By Cecilia Nasmith
One thing Dr. Rachel Bocking did on her first day on the job as the Haliburton Kawartha Pine Ridge District Health Unit Medical Officer of Health was to issue a press release urging everyone to remain vigilant and to continue to follow public-health recommendations aimed at stemming the spread of COVID-19.
During the past seven days, the bulletin said, health-unit staff have conducted investigations on more than 94 new confirmed cases – the bulk of them in Northumberland County.
“We know the majority of cases in Ontario are variants of concern, and this is also the case in our area,” Dr. Bocking stated.
“As we have been hearing, these variants spread more quickly and easily than the original COVID virus, and we are seeing that happen as well.”
With older adults in long-term-care and retirement homes now vaccinated, many of the newest cases tend to be in younger age groups, More than 26% of those 94 new cases are among young people aged 14 to 18. This finding has prompted the health unit to work with two local school boards to suspend in-person learning at two Cobourg secondary schools.
“When it comes to COVID-19, younger people still tend to experience milder symptoms and recover fully,” Dr. Bocking said.
“Our concern is that some family members that they bring this virus home to – their siblings, parents and grandparents – will not fare as well and become quite ill. We have worked with school boards in areas where we are seeing active transmission to try and stop any further exposure or spread that could potentially occur, either through the schools or in our communities.”
The health unit continues its mass-vaccination clinics throughout the region. As well, the provinces has expanded the program to have local pharmacies and primary health-care providers vaccinate local residents.
These are all steps in the right direction but, until more vaccine is available to increase inoculations to local residents, Dr. Bocking urges everyone to continue to follow public-health recommendations.
Stay home if you are ill, even if you think the symptoms are caused by allergies.
Continue to keep a distance of more than six feet between you and others outside of household family members.
Wear a mask when out in public, and when you cannot maintain a six-foot distance from others when outdoors.
Stay home except for essential reasons like work or shopping for food or medication.
Wash your hands thoroughly and frequently with soap and water.
Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue – then dispose of the tissue and wash your hands.
