THUNDER BAY – The Thunder Bay District has seen a slight dip in COVID-related hospitalizations, according to updated numbers reported by the local health unit Wednesday.
There were 25 people admitted to district hospitals with COVID-19, according to the Thunder Bay District Health Unit’s newest figures, down from 30 on Monday. Three of those people remained in the Intensive Care Unit.
The health unit’s hospitalization statistics are accurate to the end of day two days prior.
The number of people COVID hospitalizations across the district has fluctuated between 16 and 36 since the beginning of March, after surpassing 50 in February during the Omicron wave.
The health unit was monitoring 10 COVID-19 outbreaks in high-risk settings as of Wednesday, including at St. Joseph’s Hospital, Hogarth Riverview Manor, Pioneer Ridge, Southbridge Roseview Manor, the Kwae Kii Win centre at the Shelter House, and two other locations that are not disclosed.
The health unit reported 107 new confirmed cases since Monday. There were a total of 231 cases active across the district, down from 257 on Monday.
Those numbers don’t necessarily indicate the true prevalence of the virus, public health experts have cautioned, with PCR testing currently restricted to vulnerable groups.
That currently includes those living in vulnerable settings like long-term care homes, anyone 70 and older, immunocompromised adults, and those 60 and older with fewer than three vaccine doses.
Testing positivity rate dropped four points to 21.8 per cent, on 1,960 tests, for the week of April 17 to 23.
However, the percentage of new cases followed up by the health unit within one day dropped from 96 to 82 per cent for that week.
