The Northwestern Health Unit supports a State of Emergency declared by the province.
Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kit Young Hoon says “I do recognize of course that this is a substantial step for the province and it requires some effort from the general public in following those orders. We will be providing more information on it or amplifying messages from the province as appropriate.”
She adds the region likely won’t be seeing the first vaccines for COVID-19 for at least another month.
Dr. Kit Young Hoon says fortunately we don’t seem to have any cases of the UK variant of the coronavirus.
“The provincial lab has not informed us that we have a UK variance. If we were seeing a lot of transmission from one case that’s higher than we would expect, then we might flag that as a potential sample that needs to be tested. But at this point we are not seeing anything that’s different from what we’ve seen in the past.”
Provincial health officials say the UK variant of the COVID-19 virus can be transmitted much easier.
Statistics show the transmission rate is at least 50% higher.
There have been at least 14 cases of the variant confirmed in southern Ontario health units so far.
The Northwestern Health Unit released the following statement on its Facebook page addressing the stay at home order:
Although a bit of a long read, we hope this information gives you a good explanation of why the new Stay at Home orders are necessary for our area and why we all need to do our part to protect our communities. Thanks to our friends and partners at the Thunder Bay District Health Unit for this post.
For the second time during this pandemic, the Ontario Government has declared a provincial emergency, which will be in effect until at least February 11, 2021. The first thing to cross the minds of many people here in Northern Ontario may be: “But why us, too? This is a Southern Ontario problem!” The very straightforward and simple answer is: “No. It isn’t.” This is an EVERYONE problem and it requires an EVERYONE solution.
If the colour-coded framework were still in effect in Ontario, most public health units would be above the red level. Rising case counts have led to increasing hospitalization rates and ICU occupancy – even in our area!
Ontario’s COVID-19 case numbers have doubled over the past two weeks and the provincial hospital system is on the verge of collapse if drastic action is not taken immediately. Surgeries and other lifesaving procedures are being cancelled. We are heading in a direction where people who need emergency care could very well be turned away. Every region of the province has had at least one Long Term Care (LTC) home outbreak. Reducing the impact of COVID-19 means stopping deaths of people in LTC homes, people with cancer, heart disease, respiratory illness, and so much more.
Let’s break down some of the numbers, because that’s what a lot of this comes down to. Ontario’s modelling projections were recently released, and the situation is extremely grim:
• COVID-19 illness and death are at the highest levels since the start of the pandemic
• Daily mortality is increasing under current restrictions and is projected to double from 50 to 100 deaths per day between now and end of February
• ICU occupancy is now over 400 beds and is projected to be approximately 500 beds by mid-January and approximately 1,000 beds by early February in more severe, but still realistic scenarios
We are by no means immune here in the North. We have been announcing new cases almost daily and we are still within the timeframe that we can see additional impacts from holiday gatherings. NOW is the critical time to limit spread. If we want to get ahead of this, measures need to be in place BEFORE rates go up any more than they already have.
If anyone was looking for a time to start taking this seriously, this is it!
As of Thursday January 14, everyone in Ontario is being directed to stay at home except for essential purposes, such as food, medical reasons, exercise, or employment that cannot be done from the home. To help ensure compliance, provincial offenses officers and enforcement personnel have been granted the authority to issue tickets.
These are extremely trying times and we are aware of the effects that being locked down can have. It can harm our mental health. Many people’s livelihoods have certainly been impacted. We encourage everyone to support each other through this as best they can!
If you own a business and you’re struggling, please contact your Member of Provincial Parliament (https://www.gregrickfordmpp.ca/ or https://www.solmamakwa.ca/home) for assistance.
If your mental health is suffering – you are not alone! Please reach out for help. There are supports found on our website that can get you started. (https://www.nwhu.on.ca/covid19/Pages/mental-health.aspx).
This will not be easy but please know that the actions we all take now will make a difference in how the coming weeks and months will play out.
Thank you for your continued efforts to protect our communities. STAY SAFE, STAY HOME. Take care of yourselves and one another.
