Algoma Public Health

PSA: 1 new confirmed case of COVID-19 (#383)

Fri, May 21, 2021

Algoma Public Health (APH) is reporting 1 new case of COVID-19, from Sault Ste. Marie and area.

Through contact tracing, APH notifies all close contacts directly. If you are not contacted by APH you are not considered a close contact.

VOC update:

Variants of concern 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. Recent results from additional laboratory testing have detected the following VOCs in Algoma:

B.1.1.7, first detected in the UK
P.1, first detected in Brazil

Details of the confirmed cases:

Case Number	Exposure Category	Status	Tested
Case #383	Close contact	Self-isolating	May 20, 2021
View current situation in Algoma and the updated status of cases in Algoma. Algoma regions with COVID-19 cases reported in the past 14 days include: Sault Ste. Marie and area Central & East Algoma Elliot Lake and area

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.

Critical Actions:

Anyone who is ill, even with mild symptoms, must stay home and self-isolate away from others.
Stay home as much as possible, and avoid gathering, visiting or having close contact with people you don’t live with.
The Ontario government, in consultation with the Chief Medical Officer of Health, has released its Roadmap to Reopen, a three-step plan to safely and cautiously reopen the province and gradually lift public health measures based on the provincewide vaccination rate and improvements in key public health and health care indicators. In response to recent improvements to these indicators, Ontario will allow more outdoor recreational amenities to reopen, with restrictions in place, effective May 22, 2021 at 12:01 a.m. Outdoor gatherings are limited to five people or less. Indoor gatherings with people outside of your household remain prohibited at this time.
The government is issuing a province-wide Stay-at-Home order requiring everyone to remain at home except for essential purposes, such as going to the grocery store or pharmacy, accessing health care services (including getting vaccinated), for outdoor exercise , or for work that cannot be done remotely.
All returning international travellers must stay home for 14 days.
Algoma residents who regularly cross the Canada - U.S. border into Sault Ste. Marie and into Chippewa County for essential work should take the following actions even if you are exempt from federal travel and quarantine restrictions
- Avoid travel except for essential reasons and avoid travelling between zones except for essential reasons
- Avoid cross-border travel and use virtual options if possible
- If you become sick, isolate away from others and call to get tested for COVID-19
- Once back in Algoma, follow provincial public health advice for all Ontarians by staying home as much as possible and not having close contact with people you do not live with, especially vulnerable people who are elderly or have underlying health conditions.
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.

Learn more:

View our webpage with updated status of cases in Algoma.
Learn more about COVID-19 in Algoma.
Visit Ontario’s website to learn more about the province’s response to COVID-19.