CORNWALL, Ontario – The Eastern Ontario Health Unit (EOHU) region added 13 new COVID-19 cases over the weekend, the largest jump since May. This brings the total number of active cases in the region to 41.
Dr. Paul Roumeliotis Medical Officer of Health with the EOHU called the increase worrisome.
“I’m hanging my hat on numbers and not on a second wave,” Dr. Roumeliotis said in response to a question about whether the region had it a second wave of the pandemic.
“Are we in an uptick, yes, but what we’re trying to do is cap it,” he added.
He pointed to the fact that there was not an increase in hospitalizations or deaths, but acknowledged that the increase in cases was overwhelming his contact tracing nurses.
Dr. Roumeliotis criticized those who push back against Health Unit and provincial restrictions meant to limit the spread of the pandemic.
“There have been some speculation out there that we are not Ottawa,” said Dr. Roumeliotis in reference to the higher cases in that city. “That is inciting complacency. The virus has travelled from China and now it is here. It can easily travel from Cornwall to Ottawa.”
Of the new 13 cases, one is a staff member at a elementary school in Embrun, which has resulted in their class being cancelled and sent home to self-isolate. Another case is that of a 19-year-old high school student in Clarence-Rockland at École Secondaire Catholique L’Escale and the EOHU is currently conducting contact tracing in this case.
According to the EOHU, there are three active cases in Cornwall, two in South Glengarry, six in North Glengarry, four in South Dundas, one in North Dundas,six in Russell, three in the Nation, one in Casselman, two in Alfred-Plantagenet, and 13 in Clarence-Rockland.
One individual is currently hospitalized and is reported as doing well. Since the start of the pandemic there have been a total of 238 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 185 recovered, and 12 fatalities.
