There are currently nine active cases of COVID-19 in the Northwestern Health Unit catchment area.
Two of the cases are in the Dryden/Red Lake region, with one of those reported by the Keewatin-Patricia District School Board at Open Roads School in Dryden, five in the Kenora region and two in the Sioux Lookout region.
Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kit Young Hoon says the health unit continues to work with the school board on the next steps.
“The case is being followed up according to protocol. We’re doing the case contact follow up. At this point, I’m not sure exactly how that individual contracted COVID-19. For many cases, it really is very challenging to figure out how someone has contracted COVID-19. You might be able to have a theory on why based on what the person has done, but it’s not always that straightforward,” says Dr. Young Hoon.
Young Hoon says there are steps to follow when there’s a positive case reported at a school.
“Usually, if it’s a student or staff person, the primary classroom that they’re working with or that they attend is usually asked to stay home. They’re often considered high-risk contacts. Stay home. We follow up with them, tell them if they should get tested and to self isolate for a specific period of time.”
In this update, Young Hoon notes they’ve seen a general increase of cases in the Kenora area. While not all cases are travel-related, it remains a concern for all of northwestern Ontario.
“I am worried about it because we do know that there’s risk from Manitoba, it can affect us and can quite easily affect us. We are seeing an increase in cases in Kenora so people do need to be careful and follow public health measures for COVID-19.”
Non-essential travel to and from Manitoba is not recommended at this time.
The Health Unit also says anyone who has travelled to that province should stay home upon their return and not interact with anyone outside of their household for fourteen days.
Young Hoon adds following this recommendation may not be possible for those travelling for essential reasons such as medical, but urges us to try to avoid contact with anyone outside of our homes as much as possible.
