A local health unit's urging caution amid skyrocketing COVID-19 cases.
Public Health Sudbury and Districts is reminding to take necessary precautions to reduce the risk of catching and spreading the illness, as "increasing trends signal" a potential increase from the "moderate" risk level the region's seen for the last two weeks up to "high risk".
In its latest update on Friday, the health unit reported 110 new cases since Wednesday - 76 in Greater Sudbury, eight in the broader Sudbury District, and 26 in the Manitoulin District - with known "active" cases jumping from 253 to 298 - two in the northern Sudbury District (Chapleau, Cartier, Foleyet, Gogama, and neighbouring First Nations) - including 63 in hospital, one in an ICU.
PHSD says it averaged 62 new cases a day last week - up from only 14 a day in late June - while the number of "active" cases is the highest it's been since May 11th - further warning that's a gross underestimate of actual cases, given restrictions on testing - and hospitals are also reporting increasing case numbers.
The health unit warns it's seeing both new cases and re-infections, emphasizing that past infection "may provide some degree of short-term immunity" but that "does decrease over time and a person's risk of severe illness may also increase with each re-infection", with up-to-date vaccination the "best form of continued COVID-19 protection", along with other layers such as well-fitted masks in indoor or crowded places, physical distancing, handwashing, screening for symptoms and testing when possible, and staying home when ill.