Declare Thunder Bay Provincial Covid-19 Hotspot

Ontario’s COVID-19 vaccination plan “prioritizes vaccines for those at greatest risk of severe illness and those who care for them.”  The province’s vaccination strategy includes prioritizing populations based on criteria such as age and health conditions, and it can also include designated “hot spots - areas with higher rates of death, hospitalization and transmission” (covid-19.ontario.ca).

Currently, thirteen public health units across Ontario (Durham, Halton, Hamilton, Niagara, Ottawa, Peel, Simcoe Muskoka, Waterloo, Wellington, Dufferin, Guelph, Windsor Essex, York, Toronto and South West) have been designated as COVID-19 hotspots and as such are eligible to receive additional government supports.  These regions may also be placed on the expedited vaccine procurement schedule.

Over the past several weeks, Thunder Bay, ON has had the highest number of new COVID-19 cases in the province per population of one hundred thousand (see chart below). The number of people who have been hospitalized due to COVID-19 and who are on ventilators has risen sharply.  In addition, elective medical procedures at the Regional hospital have been halted, and hospital occupancy is at a critically high level.  The region has been placed into Zone Grey of the Provincial Framework as several outbreaks have been reported in long term care homes, schools, correctional facilities and the city’s vulnerable populations. 

According to Dr. DeMille, medical officer of health in the Thunder Bay District, “[COVID-19 has] taken on a life of its own as it spreads.  It is spreading within families and each family member can be spreading it futher in various ways, including the workplace or what we saw in the schools.” (Tbnewswatch, March 9, 2021).  In addition, Thunder Bay Mayor, Bill Mauro stated that “we’ve had more cases in February than we’ve had in all of 2020.  We don’t know if the trend will stabilize or if it will begin to plateau…” (Tbnewswatch, Feb 26, 2021).

Given the sharp rise in the number of COVID-19 cases in our community, the number of COVID-related deaths, the critical number of patients in the Regional hospital, and the seriousness and extent of community spread, we the undersigned, petition the Ontario government to immediately designate the Thunder Bay District as an Ontario COVID-19 hotspot, such that it may be prioritized to receive supports and vaccinations necessary to save lives, keep people safe, bolster small businesses, reopen schools, and resume some semblance of normalcy.

New Covid-19 Cases Per 100, 000 Population (February 28th-March 6th)

Health Unit                                    Cases per 100, 000

Durham                                           26.5
Halton                                             28.9
Niagara                                           25.6
Ottawa                                            34
Peel                                                 57
Simcoe Muskoka                            24
Windsor                                          31.1
Toronto                                           51
Wellington Dufferin Guelph            30.5
South West                                    11.8
York                                                33.5
Thunder Bay                                  166.7