UPDATE: Riverdale Terrace was listed as having a COVID-19 outbreak. It in fact had an Enteric outbreak. We apologize for any confusion.
CORNWALL, Ontario – The City of Cornwall is in the unenviable position of leading the pack in terms of new COVID-19 cases in the Eastern Ontario Health Unit (EOHU) region.
Cornwall added five new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, March 11 to bring the total to 71 in the city, nearly half of the total 159 cases across the EOHU.
The rolling seven day average of new COVID-19 cases for the EOHU is 36.5, but for just the City of Cornwall, that average is 77.5.
Dr. Paul Roumeliotis, Medical Officer of Health of the EOHU stated that the region is also seeing growing numbers of Variants of Concern (VOCs) of COVID-19 with 25 variant cases found in the region as of Thursday.
“What the alarming thing about this is that we now have 25 VOCs in our area, and they are in all areas,” he said.
According to Dr. Roumeliotis, the EOHU is right on the edge of being in Level Red of the provincial COVID-19 response plan; this is being driven by the City of Cornwall, who’s numbers are beyond the Red Level and into Level Gray.
Dr. Roumeliotis stated that all of the VOCs except one were the United Kingdom variant of COVID-19 which is more contagious.
“It is here and it is all over our area. It isn’t just one specific area,” Dr. Roumeliotis warned.
Currently, there are eight long-term care facilities in the region that are experiencing COVID-19 outbreaks. All except two are in Cornwall. The following long-term care facilities are experiencing an outbreak of COVID-19: Heartwood LTC, Valoris Domaine Larose, Baldwin House, Parisien Manor, Chartwell McConnell, and Rideau Place.
The EOHU continues to distribute the COVID-19 vaccine. They are currently in the process of administering the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to retirement home residents.
The EOHU is also holding vaccine clinics at the Cornwall Civic Complex, Hawkesbury, Rockland, Alexandria, Winchester, and Casselman for frontline healthcare workers and residents age 80 and over.
Vaccines are currently being given by appointment only. For information about getting an appointment, please visit the EOHU website.
As of March 11, the EOHU has distributed 13,514 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Currently, there are 71 COVID-19 cases in Cornwall, six in the northern portion of Akwesasne, 10 in South Glengarry, 17 in South Stormont, two in South Dundas, seven in North Dundas, two in North Stormont, seven in North Glengarry, four in East Hawkesbury, three in Hawkesbury, zero in Champlain, 11 in Alfred and Plantagenet, 13 in Clarence-Rockland, one in The Nation, three in Casselman, and two in Russell.
