Morning News Tidbits – August 17

Weather – Increasing cloudiness. 40 percent chance of showers late this morning and this afternoon. Fog patches dissipating this morning. High 20. UV index 5 or moderate.
Tonight – Mainly cloudy with 40 percent chance of showers this evening. Clearing near midnight. Low 10.

Statistics from Algoma Public Health  – August 17, 2020

Algoma Public Health is in the process of transitioning to a new provincial public health case and contact management system for COVID-19 tracking and reporting. APH will now be reporting testing numbers from Monday to Friday only. Pending numbers will no longer be reported, however, we will still report any positive cases daily.

The current figures are not yet available.

News Tidbits:

 

There are nineteen active fires across the region, of these, fifteen are being observed and four are under control.  The nearest one is Chapleau 11 (west of Chapelau), which is 0.3 of a hectare and under control. The fire hazard ranges from low to moderate across the region today, with the exception of the Chapleau and Kirkland lake areas which are showing a moderate to high hazard, as well as areas in the north and far north.

 

There are 22 active fires in the Northwest Region. Four fires were not under control, one fire was being held, one fire was under control and 13 fires were being observed. Three fires were declared out today. Red Lake 49 is under control and 100 per cent contained at 552 hectares.

 

Nipigon 45 is 35 kilometres west of Fort Hope, and has received limited rainfall over the past 24-36 hours. The west side of the fire has received 8-12mm, with 2-3 mm of rain on the remainder. It is currently 6,678 hectares. There are 16 FireRanger crews at work on the fire, and is supported by 8 helicopters.

 

 

The fire hazard is mainly low to moderate in the Kenora, Red Lake, Fort Frances, Dryden and Sioux Lookout sectors. Thunder Bay sector features low to high hazard conditions. Nipigon sector features high to extreme fire hazard conditions.

 

Premier Doug Ford will address the 2020 Annual Conference of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) this morning at 9:30.

 

Official Opposition NDP Leader Andrea Horwath will be bringing a school bus to Queen’s Park this morning to illustrate  concerns about physical distancing and the current back-to-school plan. Horwath will be joined by Ontario NDP Education critic Marit Stiles.