THUNDER BAY – A spike in COVID-19 cases in both Ontario and neighbouring Quebec has the medical officer of health for the District of Thunder Bay concerned.
On Thursday, Ontario announced 5,970 new cases of COVID-19, while Quebec announced a record high 9,937.
The Thunder Bay District Health Unit announced 20 new cases on Thursday, though Dr. Janet DeMille said moving forward those numbers could be skewed by the demand placed on testing centres throughout the province, leading to delays in number or cases simply not being officially recorded.
“It doesn’t look very good, overall. I think what is happening it what was expected, there would be a fairly substantial increase in the case numbers. Even the case numbers that we’re reporting, may not reflect the true number of people who have COVID,” DeMille said.
“There are some challenges with the testing system right now. Omicron is here. It’s in the country. It’s in Ontario. We have had some cases here and it is going to spread among people, including among people who have only had two doses of the vaccine.”
It means more time observing public health measures and reducing one’s number of contacts.
DeMille admitted it won’t be easy, with Christmas just two days away and New Year’s Eve not that far behind.
Once again she cautioned people about eliminating non-essential travel outside of the region, warning them to stay vigilant if they do leave, monitor for symptoms and isolate at the first sign. A quarter of Thursday’s latest case count is related to travel, DeMille said.
“People need to realize when they go to certain places that they could be exposed to COVID-19, to Omicron and they’ll bring it back here and they’ll spread it,” she said. “It spreads to family members in the same household or people who are close contacts. It’s really about being informed, it’s taking the precautions when you’re away and really limiting your contacts. Try to avoid anybody who has any symptoms or don’t go out if you have any symptoms.”
Those hosting family gatherings are urged to keep them to 10 or under indoors or 25 and under outdoors.
Realistically, people are going to get together, DeMille acknowledged, but asked that the public be smart about it.
“I realize these are really difficult times. It’s supposed to be a time of fun, relaxation, being able to get together and we’re basically telling people not to,” DeMille said. “If people gather and one person has COVID, everybody else is at risk and you start to see the spread of the virus.
“That’s going to hurt people. It’s going to hurt their families, but it’s also going to hurt the community. I’m really asking people to follow the rules, follow the guidance and we’ll minimize that and we’ll get through this Omicron surge and then we’ll be able to do more things.”
DeMille also provided clarifications on vaccines for those turning five in 2022. At the moment, anyone turning five in 2021 is eligible for a vaccine. However, those hitting the milestone next year will have to wait until at least their birthday to get a pediatric Pfizer vaccine, at least under current guidelines set forth by the province.
