Out of province care here in our area
Health Sciences North has accepted a patient transfer from Manitoba as part of a coordinated effort to ease capacity pressures on hospitals due to COVID-19.
Communication contact Jason Turnbull says the regional hospital accepted a patient from Manitoba earlier this week and will continue to provide care if needed to out-of-province hospitals.
He adds the hospital’s ICU has 41 beds and as of yesterday, there were nine people in ICU including the one individual from Manitoba.
Turnbull says the hospital is also continuing with its plans to ramp up surgical activity to 80 percent of historical levels starting next week and will continue to monitor capacity for further ramp up in the future.
Mantha – NDP calls for more small business supports
NDP Leader Andrea Horwath and the Official Opposition are calling for funding to help local businesses make it to their re-opening day and stay open — including a new and vastly improved round of the Ontario Small Business Support Grant, and a tax credit for visiting Ontario-owned restaurants and Ontario tourism businesses.
Algoma-Manitoulin MPP Mike Mantha says his focus remains on tourism and related industries.
He says tourism industries have been among the hardest hit by the pandemic, but they were excluded from the first round of government support and have been given just half as much help as other Ontario businesses.
He adds the NDP’s package of supports ends the practice of leaving tourism behind and gives hotels, outfitters, and attractions a foothold to a successful reopening as soon as it is safe.
The NDP is also calling on the Ford government to include access to forgivable loans.
A look at the local numbers …
Public Health Sudbury & Districts is reporting three new cases of COVID-19, all in the Greater Sudbury area.
Considering resolved cases, there are now 32 active cases within the jurisdiction.
Health Sciences North is reporting there are 15 admitted patients, nine confirmed with the virus and six waiting for test results.
Of the nine, six are intensive care.
Algoma Public Health is reporting one new case of COVID-19 from Sault Ste. Marie and area.
Considering resolved cases, there are 21 active cases in the district with three individuals in the hospital.
All three individuals are not from the Algoma District but are receiving local treatment.
What about the borders?
A federal advisory panel says Ottawa should scrap quarantine requirements for air travellers arriving in Canada because they won’t likely slow the spread of variants of concern.
The report says the initial three-day hotel quarantine isn’t long enough to incubate the coronavirus.
As well, the requirement for a quarantine hotel stay isn’t working because too many people are either choosing to pay the three-thousand-dollar fine or fly to a U-S airport close to the border, then drive or walk across.
Instead, it recommends the federal government establish a system that would approve travellers’ plans to quarantine for two weeks at home and that there be a system established so people can prove they’ve been fully immunized against COVID-19.
Ford looking for input on school reopenings
Premier Doug Ford has issued an open letter, asking doctors, medical experts, and teachers, for advice on reopening the province’s schools.
Ford says advice has been mixed on whether to proceed with a return to in-person classes and he wants to see if a consensus can be developed before the government makes a decision.
He notes that, while experts like the province’s chief medical officer of health are in favour of resuming classes, there is some evidence that it could cause a surge in COVID-19 cases among children.
The premier wants that advice by late this afternoon.
Big banks make big profits
Canada’s big banks haven’t been hurt by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Royal Bank of Canada, TD Bank, and CIBC are all reporting profits between two and four times higher during the past three months.
The Bank of Montreal led off the record earnings Wednesday, with a doubling of their quarterly profits. Scotiabank is expected to report a similar increase on Monday.
Vaccination lottery in California
California will offer more than 115-million dollars in cash and gift cards to residents who get COVID-19 vaccinations before June 15
It’s the latest state to join efforts to boost vaccination rates and the most lucrative yet.
The state wants to fully reopen its economy on June 15th.
Ten Californians who become inoculated before that date stands to win lottery-style prizes of 1.5 million dollars apiece, while another 30 people will each win 50-thousand dollars.
And the first two million Californians to become vaccinated will each win 50-dollar gift cards for cash or groceries.
