Surging COVID-19 cases in the region have prompted the return of more restrictions as of today.
With Algoma crossing 1000 total cases since the pandemic began - most of that reported in recent weeks, as the region sees its highest amount of COVID activity ever - Algoma Public Health is restricting social gatherings and organized public events in Sault Ste. Marie to ten people indoors and 25 outdoors - that includes wedding receptions or wakes, but not the funeral or wedding ceremony - while Sault Ste. Marie businesses and organizations must reimpose strengthened masking and physical distancing requirements, prohibiting certain high-risk close contact activities.
Based on its recommendation, all four local school boards have suspended extra curricular activities at schools in the Sault - unless participants can be masked and physically distanced at all times - and the health unit's working with the boards to implement other measures like voluntary rapid antigen testing and daily symptom screening.
Public Health Sudbury and Districts is similarly working with school boards to implement such measures.
Calling local COVID rates "unacceptably high", PHSD is also requiring businesses and organizations in Greater Sudbury ensure workers conduct their work remotely - unless the nature of their work requires them to be on-site at the workplace - and it's tightening protocols for contact followup, requiring - in certain circumstances - some people to self-isolate even if fully vaccinated, while unvaccinated children need to stay home if an unvaccinated family member's been exposed to a case.