The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit reported two new cases of COVID-19 and an outbreak over on Friday afternoon.
In its update around 12:40 p.m., both new cases were reported in the City of Kawartha Lakes. Active cases for the health unit were reported at 22, up from the 21 cases reported 24 hours earlier.
The active cases include 15 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (one more), six in Northumberland County (unchanged) and one in Haliburton County (unchanged).
There was one additional resolved case reported Friday. The 2,055 cumulative resolved cases make up 96 per cent of the health unit’s 2,139 total cases since the pandemic was declared in March 2020.
The health unit also reported 773 variant cases on Friday. Total variant cases include 397 in the Kawarthas (unchanged), 340 in Northumberland County (one more) and 36 in Haliburton County (unchanged).
Dr. Natalie Bocking, medical officer of health, said Wednesday that there has been a “handful” of cases with the Delta variant. Some of the cases were the result of transmission outside the health unit’s jurisdiction. She says it’s not surprising given cases are showing up across Ontario and like the Alpha variant, cases were initially minimal. To date now, 70 per cent of the health unit’s variant cases are the Alpha variant.
“As we see the Delta variant increase in other parts of the province, it’s projected province-wide it will become the dominant strain,” she said. “It will be similar to the Alpha variant which eventually became the dominate strain. The key piece we are trying to prevent is that strain resulting in a large number of cases, hospitalizations and deaths.
“With the Alpha variant we didn’t have vaccines, with the Delta we do. So I think we’re quite hopeful we can prevent it from having the same impact like the Alpha variant did.”
Outbreaks
On Friday, the health unit declared an outbreak over at the LCBO in Port Hope. The outbreak was declared on June 7, however, case details were never provided.
That leaves just one active outbreak for the health unit:
- Central East Correctional Centre: Initially declared May 17 with six inmate cases. There were up to 146 cases as of May 27. However, according to the province, as of Wednesday, June 16 — the most recent available data — there was one active case among inmates (unchanged since Sunday). At least 10 staff members have also tested positive during the outbreak.
Since the pandemic was first declared, the health unit has dealt with 69 outbreaks — 29 of them at long-term care facilities and 11 at workplace settings.
Other data for Friday:
- Deaths: 75 since the pandemic was declared. The latest death was reported June 5 in the City of Kawartha Lakes. There have been 57 virus-related deaths in the Kawarthas, 17 in Northumberland County and one in Haliburton County.
- Hospitalized cases to date: 79 — unchanged since Thursday. Four people are currently in an area hospital, with three in an intensive care unit (both unchanged since Thursday). Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay reported two admitted COVID-19 patients as of noontime Friday (unchanged since Friday, June 11).