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Thunder Bay remaining in Red-Control

Despite a record number of cases and outbreaks at at least one school, the province will not move the district back into lockdown status. The Northwestern Health Unit will remain in Yellow.
Red Control Zone

THUNDER BAY – Despite recording 150 COVID-19 cases over the past seven days, a one-week high for the district, Thunder Bay will remain in the Red-Control zone of the provincial framework, for now.

The province on Friday announced that Toronto, Peel and North Bay-Parry Sound will remain under stay-at-home orders for a week, will move Lambton from Orange to Red and moved York Region into the framework at Red.

There was no mention of the District of Thunder Bay or the Northwestern Health Unit, which this week topped 100 active cases for the first time.

Thunder Bay’s seven-day rate per 100,000 people is 109.4. The threshold to drop down to Orange is 39.9 or fewer cases in a one-week period.

Public health regions are required to stay in their level for at least two weeks, but local medical officers of health have what the province is calling an emergency brake, allowing Ontario’s chief medical officer of health to determine with local medical officers of health, to immediately move a region into Grey-Lockdown to halt transmission.

Thunder Bay at present has a record-high 198 active cases, with 40 new cases announced on Friday. It entered the framework in Red on Tuesday. 

"While the health indicators have improved enough to allow us to return an additional region to the framework, we are not yet at the point where we can safely transition back the remainder of the province," said Dr. David Williams, chief medical officer of health.

"Everyone is strongly advised to continue staying at home, avoid social gatherings, only travel between regions for essential purposes, and limit close contacts to your household or those you live with regardless of which level of the framework you are in."

Under Red-Control, most non-essential businesses are permitted to open, restaurants may have up to 10 people dine inside and personal care services, like salons, can reopen and offer most services, just none that require the removal of a face covering.



Leith Dunick

About the Author: Leith Dunick

A proud Nova Scotian who has called Thunder Bay home since 2002, Leith is Dougall Media's director of news, but still likes to tell your stories too. Wants his Expos back and to see Neil Young at least one more time. Twitter: @LeithDunick
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