PSA: 11 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 (#82-#92)

Mon, Jan 04, 2021

 

Algoma Public Health is reporting 11 (eleven) new cases of COVID-19. All cases are from Sault Ste. Marie and area.

Through contact tracing, Algoma Public Health notifies all close contacts directly. If you are not contacted by Algoma Public Health, or affected by recent public exposure notifications posted by APH, you are not considered a close contact

 

Additionally, anyone who travelled on the fights below, in the indicated rows should contact Algoma Public Health or their local public health unit. 

Flight Date: December 30, 2020

Air Canada flight 8498 from Windsor to Toronto, passengers in rows 3-9 and flight crew that may have served these rows are considered close contacts.

Air Canada flight 8321, Toronto to Sault Ste. Marie, passengers in rows 3-7 and flight crew that may have served these rows are considered close contacts.

 

“Though this increase in numbers is alarming, we as a community need to recommit to following  public health guidance during this pandemic. Indoor organized public events and social gatherings are not permitted except with the members of the same household. Limit your trips in the community for necessities such as food, medication, medical appointments, or supporting vulnerable community members," said Dr. Jennifer Loo, Medical Officer of Health.

“If you know of someone who is vulnerable, or who needs to isolate and stay home, reach out to offer help with essentials, or connect with them to offer social support by phone or online.”

 

 

Details of the confirmed cases:

 

Definitions under exposure category:

 

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 isolate away from others.
• Do not have close contact with others outside the immediate household of people you live with.  Outside of home, practice physical distancing at all times by staying 2 metres away from other people.
• As of December 21, 2020, as part of the Provincewide Shutdown the Chief Medical Officer of Health is advising all Ontarians to stay home as much as possible, with trips outside the home limited to necessities such as food, medication, medical appointments, or supporting vulnerable community members.
• Indoor organized public events and social gatherings are not permitted except with members of the same household. Limit close contact to your household (the people you live with):
  • Families should not visit any other household or allow visitors in their homes
  • Individuals who live alone and single parents may consider having exclusive, close contact with another household to help reduce the negative impacts of social isolation
• All returning international travellers must stay home for 14 days. APH's Chippewa County travel advisory on December 2 strongly advises those who cross the Canada-US border regularly to also stay home as much as possible for 14 days, even if you are exempt from quarantine.
• 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.
  

-30-