EASTERN ONTARIO – The Eastern Ontario Health Unit announced Sunday a third person has tested positive for COVID-19 in Prescott-Russell. The person, in their 30’s, does not have a history of travel.
The person was tested at an Ottawa assessment centre and returned home to self-isolation. Close family contacts of the positive test are also in self-isolation. The person is a healthcare worker at a campus of The Ottawa Hospital. That hospital and Ottawa Public health are actively engaged in contact tracing individuals and patients who may have been in close contact with the healthcare worker.
This is the first instance of a non-travel related COVID-19 infection in the EOHU coverage area.
The health unit is expending a growing number of cases in the region due to the influx of people returning to Canada from outside travel. Those individuals who have returned to Canada must self-isolate for 14 days.
According to the Ontario Ministry of Health there have been over 26,000 people tested for COVID-19 with 17,634 people testing negative as of March 22nd. There are over 8,300 cases currently under investigation, 413 positive cases, 8 cases have been resolved, and three people have died from COVID-19 related illness.
In the EOHU coverage area, which includes Cornwall, Akwesasne, the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas, and Glengarry, and Prescott-Russell, there have been three confirmed cases announced.
The EOHU will be opening a testing center beginning March 23rd in Hawkesbury. Plans are underway to open testing centres in two other locations in Prescott-Russell, and in Cornwall, Alexandria, and Winchester in SDG. There has been no announcement as to when the other centres are to open.
At previous press briefings, EOHU Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Paul Roumeliotis said that testing centres would be opened to alleviate stress on local hospitals providing tests. In addition, Cornwall and SDG paramedics have been trained to provide the COVID-19 testing in homes of people who are deemed to be high-risk.
People who feel they may have symptoms of COVID-19 are asked to use the provincial diagnosing tool website at (https://www.ontario.ca/page/2019-novel-coronavirus), contact Telehealth Ontario at 1-866-797-0000, or the Eastern Ontario Health Unit at (1-800-267-7120).
