Health Unit reports another COVID death in the district

The North Bay Parry Sound Health Unit website reports the ninth COVID death this afternoon but provides no details.

The death occurred in the North Bay District and brings the total to eight. One person has died from the Parry Sound district.

The website also reports 86 new cases and 458 active cases.

No one is presently hospitalized. The 20-39 age group presently makes up 43 per cent of cases

The outbreak at the North Bay jail has now reached 15 cases.

The Health Unit says almost 11 per cent of the population 12+ have not received any doses of vaccine.

Meanwhile, Public Health Ontario is reporting a record 11,582 new COVID cases today, however, that total is likely an underestimate according to the province. 

See: 2,081 people hospitalized with COVID, 11,582 new cases reported in Ontario

And local snowmobilers will be without traditional stops due to the latest Ontario lockdown restrictions which kicked in at midnight on Wednesday. 

See: Latest lockdown frustrates local snowmobile club

Good news for those seeking rapid tests. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the federal government is ramping up delivery of rapid tests to the provinces as tests run scarce across the country and access to molecular tests is restricted.

See: Provinces to receive large shipments of rapid tests: Trudeau

Effective today (Jan. 5), the province is in a modified version of the Roadmap to Reopen for at least 21 days (until Jan. 26).

See: Welcome back to Step 2, here's a refresher on what that means