Speaking of the local presence of COVID-19 variants of concern (VOC) and the district's low rate of vaccination, Dr. Jim Chirico confirmed he had again advocated in talks with provincial officials, just as he had two weeks ago, to extend local public health measures set to expire within days.
See original story: Stay-at-home orders continued for North Bay-Parry Sound
For today's case numbers: 18 new COVID-19 cases reported
"Now is not the time to be opening up our district," said Chirico in a statement streamed by the Health Unit. "We have a small window of opportunity to try to stop the spread of the VOCs in our communities. If we do not continue to follow precautions and prevent a surge of COVID-19 variants of concern, more people will become ill and more people will die."
He advised such a scenario could lead to "prolonged lockdown or school closures, which will have profoundly harmful effects on youth and people struggling with poor mental health, violence or addictions."
The local medical officer of health spoke Friday afternoon about the extension of shutdown measures and the stay-at-home order that will now remain in place until at least Monday, March 8 in three Ontario public health regions, including in the North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit. Public health and workplace safety measures will also be extended by two weeks.
"The current threat we face is the most serious since the pandemic began," declared Chirico. "While COVID-19 cases and deaths are decreasing throughout Ontario, variants of concern are on the increase and spreading rapidly."
Chirico explained, over the course of the pandemic, Toronto Public Health's ratio of variant cases to total cases is 0.37 per cent, while the local VOC-to-total-cases figure is 9.3 per cent. Chirico added the VOC is known to spread 50–70 per cent more easily.
"Between January 28th and February 18th, 68 per cent of all of our district COVID-19 cases are VOC — either confirmed or directly associated with the VOC outbreak. This is significantly higher than the rest of the province," he shared.
See: Original COVID-19 Variant of Concern case linked to international travel
"Sadly, there has been one death," said Chirico in addressing the Lancelot apartments outbreak and noted the spread of the VOC into the community, leading to two school closures — at Sunset Park and Algonquin.
"There is community spread of VOC — meaning that a person has acquired the VOC and does not know where they got it from. No travel history, no contact with positive cases, and they were not in an outbreak setting."
Vaccination shortages also factor into the decision to keep the public health measures in place as only 1,109 doses have been administered to participating long-term care residents, high-risk retirement home residents, First Nations elders in care homes, and a small number of staff members from these facilities (to avoid vaccine waste).
And: Health Unit outlines phase 1 vaccine rollout plan
"Until the vaccinations are completed," said Chirico, the shutdown and stay-at-home measures "are the only tools we have to fight the virus and the VOCs."
