A look at the local numbers …
Public Health Sudbury & Districts is reporting five active cases of COVID-19 in the Greater Sudbury area.
Considering resolved cases, there are now 32 active cases within the health agency’s jurisdiction.
Health Sciences North reports there are 14 admitted patients, with eight testing positive for the virus and six waiting for test results.
Of the eight, four are in the intensive care unit.
Algoma Public Health is reporting no new cases of the coronavirus in the district.
Considering resolved cases, there are six active cases with three individuals in hospital.
Of those in hospital, all are from outside the Algoma District, but are receiving care locally.
Schools remain closed
Premier Doug Ford says reports that reopening schools could lead to an increase in COVID-19 cases is a risk that he cannot ignore.
So our schools won’t be resuming in-person classes before the end of the year.
The decision has come under fire from several groups.
The Children’s Health Coalition, a group of hospitals and organizations that deal with children’s health, says it’s shocked and disappointed by the decision.
The Coalition says the decision will affect the physical and mental well-being of many children for years to come.
The president of the Elementary School Teachers Federations says the Ford government has consistently ignored advice from its own experts about safety in schools.
However, the Ontario Nurses Association supports the move.
Ford is encouraging school boards to hold outdoor graduation ceremonies for all classes when the school year ends.
Reopening the province
With COVID-19 numbers continuing to fall in Ontario, Premier Ford is hinting that the three-stage reopening program may begin earlier than June 14th.
Ford says he’s cautiously optimistic that the government may be able to move sooner than planned.
Ontario has already moved past one goal for reopening……70 per cent of adults in Ontario have now received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
Ban lifted on residential evictions
Housing advocates are calling on the provincial government to re-impose a ban on residential evictions, which expired with the province’s stay-at-home order yesterday.
ACORN Canada, an advocacy group for low-income families, says everyone deserves to be properly housed during emergency situations such as a pandemic.
It’s concerned there will be a wave of evictions now that the order has expired.
Provincial officials say the government has already taken action by freezing rents for most tenants, and by providing more than 765-million dollars to municipalities to deal with homelessness.
