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UPDATED: Confirmed COVID-19 cases in Northwestern Ontario reaches 47

Atikokan Mayor Dennis Brown asks residents to take all precautions
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THUNDER BAY — The number of people across Northwestern Ontario confirmed to have contracted the COVID-19 virus has reached 47.

As of Monday evening, the Thunder Bay District Health Unit has reported 36 cases in its jurisdiction.

Twenty-three cases remain active, while 13 are resolved.

Thirty-one of the cases have involved residents of the City of Thunder Bay, four are in Nipigon and one is in Eabametoong First Nation.

In the jurisdiction of the Kenora-based Northwestsern Health Unit, there were 11 confirmed COVID-19 cases as of Tuesday morning.

The newest case is in Atikokan, the first for that community.

The Northwestern Health Unit says the individual was a contact of someone who had tested positive outside the region.

It says the person was quarantining before symptoms developed and is now in self-isolation.

Atikokan Mayor Dennis Brown issued a message to the community "More than ever, I feel it necessary to strongly encourage our residents to do their part to help stop the spread of COVID-19. We are all in this together and we all must follow the rules to protect each other," he said.

Brown called on residents to leave home only if absolutely necessary to pick up groceries or prescriptions, or for a medical appointment.

He noted that Atikokan General Hospital, Atikokan Family Health Team and Canada's Chief Public Health Officer, Dr. Theresa Tam, are now advising people to wear homemade cloth masks when out of the house.

"Ignoring self-isolation or physical distancing advice can have devastating effects and endanger lives," Brown cautioned.

Previously-disclosed cases in the Northwestern Health Unit's area include four in Dryden, two in Red Lake, and one each in Sioux Lookout, Rainy River and Fort Frances.

An eleventh case involves a person who lives in southern Ontario.




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