KENORA – The Northwestern Health Unit reported nine new confirmed cases of COVID-19 Saturday, a day after hitting record levels of active cases.
The health unit announced seven new cases in the Kenora region and two in the Sioux Lookout region on Saturday. Both are large areas encompassing numerous communities (a full list is available at the NWHU website).
There were a record 107 active cases across the NWHU Friday, with fully 101 of those in the Kenora region.
The health unit does not provide updates on data such as active case numbers over the weekend.
A dramatic spike in new cases that has now lasted more than a week has largely been concentrated in a single community, NWHU medical officer of health Dr. Kit Young Hoon said Friday. However, she declined to identify that community.
Wabaseemoong Independent Nations, located about 95 kilometres north of Kenora, has been on lockdown for over a week after reporting a spike in cases.
Because the cases are localized, Young Hoon said she was comfortable with the NWHU remaining in the Yellow-Protect category in Ontario’s COVID-19 response framework. There was no evidence of spread in the municipality of Kenora itself, she added.
Young Hoon issued a Section 22 order earlier this week, allowing for greater enforcement of COVID-19 isolation requirements.
