SIOUX LOOKOUT, Ont. – The Northwestern Health Unit will offer more precise details on the location of new COVID-19 cases, ditching a regional approach to data reporting that had irked area mayors and residents.
The NWHU began identifying new cases by eight “health hub” areas on Tuesday. The health unit had followed that reporting practice earlier in the pandemic, but in July moved to break cases down into only four regions.
The larger regions contained between 18 and 31 communities each, spanning vast areas in a health unit that covers nearly one fifth of the province.
The less specific reporting prompted complaints from area mayors and online criticism.
“I think it’s important our communities know exactly where there is a case, so we can be more vigilant,” Mayor June Caul of Fort Frances told TBT News in October. “I think the people in that particular town have the right to know it’s actually in their community.”
The health unit cited privacy concerns in explaining the change, saying more precise reporting would risk exposing the identities of some who tested positive.
Dr. Kit Young Hoon, the NWHU’s medical officer of health, suggested data such as age and gender released by the province, if linked to geographic information from the health unit, could identify those infected in small communities.
At a press briefing Tuesday, Young Hoon said that was no longer a concern due to increasing case numbers.
“We are able to do this because our daily case numbers are large enough that case information released by the ministry cannot be linked to the cases we announce,” she said.
The active case count remains well below levels recorded a month ago in mid-February. The health unit did not immediately respond to questions from Tbnewswatch about the timing of the reporting change.
The health hub areas where cases will now be reported include Atikokan, Dryden, Emo, Fort Frances, Kenora, Rainy River, Red Lake, and Sioux Lookout. The areas are not precisely defined on the NWHU’s website.
The health unit previously reported cases in four regions: Dryden/Red Lake, Kenora, District of Rainy River, and Sioux Lookout.