A look at the local numbers …
Public Health Sudbury & Districts is reporting seven new cases of COVID-19 on Monday, all in the Greater Sudbury area.
Considering resolved cases, there are 171 active cases within the agency’s jurisdiction.
Health Sciences North says there are 28 admitted patients, 23 positive cases and five waiting for test results.
Of the 28, there are three people in intensive care.
Algoma Public Health is reporting three new cases of COVID-19, two from Elliot Lake and area and one from Sault Ste. Marie and area.
Considering resolved cases, there are now 42 active cases in the district with two people in the hospital.
AstraZeneca vaccine being held up
Ontarians 40 years of age and older will be able to register to receive the AstraZeneca vaccine as of today, to be administered at pharmacies and doctors’ offices across the province.
It’s the latest attempt to boost the number of people who’ve received at least one dose of protection against COVID-19.
But Premier Doug Ford’s office says they’ve been informed by the federal government that shipments of the AstraZeneca product have been delayed, with almost 600-thousand doses, due to arrive by early May, now being put off until late May.
Federal officials say the Serum Institute of India, which is producing the vaccine, is keeping more supplies in India, where the number of infections is skyrocketing.
So far, about four-million inoculations of the approved vaccines have been administered across Ontario.
Paid sick days for vaccinations?
The Ford government says it’s depending on the federal government to step in to provide a paid day off for essential workers to receive their COVID-19 vaccination.
House Leader Paul Calandra says they expect the changes to come in revisions to Ottawa’s support for those whose pay is affected by orders to isolate.
An NDP motion calling for a provincial program of paid sick days was rejected yesterday at Queen’s Park.