Most of Ontario is seeing a steady decline in COVID positivity rates and hospitalizations but that’s not the case in the Northwestern Health Unit catchment area.
That’s according to Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kit Young Hoon.
“We have the highest case rates per 100,000 population in Ontario. About five times as high as the provincial rate. And are seeing increases in the trending data. The region’s seven day positive case rate is 455.1 per 100,000 population,” says Dr. Young Hoon.
Ontario as a whole sits at 90.7 per 100,000.
The current 7-day percent positivity rate in our area is at 29.1%.
There are 308 active high-risk cases.
Dr. Young Hoon says a number of reasons could play a factor noting the size of the coverage area and the Omicron wave hitting later than the rest of Ontario.
The top health official adds, “This is an urgent call to all residents to be more vigilant with prevention measures including physical distancing, daily screening, staying home when unwell and wearing a mask when in indoor public settings.”
Dr. Young Hoon also urges everyone who is eligible to get a booster shot.
Although restrictions have eased in Ontario, Dr. Kit Young Hoon is out with her own recommendations.
“Residents keep social gathering limits to a maximum of 10 people indoors and 25 people outdoors and that all indoor public settings are limited to the number of people who are able to maintain a physical distance of at least two metres from every other person to a maximum capacity of 50%,” says Dr. Young Hoon.
Dr. Young Hoon says she’s hopeful that by reducing social gatherings we can decrease local case rates.
She says the recommendations will be revisited in another two weeks.
Dr. Young Hoon says the health unit is always looking at regional restrictions and they will be looking closely at various statistics to come to their decision, if necessary.
