THUNDER BAY – The head of the COVID-19 response team at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre is trying to put pressure on the provincial government to allow Northwestern Ontario to speed up its reopening strategy.
Dr. Stewart Kennedy on Thursday said the region has done its job and it’s time to reward those who live here.
According to the Thunder Bay District Health Unit, there is just one remaining confirmed active case of COVID-19 in the district, a patient who is hospitalized. In all likelihood, Kennedy said in a few days the region could be down to zero cases.
In total, the region has had 81 cases since the pandemic was declared, 79 of which are considered resolved. Another case resulted in the death of man in his 50s, a contracted employee working at Lac Des Iles Mine.
“My personal thoughts, and my thoughts drawing on medical expertise, I really think people who live in Thunder Bay and Northwestern Ontario for certain reasons. One of the reasons is they like the isolation. One of the advantages of the isolation is we certainly have been able to prevent COVID spread in the community,” Kennedy said.
“We only have one active case in the community, so we should be given some consideration for some special status that we can begin opening some businesses earlier than Toronto.”
The two areas of Ontario are vastly different, Kennedy said.
Toronto still has rampant community spread, but with only one active case, it doesn’t make sense to keep everything on lockdown.
The province has gradually started to allow retail businesses to reopen, if they have storefront entrances. But Kennedy said next door in Manitoba, bars and restaurants will be allowed to be open at no more than 50 per cent capacity, starting on Monday. Gyms and community centres are also included on the latest reopening list.
He doesn’t see why that can’t happen in Thunder Bay or throughout Northwestern Ontario.
“We haven’t had an active case since May 10. We’re in great shape here in Thunder Bay and I think we have to be given certainly consideration to be a bit different than some of the big places in southern Ontario.”
Premier Doug Ford has repeatedly said he won’t consider reopening different regions of Ontario on separate timeframes, but the calls to do so have been getting louder in recent days.
“I have said from Day One I will follow the advice of the medical professionals and if Dr. (David Williams says it isn’t a good idea then I will take his advice," the premier said on Thursday.
Kingston Mayor Bryan Peterson has been at the forefront of the issue since late last month asking the province for a regional approach to easing COVID-19 restrictions.
The request was denied.
Kennedy said he understands higher density areas might have greater concerns about community spread occurring if they reopen too fast, but it’s not nearly as worrisome in the less populated north.
He said the prevalence of turning test to positivity in the region is just 0.9 per cent, compared to 4.2 per cent province wide.
The danger, he added, is if restrictions aren’t eased in the Northwest, people might start taking things into their own hands and disobey public health orders.
“I think there’s more of a chance if we keep these restrictions on communities like ours that people will begin to break the rules,” Kennedy said. “They’re not stupid. They know our prevalence is low.”
