distancing of two metres is maintained;
- Increased workplace safety measures for those who cannot work remotely, including virtual meetings and staggered breaks.
Proof of vaccination for people ages 12 and older is moving from voluntary to required for all non-essential businesses and organizations while maintaining capacity limits starting Dec. 15 at 12:01 a.m.
The Sudbury health unit is strongly advising that the public avoid non-essential travel, including holiday travel plans, take steps to make social gatherings in private settings as safe as possible, consider the vaccination status of everyone attending gatherings.
They also recommend practicing safe retail behaviours and considering curbside pickup.
Finally, for those living in long-term care and retirement homes, be aware of the vaccination status of anyone you visit.
As of Wednesday at 4 p.m., there are 363 active cases of COVID-19 in the Sudbury and Manitoulin districts. The region's 43rd COVID-related death was confirmed along with 50 new cases on Wednesday.
In less than a month, there have been 1,000 new cases of COVID-19 in the area, representing more than a quarter of the total cases since the pandemic began.
"While we do see cases of COVID-19 among students, which ultimately affect classes, cohorts, and schools, transmission is mostly occurring in community—we are not seeing high transmission of COVID-19 in schools and we remain focused in preserving in-person learning," Sutcliffe said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
'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.
First court appearance for boy and girl charged in death of Halifax 16-year-old
A girl and a boy, both 14 years old, made their first appearance today in a Halifax courtroom, where they each face a second-degree murder charge in the stabbing death of a 16-year-old high school student.