THUNDER BAY – The number of active COVID-19 cases in the Thunder Bay district took a tumble Thursday, as the local health unit reported 62 new cases, and declared 114 previous cases resolved.
That left the Thunder Bay District Health Unit's official active case count at 193, down significantly from a recent high of 387 on Monday.
However, the agency repeated its warning that limited testing availability “means that confirmed cases will significantly underestimate the true number of people with COVID-19.”
There were seven district residents in hospital with the virus Thursday, down two from the day before. One of those patients was in ICU, also down by one.
Thunder Bay's regional hospital, which also serves residents from beyond the Thunder Bay District Health Unit's catchment area, had 15 COVID-positive patients admitted as of Wednesday, with two in ICU.
The hospital has declared a COVID-19 outbreak in one wing, and reactivated a dedicated COVID unit.
Of the 62 new cases reported Thursday by the TBDHU, 53 involved Thunder Bay-area residents, eight were in district communities, and one was in a First Nation.
Two cases were attributed to household contact, 10 to other close contact, and three to travel outside of the region. Eleven others had no known exposures, while an exposure category for 36 others was still pending.
The health unit also advised Thursday it had removed four previously reported COVID-19 cases from its case count after "data quality checks."
Residents can find provincial guidance on what to do if exposed to COVID-19 online.
