A look at the local numbers
Public Health Sudbury & Districts is reporting 18 new cases of COVID-19, 17 in the Greater Sudbury area and one in the Manitoulin District
Considering resolved cases, there are 244 active cases.
Health Sciences North is reporting there are 28 admitted patients with 19 being positive cases and nine others are waiting for test results.
Of the 28, six are in intensive care.
Algoma Public Health is reporting six new cases all within the Sault Ste. Marie area.
And considering resolved cases, the agency is reporting 41 active cases.
The one individual that is hospitalized is not from the district but is being treated locally.
Vaccines and blood clots
Canada is reporting its first case of blood clots in a person who’s been given the AstraZeneca vaccine but health officials are stressing that the product is still safe to use.
The case involves a person in Quebec who is now recovering at home.
Canada is one of several countries that have restricted the vaccine’s use to those 55 and older since the clots seem to affect younger people.
But health experts note that the threat of clotting is still far greater if you come down with COVID-19.
Meantime, Health Canada is asking Johnson and Johnson for more information, after the U-S paused the use of its single-dose vaccine yesterday.
Six cases of blood clots, out of almost seven million inoculations, have been reported south of the border and officials there say they want to investigate further.
Canada has ordered ten million doses of the vaccine but none have yet arrived.
Wastewater study results
A pioneering study that’s been looking at COVID-19 samples in Ottawa’s wastewater is showing that infections may be tapering off.
The CBC reports that, while levels are still increasing, they seem to be reaching a plateau likely the result of the province-wide shutdown that went into effect April 3rd.
The project’s researchers say they’ll have more hints in the next few days, as the effects of the April 8th
stay-at-home orders are felt.
But they also warn this is a different COVID-19 wave because of the prevalence of the more infectious variants of concern.
They say 60 to 70 percent of the coronavirus turning up in Ottawa’s wastewater is the B-1-1-7 variant first identified in the UK.
WestJet cancelling flights to sunny climes
WestJet is the latest airline to announce further cancellations due to COVID-19.
It’s now suspending all flights to sun destinations until at least June 4th.
Canada’s airlines were asked by the federal government in January to suspend their flights south until the end of April.
But WestJet President Ed Sims says he expects the situation to change as more Canadians are vaccinated.
Sims adds the airline is still pushing for an end to hotel quarantines for international air arrivals, replaced with rapid testing that will allow travellers to continue on their way much faster.