The Northwestern Health Unit reported slight increases in COVID-related hospitalizations and its active case count on Friday.
There were 12 COVID-positive patients in hospital across the NWHU’s catchment area Friday, up one from the day before. That figure can include residents from other health units but hospitalized in the NWHU, as well as patients hospitalized for reasons other than COVID who later test positive.
Just five NWHU residents were hospitalized due to COVID-19, the agency reported Friday, with two in the ICU.
The health unit began reporting that data separately earlier this week, in response to direction from the province. The Thunder Bay District Health Unit has not yet followed suit, directing questions on the matter to the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre.
In an interview Friday, hospital CEO Rhonda Crocker-Ellacott said about 80 per cent of the 33 COVID-positive patients in hospital with the virus had been admitted due to COVID-19.
The number of active cases rose to 268 across the NWHU, an increase of 25 from the previous day.
That included 82 in Sioux Lookout, 76 in Kenora, 57 in Fort Frances, 26 in Dryden, and 14 in Red Lake. All other areas had five or fewer active cases.
The health unit no longer highlights the number of new daily cases in its reporting, saying information like the testing positivity rate and hospitalizations “better represent the impact of COVID-19 on our region.”
The NWHU’s testing positivity rate stood at 19.5 per cent over the past week.
