PSA: 41 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 (#818 - #858) and two potential public exposures

Sat, Nov 20, 2021

 

We are reporting forty-one new cases of COVID-19 (#818 -#858):

 

• 39 – Sault Ste. Marie and Area
• 2 – Central & East Algoma

We are also advising the public of two potential public exposures to COVID-19.

 

NOTE: Due to increasing rates of COVID-19 in Algoma, we have requested assistance from provincial case and contact managers and from other health units. 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

 

High-risk exposure:

 

Air Canada Flight 8201

Departure: November 14, 2021 - (4:15 PM) - Toronto Pearson International Airport
Arrival: November 14, 2021 - (5:30 PM) - Sault Ste. Marie Airport

Passengers who sat in rows 10-14 and flight crew who served these rows should follow the below actions. 

 

Actions to take:

 

Any individual who was present on the date and times listed in the potential high-risk exposure is asked to:

• Regardless of vaccination status, get tested for COVID-19 as soon as possible. 
• If you are vaccinated, self-monitor for signs and symptoms.
• If you are not vaccinated, self-isolate immediately until November 21, 2021

 

Low-risk exposure

John Rhodes Community Centre Pool

Public health is advising of a low-risk exposure to COVID-19 for anyone who was at the John Rhodes Community Centre Pool, located at 260 Elizabeth St, in Sault Ste. Marie on the following dates and times to follow public health guidance. 

• November 17, 2021, between 4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.

Actions to take:

Any individual who was present on the date and times listed in the potential low-risk exposure is asked to:

• Self-monitor for signs and symptoms of COVID-19 for 10 days from potential exposure.
• Self-isolate immediately if symptoms develop.
• Seek testing if symptoms occur.

 

Details of the confirmed cases:

 

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 to protect yourself, your household, and your workplace

 

1. Anyone who is sick, even with mild symptoms, must stay home and isolate away from others - regardless of whether you have received the COVID-19 vaccine.

• Take the COVID-19 self-assessment every day before work and complete the school screening tool before school or child care.
• Get tested if you have any COVID-19 symptoms, and isolate at home until results are available.
• Household members who are not fully immunized must also stay home until the symptomatic person's test results are available.
• Isolation means you must stay home and not go to work or school.  Do not gather, visit, or have visitors or playdates while you are isolating.

2. Cut back on unnecessary activities where you have unmasked, face-to-face close contact with people you don't live with.  Do this even if you are fully immunized, and especially if you have vulnerable health conditions or are not fully immunized.

• Spending time indoors with other people without masks is a higher risk activity, especially if not everyone is fully immunized.  Examples include play dates, sharing meals together, and certain group sports and recreational activities.  To lower your risk at this time, only participate in these types of activities that are most important and essential; do these activities less often, with fewer people, for shorter periods of time, and outdoors if possible.

 

3. Get your COVID-19 vaccine

• Learn how to get the COVID-19 vaccine in Algoma.  If you want to be fully immunized by the holiday season, now is the time to get your first dose. 

 

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.