KENORA — The Northwestern Health Unit is extending its recommendation for enhanced measures against COVID-19.
It's due to the region's continued high COVID-19 infection and hospitalization rates.
Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kit Young Hoon is asking businesses, organizations and residents to practise augmented measures as long as case numbers and hospital admissions remain elevated.
"We are not in the same position as most of the province," Young Hoon said in a statement released Wednesday. "Our region continues to have the highest case rate per 100,000 in Ontario, and we are seeing an increase in hospitalizations for COVID-19 in our area."
The Northwestern Health Unit strongly recommends the following measures:
- limit social gatherings to a maximum of 10 people indoors and 25 outdoors
- limit all indoor public meetings to the number of people who are able to maintain a physical distance of at least two metres from every other person to a maximum capacity of 50 per cent
- continue to practise all prevention measures including physical distancing, daily screening, staying home when feeling unwell, and wearing a mask properly when in indoor public settings and when physical distancing is challenging
- get a boosters dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, as it significantly reduces the risk of infection from the Omicron variant
Dr. Young Hoon said NWHU will continue to monitor regional data, and will revisit its recommendations in a few weeks.
As of Wednesday, the health unit reported 265 active cases in its service area, more than half of which are in the Sioux Lookout Health Hub.
That hub includes several remote First Nations which have recently experienced COVID-19 outbreaks.
The current COVID-19 positivity test rate in NWHU's service area is 24.2 per cent.
