A look at Sudbury COVID-19 numbers
There are seven new cases of COVID-19 in the Public Health Sudbury & Districts catchment area.
The agency says all seven are in the Greater Sudbury area and all are in self-isolation.
The health unit adds taking into account the number of resolved cases, there are now 67 active cases in the Sudbury/Manitoulin districts.
Tough restrictions
New restrictions are to be announced by the Ford government later today, as the number of COVID-19 cases in our province continues to soar.
Reports say the government will declare a state of emergency, limiting the hours that essential businesses can operate, reducing the number of people who can gather to five, limiting construction work to essential projects only, and not allowing employees into offices, unless they are deemed essential.
The government will also reveal the latest modelling projections, which will show that there could be as many as six-thousand new cases of COVID-19 a day by the end of this month, if no new restrictions are implemented.
The projections also show that intensive care units would be overwhelmed by early next month.
One measure that is apparently not under consideration is a night-time curfew.
Addressing sick leave
Toronto’s medical officer of health is calling on the Ford government to immediately implement paid sick leave for those who have to take time off during the coronavirus pandemic.
Doctor Eileen de Villa notes that only ten per cent of employees in low-wage and front-line positions have access to sick leave.
She says putting in place a proposal to pay up to ten days’ wages would allow them to stay home when sick, reducing the threat of community transmission of the virus.
CERB tax notices
The Canada Revenue Agency has begun sending out T-4-A slips to the millions of Canadians who have received COVID-19 benefits.
They’re reminders that the payments are considered taxable income, and must be declared on their income tax returns.
However, the federal government admits it will be confusing for many, because some of the benefit programs had taxes deducted before the payments were made, while others did not.