Algoma leaps past 1,000 COVID-19 cases Friday as 27 more reported

The District reached a new, yet undesired, milestone Friday as Algoma Public Health (APH) reported an additional 27 confirmed cases of COVID-19 to surpass 1,000 since the start of the pandemic. The new cases (#988 – #1,014) brings the total number of cases reported across the Algoma District to 1,014. Of the new cases, 25 are from Sault Ste. Marie and area and 2 from Central and East Algoma.

The number of active cases increased to 274 as the number of cases hospitalized held at 14. The total number of resolved cases now stands at 740.

APH continues to advise that there is evidence of community spread occurring across the District with our health unit currently experiencing one of the highest rates of confirmed cases per week across Northern Ontario.

In addition, due to increasing rates of COVID-19 in the Algoma District, APH is receiving assistance from case and contact managers who may be from the provincial workforce or a partner health unit. If you are a case or a high-risk contact, you may receive a call from a case/contact manager from outside of Algoma Public Health.

Details of Confirmed Cases:

Case Number	Exposure Category	Status	Tested
Case #988	Close contact	Self-isolating	November 25, 2021
Case #989	Close contact	Self-isolating	November 25, 2021
Case #990	Under Investigation	Under Investigation	Under Investigation
Case #991	Close Contact	Self-isolating	November 23, 2021
Case #992	Under Investigation	Under Investigation	Under Investigation
Case #993	Under Investigation	Under Investigation	Under Investigation
Case #994	Under Investigation	Under Investigation	Under Investigation
Case #995	Unknown	Self-isolating	November 23, 2021
Case #996	Close Contact	Self-isolating	November 26, 2021
Case #997	Close Contact	Self-isolating	November 25, 2021
Case #998	Under Investigation	Under Investigation	Under Investigation
Case #999	Under Investigation	Under Investigation	Under Investigation
Case #1,000	Under Investigation	Under Investigation	Under Investigation
Case #1,001	Close Contact	Self-isolating	November 25, 2021
Case #1,002	Close Contact	Under Investigation	November 25, 2021
Case #1,003	Under Investigation	Under Investigation	Under Investigation
Case #1,004	Under Investigation	Under Investigation	Under Investigation
Case #1,005	Under Investigation	Under Investigation	Under Investigation
Case #1,006	Close contact	Self-isolating	November 25, 2021
Case #1,007	Under Investigation	Under Investigation	Under Investigation
Case #1,008	Unknown	Self-isolating	November 25, 2021
Case #1,009	Close Contact	Self-isolating	November 25, 2021
Case #1,010	Close Contact	Self-isolating	November 25, 2021
Case #1,011	Close Contact	Self-isolating	November 25, 2021
Case #1,012	Close Contact	Under Investigation	November 26, 2021
Case #1,013	Under Investigation	Under Investigation	November 26, 2021
Case #1,014	Unknown	Self-isolating	November 26, 2021

Status of cases in Algoma:

View current situation in Algoma and the updated status of cases in Algoma.

(1) That Algoma Public Health is aware of. The number tested is updated on Monday & Wednesday.

(2) Algoma residents who have confirmed COVID-19 infection.

The number in brackets are active cases in non-Algoma residents who are temporarily in Algoma. These cases are not counted as part of Algoma’s confirmed case count. APH conducts contact tracing and monitoring of self-isolation for all cases within Algoma.

(3) Patient tested positive but is resolved according to current public health criteria. This number includes any persons who are deceased.

• These data sets are preliminary and subject to change, pending further review.
• Confirmed positives will be reported as soon as publicly available.

(4) Deaths include the number of people with a confirmed case of COVID-19 who have died.

Algoma regions with COVID-19 cases reported in the past 14 days include:

• Sault Ste. Marie and area
• Central and East Algoma

Unknown exposure means the person did not have recent international travel or close contact with a known confirmed case. How the person acquired the virus is not known.

Close contact means the person acquired their infection through close contact with a known confirmed case. For example, living together with a case, or spending more than 15 minutes with a case while less than 2 metres apart, are considered high risk close contact exposures.

International travel means the person acquired their infection from travel outside of Canada.

COVID-19 Activity in Northern Ontario

Region	Rate of Cases per Week* (cases per 100,000 population)
Algoma Public Health	163.4
North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit	13.9
Northwestern Health Unit	17.1
Porcupine Health Unit	10.8
Sudbury & District Health Unit	114.6
Thunder Bay District Health Unit	19.3
Timiskaming Health Unit	143.8
Week of: November 16 – November 22, 2021

*only includes confirmed cases

COVID-19 Activity in Northern Michigan

Region	Rate of Cases per Week* (cases per 100,000 population)
Upper Peninsula	186.7
Chippewa County	75.0
Mackinaw County	102.0
Week of: November 16 – November 22, 2021

*only includes confirmed cases

Critical Actions:

• Anyone who is ill, even with mild symptoms, must stay home and self-isolate away from others.
• As of September 22, 2021, you must be fully vaccinated and provide proof of vaccination to access certain indoor businesses and settings. Learn where you will need to show proof of vaccination, and how to get and use your vaccine receipt at: covid-19.ontario.ca/proof-covid-19-vaccination
• Ontario is currently in Step 3 of Ontario’s Three-Step Roadmap to Reopen. This three-step plan to safely and gradually lift public health measures based on ongoing progress of province wide vaccination rates and improvements of key public health and health care indicators.
• If you are considering going to a private gathering, indoor or outside, the Public Health Agency of Canada (Healthy Canadians) released recommendations on things to keep in mind. When out in public, like workplaces, public transit and stores, continue to follow public health guidance that has been put in place to minimize the risk of spread. Wear your mask, practice physical distancing and wash your hands.
• Regardless if you are unvaccinated, partially vaccinated, or fully vaccinated, if you are sick or have symptoms, you should stay home and get tested for COVID-19.
• As of October 2, 2020, the mandatory masking policy was extended to all of Ontario for all indoor settings across the province, such as businesses, facilities and workplaces.

Immunization Status of Cases

Between July 1, 2021 – October 20th, 2021 there were 86 cases of COVID-19 reported in Algoma. Of these, 19 cases (22.1%) were in fully vaccinated individuals and 67 cases (77.9%) were in unvaccinated or partially vaccinated individuals.

For more information about vaccine effectiveness and the reporting of case numbers, check out APH’s infographic Vaccine Effectiveness: Beyond the case numbers.

VOC update:

VOCs continue to circulate in Algoma. VOCs are concerning because, depending on what type of mutations are present, they may spread more aggressively, lead to more severe disease, or have reduced vaccine efficacy. Results from additional laboratory testing have detected the following VOCs in Algoma:

• B.1.1.7 (Alpha), first detected in the UK
• B.1.617.2 (Delta), first detected in India
• P.1 (Gamma), first detected in Brazil

Since July 2021 the predominant strain of COVID-19 present in Algoma has been the Delta Variant (B.1.617.2). Public Health Ontario estimates that in the first week of September, 2021 the majority (93.3%) of COVID-19 cases in Ontario had a mutation profile (N501Y- & E484K-) consistent with the Delta Variant. For more information about VOC surveillance in Ontario, visit Public Health Ontario’s VOC Surveillance page.