The Porcupine Health Unit reported 11 new COVID-19 cases in the region.
Seven are in Timmins, one in Fort Albany, and three in the area of Kapuskasing, Opasatika, Val Rita-Harty, Moonbeam, and Fauquier-Strickland. Two of those are related to the outbreak at Extendicare in Kapuskasing.
Public Health Ontario has reported a record 4,249 new cases of COVID-19 today, the highest number of new cases reported in a single day to date.
Yesterday, the Northern Ontario shutdown was extended by at least two weeks. Students in Northern Ontario are slated to return to the classroom this coming Monday, Jan. 11. In the extension announcement, Ontario's Chief Medical Officer Dr. David Williams said he was told by medical officers of health across the North that the region should be staying in lockdown.
With virus rates soaring in the province, the Premier said today that the current lockdown may be extended and more extreme public health measures put in place if people don't heed public health advice to curb the spread of the virus. Read more on that story here.
Avoiding non-essential travel and hospital capacity are some of the reasons Premier Doug Ford gave for ski hills being closed during the provincial shutdown. Read the full story here.
The Porcupine Health Unit COVID-19 information line can be reached at 705-267-1181 or 1-800-461-1818.
There are COVID-19 assessment centres in Timmins, Cochrane, Iroquois Falls, Kapuskasing, Smooth Rock Falls, Hearst, and Hornepayne.
