SUDBURY -- Public Health Sudbury & Districts reported 30 new COVID-19 infections Friday, including 29 in Greater Sudbury and one in Sudbury district.
That's two off the record set Monday, when 32 cases were logged. The rising case numbers prompted the province to announce Friday area covered by the health unit will go into the more restrictive red-protect zone Monday.
Six of the new cases are related to current outbreaks, four are the result of close contact with confirmed cases, while the source of infection for 20 is unknown and is under investigation.
In addition to the rising case counts, fears of the highly infectious COVID variants is also rising. While only three cases have been confirmed to be a variant, 54 cases are suspected to be variants and require further testing.
In all, Public Health has reported 744 cases since the start of the pandemic, with a record 154 active cases still to be resolved. There have been 14 deaths connected to COVID.
Details of the current situation in Sudbury can be found here.
The health unit also announced Friday that pre-registration for vaccines is now available for people 80 and older and people who receive chronic home care. However, a shortage of vaccine supply means the names of everyone who pre-registers by March 8 will go into a lottery. Those who are picked will receive vaccines until the local supply is exhausted.
