Staff Writer
Pfizer vaccine could be arriving in region, as supplies of Moderna becoming less reliable
Since January, the Northwestern Health Unit (NWHU) region has had 44 cases of COVID-19 variants of concern, Dr. Kit Young Hoon, medical officer of health at the NWHU said.
Of those variants, 23 have been in the Dryden health hub, 13 in the Kenora health hub, four in the Sioux Lookout health hub, three in the Fort Frances health hub and one in the Red Lake health hub.
Young Hoon said all positive test results are sent to the laboratory to be screened for variants of concern and mutations, adding that results can take up to two weeks or even longer and it is not available for every specimen.
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Dr. Kit Young Hoon. Supplied by NWHU
The Northwestern Health Unit is once again forced to remind people to abide by stay-at-home orders.
This follows so-called “Freedom Rallies” in various communities including Dryden, Red Lake and Fort Frances, where a large percent of participants weren’t wearing masks.
Dr. Kit Young Hoon stresses, “We want to reach a point where these restrictions are no longer applied. We do need to demonstrate that case numbers are definitely coming down. So, at this point the numbers aren’t strongly indicating a decline.”
The region currently sits with 70 active cases, four more than all of Thunder Bay. (As of Tuesday, April 28)
Two COVID-19 outbreaks declared in the Rainy River District have now been declared over.
The Northwestern Health Unit says outbreaks at an Easter outdoor church service in Emo and Sturgeon Creek Alternative Program school are no longer concerns.
Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kit Young Hoon says there are still two workplace outbreaks at the New Gold Rainy River mine and Munn and Yates in Fort Frances they’re still monitoring.
“Those are continuing to be monitored, and we continue to work with the works places to ensure that outbreak measures are in place,” says Dr. Young Hoon.
The Health Unit is also finding some people aren’t following the public health measures asked of them.
An aerial view of the New Gold mine in Rainy River. Photo courtesy of New Gold Inc.
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The COVID-19 outbreak declared at the New Gold mine in Rainy River has grown to at least three employees.
On April 13, The Northwestern Health Unit declared a COVID-19 outbreak related to the Calvary Baptist Church in Emo after an Easter service. Five cases of the virus were confirmed, and all residents were asked to self-monitor for symptoms.
By April 14, the NWHU said the outbreak had been linked to one positive case at the New Gold mine in Rainy River. Now, three employees have tested positive, and an additional seven are awaiting test results. All of the affected individuals are in isolation away from the site.
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