APH Reports 5th COVID-19 Death, More Cases Across Region

Algoma's reporting another COVID-19-related death, as more cases are being reported across the region.

Algoma Public Health is giving no details about its fifth COVID death, which comes nearly three months after its fourth.

The health unit did report three new cases in the Sault Ste. Marie area over the weekend and another in the Elliot Lake area - bringing the health unit to 386, with 36 "active", one in hospital plus two "non-residents temporarily in Algoma", also in hospital - while a 91st case screened positive for a variant of concern, with the health unit warning both the B.1.1.7 variant first detected in the UK and the P.1 variant first detected in Brazil have been seen in Algoma.

Public Health Sudbury and Districts recorded six more cases in Greater Sudbury and two in the Sudbury District - bringing it 2071, with 34 "active" - while eight more screened positive for a variant, bringing that to 900.

The Thunder Bay District Health Unit only reported figures Saturday, showing two cases in the Thunder Bay area and two in unspecified First Nation communities - bringing it to 3180, 25 "active", five in hospital - while five more variant cases were identified, for a total of 85.

The Porcupine Health Unit, however, saw skyrocketing new cases over the weekend, reporting 129 - including 77 on Sunday alone - with a total of 77 in the Timmins area, 24 in Cochrane, Matheson, Iroquois Falls, and Smooth Rock Falls, 22 in the James and Hudson Bay region, four in the Hearst and Hornepayne area, and two in the Kapuskasing, Opasatika, Val Rita-Harty, Moonbeam, and Fauquier-Strickland area.

That brings the health unit to 1139 total cases - it's unclear how many are "active", as the 275 case figure was last updated before these cases were reported.