The Northwestern Health Unit has confirmed another COVID-19 case and suspects one more.
Both the positive test and probable case are in the District of Rainy River.
The Health Unit has started follow-up and will be getting in touch with contacts directly.
The NWHU reported two active cases as of Friday.
A holiday bonus of over $300,000 is going to non-profits and charities in the region.
The funding initiative is in partnership with Community Foundations of Canada and United Way Centraide Canada, as part of the Government of Canada’s $350-million Emergency Community Support Fund.
United Way Thunder Bay CEO Albert Brulé explains they’re distributing it to 32 groups in need, including Beendigen, FIREFLY in Dryden, and the Regional Food Distribution Association.
The biggest investment is going to Mikinakoos Children’s Fund, which is getting $50,000 to provide warm winter gear to 1,000 children in remote First Nation communities.
The announcement also included over $31,000 to the NorWest Community Health Centres response to the pandemic.
“People are still in incredibly vulnerable situations and require support. United Way of Thunder Bay and the Thunder Bay Community Foundation wanted to ensure funding is distributed before the holidays, as we work together with our partners to address the most pressing issues affecting our region,” Brulé says.
The Thunder Bay district is adding another ten cases of the coronavirus, bringing its active cases to 101.
Two of the new cases are from the Roseview outbreak.
Two others had no known exposure to someone with the virus, four caught it through close contact, and public health officials are still investigating the rest.
The surge of cases continues as Ontario is reporting another 2,357 cases of COVID-19.
It also confirmed another 27 deaths from the virus.
With the rising case numbers, the province says Toronto and Peel will stay under lockdown until at least January, while Hamilton will entering lockdown on Monday.
Around 3.5% of tests were positive, while Manitoba is reporting an average of 13% of its tests have come back positive this week.
Meanwhile, a new strain of the virus in England is now making headlines.
The UK’s National Health Service found it in the South East of England, saying it appears to spread more quickly, but not affect the severity, antibody response or the effectiveness of the vaccine.
Thunder Bay remains in the Orange-Restrict level of COVID-19 regulations.
After an emergency meeting Friday, the province and medical officials decided to move six public health regions into stronger categories of protection as of 12:01 a.m. Monday.
The new measures will be in place until at least January 4th 2021.
The Northwestern Health Unit will stay in the Yellow-Protect stage.
The province is keeping a close watch on the COVID-19 outbreak at Southbridge Roseview that’s taken twelve lives.
Long-Term Care Minister Merrilee Fullerton they’re staying on top of the situation at the Thunder Bay home, as they do with all outbreaks.
“We touch base daily with the home to make sure we provide the support that they need, and our thoughts go out to the residents that are affected there,” she says.
Fullerton adds that the province is also investing almost $2 billion each year by 2024 for staffing in long-term care homes, as the Ontario Health Coalition criticizes what they call a staffing crisis.
Fullerton says outbreaks like this one don’t affect their confidence in privately-run homes. She notes outbreaks are happening at homes under all types of ownership, and they are more connected with the number of cases in the surrounding area.
“And the biggest indicator of the severity of the outbreak is related to the age of the home,” she points out.
Good news for those who live on the Neskantaga First Nation.
The nearly 200 residents are on their way home after problems with the water supply forced them to re-locate to the Victoria Inn.
Related: Neskantaga Declares Emergency
Chief Chris Moonias, in a statement released on his Twitter account Thursday, says while this has been a difficult time for his residents there were also moments of kindness and generosity from others across the country and the city.
The Chief also thanked Marc Miller, the Indigenous Services Minister, and mentioned he looks forward to an ongoing collaborative working relationship.
The boil water advisory will remain in place until work on the water treatment plant is completed.
A Thunder Bay company is set to unveil plans to help everyone get back to Neskantaga First Nation.
Sani Pass Canada along with community members will hold a news conference Friday morning at the Victoria Inn to demonstrate their disinfection channel technology.
The company says the device is meant to be a community protection COVID bubble, in combination with the use of a face mask.
The channel is equipped with strategically placed misting nozzles that disperse a very fine, dry fog of organic, non-toxic, non-irritant disinfection solution to assist in protecting individuals when entering a confined area by eliminating 99.9% of various germs and viruses that may be present on one’s body, clothing, and carry-ons.
A long-held promise of the Prime Minister won’t be able to be fulfilled.
Justin Trudeau says he had hopes of lifting all drinking-water advisories in First Nations communities by March 2021 by putting more money and pressure to speed up the process.
However those advisories will remain in about a dozen communities after the deadline has passed.
According to the federal department, there were 59 long-term boil water advisories in effect in 41 Indigenous communities as of December 1st.
The Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre is chosen as a site for the distribution of the Pfizer vaccine.
“Making the vaccine available to the people of our community is our focus and priority,” says Dr. Rhonda Crocker Ellacott, President & CEO of the Hospital.
The province has unveiled the priority populations that’ll be first in line to receive the shot.
The President and CEO went onto say, “Although the situation is evolving, we are excited to begin the process of vaccination as soon as possible. Various hospitals across Ontario will begin to receive vaccine in the coming weeks, and we are working to ensure logistics, timing, assessment and administration is coordinated and seamless. This historic initiative requires extensive coordination and partnership, and we look forward to moving ahead.”
The Medical Officer of Health Dr. Janet DeMille welcomes the news but cautions now it not the time to let our guard down.
“The full roll out in our region will happen but it will take time. Until the vaccines are widely available, we must all remain vigilant and follow the public health guidelines.”
The Hospital continues to plan with local and regional partners in health and beyond to identify and organize this phase of the vaccine roll-out.
The province is underlining what its recently-approved budget could do for Northern Ontario.
Willowdale MPP Stan Cho is the Parliamentary Assistant to the Finance Minister, and says it’ll remove barriers for employers like the Bombardier plant in Thunder Bay.
“Hydro rates were one of the biggest concerns we heard from job creators. And so Bombardier will see a reduction in their hydro cost of between 14 and 16 percent starting next year,” Cho says.
He notes the Ford government is committing some $1.75-billion over five years for long-term care homes across the province. He says that will increase capacity and improve access to care by creating 30,000 beds.
Cho also points out the province also earmarked $4-billion for transit investments, which Thunder Bay Mayor Bill Mauro had on his wish list for the budget.
There are five new cases in the Thunder Bay District.
The District Health Unit says that includes two in the outbreak at the Roseview long-term care home.
The Thunder Bay District Health Unit reports 118 active cases, while the Northwestern Health Unit says there are 10 active cases in its catchment area.
However, there is a slight dip in the number of new COVID-19 cases in the province.
Ontario is reporting 1,677 tests came back positive yesterday, and about the same number have resolved since the last update.
Eye health should stay top of mind especially now with more of us spending more time in front of screens.
That’s from optometrist Doctor Sean Moore, who says our eyes are typically drier as screens cause us to blink less.
“Dryness, eye strain, headaches, lots of people can think that that’s just normal, that they’re experiencing normal stuff because they’re on their computer or their phone more now,” Moore says.
He says many optometrists recommend the “20-20-20 rule”: “Every 20 minutes, take a 20-second break, and look 20 feet away.”
Moore adds that taking care of your eyes could be as simple as wearing blue light-blocking glasses, or picking up some eye drops from your local pharmacy.
