A look at the local numbers …
Public Health Sudbury & Districts say there are 12 new cases of COVID-19, all in the Greater Sudbury area.
Considering resolved cases, there are 139 active cases within the agency’s jurisdiction.
Health Sciences North has had a slight decrease in admitted patients with 21 positive cases and six individuals waiting for test results.
Of the 21 positives, eight individuals are in the intensive care unit.
Algoma Public Health is reporting three new cases of COVID-19, all from Sault Ste. Marie and area.
Considering resolved cases, there are 44 active cases in the Algoma District with two people hospitalized.
Home deaths from the virus
Ontario’s chief coroner says there are now more people dying of COVID-19 at home, without ever receiving hospital care.
Doctor Dirk Huyer says, in most cases, the victims have either tested positive or been associated with someone who carried the virus.
Huyer says the symptoms usually haven’t been serious enough for them to have sought hospital treatment, but they’re then found dead later in the day or the next morning.
Ban in India flights
East Indian groups are concerned, following the federal government’s decision to ban flights arriving from India and Pakistan.
They want to make sure Canadians now there can be brought home quickly, and safely.
The ban, which will be in effect for 30 days, comes after a huge increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in the region.
India reported more than 300-thousand new diagnoses yesterday alone.
Travel restrictions
Premier Doug Ford is calling on the federal government to impose even-tighter restrictions on travellers arriving in Canada.
In a joint letter with several other premiers, Ford says the current third wave of COVID-19 has been sparked by more infectious variants of concern arriving from other countries.
The premiers want stricter quarantine regulations imposed on travellers arriving by land and a ban on flights from areas where variants are running rampant.
They also agree more must be done to limit travel between provinces.
Vaccine deliveries
Canada will be receiving its first shipment of the one-dose Johnson and Johnson vaccine next week and it should be distributed to the provinces by the first week in May.
But Major-General Dany Fortin, in charge of federal vaccine procurement, admits it’s only 300-thousand doses and more likely won’t arrive until June.
U-S officials have recommended a pause in its use while it studies reports of rare cases of blood clots in recipients.
A final decision from American authorities is expected today.
Fortin adds an expected shipment of one million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine from India won’t be arriving as scheduled next week, as the Indian government bans exports due to a massive surge in COVID-19 cases there.
However, Pfizer vaccines continue to arrive at a regular pace of one million doses per week.
Fortin is confident Canada will still receive its planned 40-million inoculations by the end of June.