KENORA, Ont. – The COVID-19 situation in the Northwest Health Unit’s catchment area continues to get grimmer.
The health unit on Friday announced 13 new cases, bringing the region’s total to 61 active cases, equalling the number announced on Thursday by the Thunder Bay District Health Unit.
Five of the new cases were announced in Emo, Ont., where outbreaks have been declared at both the Calvary Baptist Church and the Sturgeon Creek Alternative Program school. There are now 16 active cases in Emo, a town of 1,333.
There were four new positive cases in the Sioux Lookout health hub, two in the Kenora health hub, and one each in the Rainy River and Dryden health hub areas.
Most of the Emo-area cases have been linked to an outdoor Easter service at the town's Calvary Baptist Church, said NWHU medical officer of health Dr. Kit Young Hoon at a Friday press conference.
“I can say that a large number of the cases in the Rainy River District are secondary to the outbreak associated with the church,” she said.
Despite noting increased risk for Emo-area residents, she expressed hope that chain of infection could be brought under control.
“The case numbers are high per capita for that area, so it is very much at an elevated risk compared to the rest of the region," she said. "However, we do know most of this is related to one incident, so I’m hoping if people are following public health measures, case and contact management is ongoing, that... risk will decrease.”
The health unit reports 19,070 vaccine doses have been administered across its catchment area, which serves around 82,231.
The NWHU is now receiving weekly shipments of the Pfizer vaccine, and is on track to meet provincial vaccination targets, Young Hoon believes.
Since the pandemic began, there have been 797 cases in the Northwest Health Unit region.
