New confirmed cases of COVID-19 ranged between a low of 2,123 and a high of 2,447 in Ontario this week.
While Premier Doug Ford has called for stricter border controls as cases in COVID-19 continue to rise in Ontario, federal Public Safety Minister Bill Blair says the feds are doing everything they can to protect Canadians from COVID-19. He stated 98 per cent of the cases in the country can be linked to community transmission, not international travel.
With the holiday season upon us, public health officials and politicians alike are urging Saultites to avoid gatherings.
Recent modelling suggests things have changed for the worse, and Ontario's ability to control the growth of new cases is precarious.
Here's the latest local, provincial, and federal news regarding COVID-19 cases and funding that you need to know:
Four total cases of COVID-19 reported by Algoma Public Health this week
On Tuesday, Algoma Public Health announced it will now report confirmed cases of COVID-19 in non-Algoma residents who are temporarily in the region.
On Monday, SooToday confirmed a positive case of COVID-19 was identified at the Algoma Treatment and Remand Centre. This is the second case linked to the local jail since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Algoma Public Health now has 64 confirmed cases. Two are Algoma residents, and two are non-Algoma residents temporarily in the region.
We currently have four active cases in the region.
Here are the latest COVID-19 numbers from Algoma Public Health, updated on Thursday at 1:45 p.m.:
- 70,278 tested
- 64 confirmed
- 2 (2) active cases (One Algoma resident, two non-Algoma residents)
- 62 resolved
- 0 deceased
Total confirmed cases by area of residence:
- 58 in Sault Ste. Marie and area, with evidence of community spread
- 3 in central and east Algoma
- 3 in Elliot Lake and area
- 0 in north Algoma
Development of COVID-19 vaccine progresses, race for rapid tests continues
For the second time this month, there's promising news from a COVID-19 vaccine candidate: Moderna said Monday its shots provide strong protection, a dash of hope against the grim backdrop of coronavirus surges around the world.
Ontario's Health Minister Christine Elliott has stated millions of doses of COVID-19 vaccines will be delivered early in the new year. She said 1.6 million doses of the Pfizer and 800,000 of the Moderna vaccines are destined for Ontario.
Province announces lockdown starting Boxing Day (Dec. 26)
In light of rising COVID-19 cases and in an effort to stop the spread of the virus during the holidays, Premier Doug Ford announced the province will go into lockdown starting Dec. 26 at 12:01 a.m. The shutdown will be in effect for 14 days for Northern Ontario.
This means schools will stay closed until at least Jan. 11, with remote learning starting on Jan. 4. It also means in-person road tests are cancelled until at least Jan. 9.
The Diocese of Sault Ste. Marie has confirmed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day mass are still a go, but starting on the 26, capacity will be reduced to only 10 people.
The province has said it will freeze electricity rates during the shutdown.
More details on what will stay open and what will close can be found here. Specific details on how city operations will be affected can be found here.
Small businesses eligible for support funds amid provincial shutdown
The province has announced small businesses may qualify for up to $20,000 to help them stay afloat following the announcement of a provincial shutdown, starting on Boxing Day.
More details on the funding can be found here.
OHL pushes back season start date
The Ontario Hockey League announced on Wednesday the start of the 2020-21 season will again be delayed due to COVID-19.
With the expectation that American and European players would be arriving over the next two weeks to quarantine prior to beginning play, the Ontario Hockey League announced on Wednesday morning that the regular season has once again been pushed back.
Locally, Soo Greyhounds general manager Kyle Raftis said Wednesday, it wasn't a decision that surprised many.
First Northern Ontario COVID-19 vaccine administered in Thunder Bay
The Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre received it’s first shipment of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine on Monday and began immunizations for long-term care workers Tuesday morning, making Thunder Bay the first Northern Ontario city to receive and issue the vaccine.
Algoma Public Health, Sault Police visit local bar after Facebook post calls COVID-19 pandemic 'a lie'
A Sault Ste. Marie bar and eatery received a visit from police and a health inspector this past weekend after its social media account promoted what is being widely perceived by the public as an anti-masking event.
Algoma Public Health has confirmed that a health inspector and officers with Sault Ste. Marie Police Service attended The Harp Bar & Grill Saturday evening, after a post promoting a weekly event dubbed ‘Fight For Your Rights Fridays’ surfaced on the bar’s Facebook page Friday.
Read more from SooToday's James Hopkin here.
Visitors no longer permitted at North Shore Health Network's emergency department due to lockdown
The North Shore Health Network announced new measures to protect patients against COVID-19. The changes came into affect Wednesday, Dec. 23, and include no longer allowing visitors at emergency departments with exceptions for caregivers or parents requiring end of life care.
More details can be found here.
Health Canada approves Moderna vaccine
Health Canada has approved the COVID-19 vaccine from U.S. biotech firm Moderna.
Up to 168,000 doses are set to arrive in Canada by the end of December, and two million by the end of March.
Ontario is slated to receive 43,000 doses by the end of December.
Transportation minister directs Canadian Transportation Agency to develop new rules for flight cancellation funds
Federal Transport Minister Marc Garneau is directing the Canadian Transportation Agency to strengthen rules that require airlines to refund passengers for cancelled flights.
In a statement Monday, Garneau said the pandemic has highlighted a gap in Canada's protections for airline passengers, which weren't designed to cover such lengthy delays, like the one created by the COVID-19 pandemic.
