A look at the numbers
Public Health Sudbury & Districts reported ten new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, all in the Greater Sudbury area.
Considering resolved cases, this brings the number of active cases to 211.
All ten are still under investigation as to how they acquired the virus.
There are also COVID-19 cases confirmed at St. Francis and R.L Beattie schools in Sudbury.
The Sudbury Catholic District School Board has dismissed one class at St. Francis and a kindergarten class is in self-isolation from R. L. Beattie.
Princess Anne and Sudbury Secondary students on various bus routes are also required to self-isolate in addition to eight schools, again in the city, closed due to the virus.
Looking at vaccinations, 9, 433 people have received their first dose and 1,592 people have been fully vaccinated.
Just over 11,000 total doses have been administered as of Monday.
Health Sciences North has six admitted patients with one positive case and waiting for test results for the others.
Algoma Public Health has only four active cases with one person in the hospital.
Pharmacies preparing to administer the vaccine
The provincial government is set to unveil a list today of as many as 300 pharmacies across the province that will be administering the AstraZeneca COVID-19vaccine.
They’ll begin to take appointments on Friday.
The 194-thousand doses will be administered, mainly, to those between 60 and 64 years of age.
It’ll be a rush, though, since most of the shipment is due to expire on April 2nd.
Inquiry shows holes in long-term supports
A member of the provincial science advisory group says the government rejected numerous suggestions to increase protection for those living in long-term care facilities because they were too expensive.
Doctor Allison McGreer testified before the Long-Term care commissions of inquiry earlier this month and her testimony has just been released.
Doctor McGreer, an infectious disease specialist, says their suggestions included proposals for hospitals to step in to assist homes where outbreaks had occurred, and measures to prevent residents from being housed three and four to a room.
She says all were rejected by provincial officials as too costly.
Pay equity battle won – for-profit female nursing home workers
Female employees at for-profit nursing homes have won a major court battle over equal pay.
The Ontario Court of Appeal has ruled that the sector must continue using a proxy system to calculate future wage increases, to ensure pay equity is maintained in largely-female occupations.
The for-profit homes, backed by the Ford government, had argued that equal pay laws didn’t mandate which comparison system should be used and unions representing the workers say that has eroded pay equity over the years.
Federal assistance for COVID-19
Opposition MPs are pushing the Trudeau government for more targeted assistance for segments of the economy hard-hit by the coronavirus pandemic.
The Conservatives want to see specific supports for the hospitality, tourism and charity sectors.
The New Democrats say Ottawa should pay business contributions to employment insurance and the Canada Pension Plan, to provide an incentive for businesses to hire workers.
They also want an extension of the federal wage subsidy program until the pandemic is completely over.
The Liberals argue they already have many of these measures in the works but progress is being held up by the Conservatives.