Sault Ste. Marie confirms 32 more COVID-19 infections

Sudbury -

The number of active COVID-19 infections in Sault Ste. Marie is now the highest in the northeast as 32 new cases were confirmed Monday morning.

There have been more than 400 new cases of COVID-19 in the Algoma district in the last month, with new infections being confirmed every day. This has nearly doubled the number of total cases in the district since the pandemic began in March 2020.

As of Monday morning, Algoma Public Health is reporting 270 active COVID-19 cases as the district tries to curb the spread of the disease. There are 17 COVID-related hospitalizations currently in Algoma as well.

"Due to increasing rates of COVID-19 in Algoma, we are receiving assistance from case and contact managers who may be from the provincial workforce or a partner health unit. If you are a case or a high-risk contact, you may receive a call from a case/contact manager from outside of Algoma Public Health," the health unit said.

Several safety measures were reinstated last week, including returning to capacity limits, masking at outdoor events and sporting participants ages 12 and older being required to show proof of vaccination.

Since the pandemic began, there have been 890 infections confirmed among residents of Algoma, mostly within the City of Sault Ste. Marie. Of those, 620 cases have been resolved, including nine deaths.

There have been two COVID-related deaths in the last month, with the most recent announced on Nov. 9.

Six different COVID-19 outbreaks are currently active in the area:

• Tenaris Algoma
• Steel City MMA
• Algoma Treatment and Remand Centre
• Sault Area Hospital
• Isabel Fletcher Public School
• Thessalon Public School

Health officials in Algoma said since the beginning of the region's fourth wave in early July, 64 per cent of COVID-19 cases involved people who were not fully immunized. While breakthrough infections do happen, the health agency said the risk of infection is much higher among people who are not vaccinated.

The total number of active COVID-19 cases in northeastern Ontario is now at 635, as of Monday at 10:45 a.m.

Sudbury and Manitoulin have 265, the Timiskaming District has 56, the North Bay Parry Sound area has 27 and the Cochrane District has 17.