Province taking further action in Long Term Care Homes, requiring fully vaccinated staff and visitors
The Province of Ontario says they’re taking action to strengthen public health measures at long-term care and retirement homes. Temporary changes include testing and fully vaccinated visitors and staff. Effective immediately, all general visitors at long-term care homes must be fully vaccinated. All homes are also being directed to increase infection prevention and control (IPAC) audits.
A full list of measure are here.
PHSD reports 2 COVID-19 Deaths
Public Health Sudbury and Districts reported two new COVID-19 related deaths in the area. It brings the total number of fatalities in the Sudbury jurisdiction to 45 since the pandemic was declared in March of 2020.
COVID-19 Outbreak declared at Kirkland Lake Gold
A COVID-19 outbreak has been declared at Kirkland Lake Gold. The Timiskaming Health Unit made the announcement on its website yesterday. It is not the first outbreak at the facility in 2021, as there were two other outbreaks earlier this year.
Thessalon’s Hospital narrowly avoids a closure
The ER department at the Town of Thessalon’s hospital will remain open over the holidays. That said, officials are working on finding a solution to the doctor shortage that at one point threatened closure. The president and CEO of the North Shore Health Network says they are staying open due to the ongoing cooperation among northern healthcare partners.
Greater Sudbury will soon have more security downtown
Greater Sudbury will soon have more security in its downtown core. This follows what the city is calling successful pilot project involving bylaw officers. For the past year extra bylaw officers provided enhanced security at downtown facilities, including Memorial Park and the transit terminal. During recent budget deliberations, $192,000 was approved for municipal law enforcement officers.
Highway 11 soon to become a three-lane highway in a pilot project
A stretch of Highway 11 North of the North Bay will become a three-lane highway.
A pilot project was announced yesterday from Minister of Transportation Caroline Mulroney. It will include a centre passing lane that changes direction approximately every two to five kilometres and is separated by a barrier.
The top two locations for the proposed 2+1 highway pilot include:
Highway 11 from Sand Dam Road to Ellesmere Road (14 kilometres)
Highway 11 from Highway 64 to Jumping Caribou Lake Road (16 kilometres)
Mulroney says public comment is being received on the Ministry of Transportation’s Technical Consultation Portal until January 11, 2022.
Timmins residents asked for patience during snow removal
Timmins residents are being asked for patience as the city removes snow. Over the past month, the workload has been excessive. They indicate that A typical crew can only get about three residential streets done in a day and when they haul anywhere between 200 and 300 loads per shift.
Residents remain encamped in Sudbury’s downtown
The City of Greater Sudbury says just under 80 people (73 as of news time) continue to live in tent encampments around the city’s downtown. The city’s manager of housing services, says 16 households on the urgent status list and the Homelessness Network is also working to help people find apartments. Currently, there are 4,625 affordable housing units in Greater Sudbury. The city owns and operates 1,848 of those units, and others are owned by cooperatives, nonprofit organizations, or are subsidized units owned by private landlords.
COVID-19 Outbreak declared at Group Health Centre in Sault Ste Marie
A COVID-19 outbreak has been declared at the Group Health Centre on McNabb St in Sault Ste Marie. Algoma Public Health has identified eight confirmed cases of COVID-19 on the second-floor surgery/primary care department GHC has decided to reschedule some non-urgent surgeries from Dec. 14 to Dec. 23.
