For the eighth-straight day, no new COVID-19 cases were reported in the Porcupine Health Unit region.
To date, there have been 65 confirmed cases. Of those, 53 are resolved and six people have died. The health unit is following six known active cases of the virus.
Public Health Ontario reported another 427 lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 today, which is an increase of 1.9 per cent to the number of cases confirmed in Ontario since the start of the pandemic. The provincial agency is also reporting 15 deaths related to COVID-19, and 260 recoveries in today’s epidemiological update. Since the start of the pandemic, Public Health Ontario there have been 23,384 cases of COVID-19 in the province. Of those, 17,898 people (76.5 per cent) are reported as recovered and 1,919 people (8.2 per cent) have died.
The Porcupine Health Unit's COVID-19 testing rate is higher than the provincial rate, according to the organization's weekly epidemiology report. Compared to other health units in Northern Ontario, the Timmins-area health unit continues to have the highest fatality rate.
While financial decisions aren't supposed to be made until after the pandemic, Timmins Police Chief John Gauthier said it was important for him to look at the capital spending sooner than later. The local police service has cancelled its order for new marked vehicles this year. Read more on the decision here.
The province has extended emergency orders currently in place until May 29.
The Canada-US border closure has been extended for 30 days. It has been closed to all but essential traffic and goods since mid-March
The essential worker of the day is Jani Stone, a lab technician at Timmins and District Hospital.
