SUDBURY -- With seven COVID-related deaths in the last seven days in the Sudbury area, it marks a grim milestone as the pandemic rages on.

It is the highest number of COVID fatalities in one week.

Public Health Sudbury & Districts announced the area's 23rd COVID-related death on Sunday evening, and 21 of those have happened since Jan. 11.

The number of active COVID-19 cases in the Sudbury and Manitoulin Districts is 266 after 32 new infections were confirmed and 27 previous cases were marked resolved on Sunday. Of those, 253 are within the City of Greater Sudbury, nine are within the Sudbury District and the remaining four are in the Manitoulin District.

There are currently six active COVID-19 outbreaks:

  • St. Gabriel Villa
  • Christian Horizons
  • YMCA Warming Centre and support agencies
  • Health Sciences North floors six and 7B in the north tower
  • Sudbury Developmental Services Holland Road Site

On Saturday, Ontario entered its third province-wide shutdown in an attempt to slow the surge of the third wave of the disease.

The number of positive cases has grown exponentially since Christmas Eve, with the number growing from 257 to 1,533 in just over three months.

The number of cases involving variants of concern sits at 422.

As of April 1, the health unit has given 35,992 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, with 3,543 residents fully vaccinated with both shots. Find more information on how to get the vaccine here.