SUDBURY -- Public Health Sudbury & Districts reported 20 new COVID cases Thursday, with 19 in Greater Sudbury and one in Sudbury district.

Five of the new cases are linked to one of the existing outbreaks in the city, nine are a result of close contact with a confirmed case, five are under investigation and the source of one case is unknown.

Hospitalizations at Health Science North also increased, with 49 people now in hospital with or suspected to have the disease, compared to 36 on Wednesday. Nine of those people are in the intensive care unit.

Since Saturday, Public Health has reported 173 new cases in their coverage area, which remains under lockdown. A total of 348 coronavirus cases in the area have screened positive for COVID variants, an increase of 25 compared to Wednesday.