For Municipal Partners

Hastings Prince Edward Public Health
Online Bulletin for Municipal Partners

March 31, 2020

To ensure everyone has current information during this quickly evolving outbreak, Hastings Prince Edward Public Health will be providing regular COVID-19 updates over the next several weeks.

For more information please review our website or call 613-966-5500.

Updates

Epidemiological

  • Hastings and Prince Edward Public Health (HPEPH) has an 8th lab-confirmed case of COVID-19. More information on local lab-confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases is updated daily by 2 pm on the HPEPH website.
  • In Canada, there are currently 7,708 lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 89 resulting in death.

Summary of cases of COVID-19: Ontario, January 15, 2020 to March 30, 2020

  Number     Percentage         
Number of cases 1,966 N/A
Change from previous report        260 15.2% increase
Resolved 534 27.2
Deceased 33 1.7
Demographics    
Male 980 49.8
Female 974 49.5
19 and under 46 2.3
20-64 1,496 76.1
65 and over 421 21.4
Testing    
Total Tested 51,629 N/A
Currently Under Investigation 4,280 N/A

Note: Twelve cases did not specify male or female gender. The age of three cases were unknown.

  • There are 1,966 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ontario reported to date in iPHIS. This represents an increase of 260 confirmed cases from the previous report.
    • 49.8% of cases are male, 49.5% are female.
    • The median age is 50, ranging in age from <1 to 100 years of age.
    • Greater Toronto Area public health units account for 59.1% of cases.
  • Of all cases, 25.7% had travelled in the 14 days prior to becoming ill, 10.2% had close contact with a confirmed case, 16.8% had neither and 47.3% have exposure information pending.
  • 10.9% of cases were hospitalized and 27 deaths have been reported (please note there may be a reporting delay for deaths in iPHIS).

Federal

City Dwellers Advised Not to Head to Cottage

  • Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada's chief public health officer, warned: "Urban dwellers should avoid heading to rural properties, as these places have less capacity to manage COVID-19," she said on Sunday at a press conference in Ottawa. Dr. Tam also issued a twitter mesage Sudnay, "#COVID19 time is NOT #cottage time”; #StayHome in the city & DO NOT put rural communities at further risk during the #COVID19 crisis."

Wage Subsidy Program

  • Any business (big or small), non-profit or charity, who has seen a decrease in the revenue by 30% due to the COVID-19 crisis will be able to apply for wage subsidies.
  • Employees whose jobs have been impacted due to COVID-19, can apply to have the government cover up to 75% of their salary on the first $58,700 they earned (i.e. up to $847 a week).
  • The wage subsidies will be retroactive to March 15th and the number of employees is not an eligibility criteria.
  • Prime Minister Trudeau urged businesses to pay the remaining 25% and warned companies of "serious consequences" for those that abuse the system. Finance Minister Morneau will provide more details today.

 

Military Readiness

  • Some 24,000 members of the military are ready to be deployed across Canada, if and when required to help prevent the spread of the virus.
  • The military will bring its expertise to a range of areas (e.g. medicine, engineering, community management, flood control).

Provincial

School Closures Continue

  • Minister Stephen Lecce announced today that Ontario schools will remain closed until at least the end of April, with earliest possible return date being May 4th.

New Guidance Documents

  • In addition to existing guidance for various health setttings, food premises, childcare centres and workplaces, the Ministry of Health has developed and uploaded to the ministry website new guidance documents for Talking to Children About the Pandemic, Funeral and Bereavement Services, as well as new resources for Ontarians Experiencing Mental Health and Addictions Issues.

Enhancing Public Reporting about COVID-19

  • A new dedicated web page has been launched to provide more detailed reporting on COVID-19;
  • more provincial and regional data will be provided on confirmed cases, including trends of cases since the outbreak began, geography, exposure and severity.
  • The data will have been recorded by local public health units in the province's integrated Public Health Information System (iPHIS) as of 4 p.m. the day before the summary is posted.
  • This expanded information will be provided daily at 10:30 a.m., rather than the previous twice daily status report.

Protecting Seniors During the COVID-19 Outbreak

  • Yesterday, the Chief Medical Officer of Health issued a statement to Ontarians recommending that individuals over 70 years of age self-isolate, and urging all Ontarians to continue adhering to physical distancing and to remain at home.
  • The Ontario government will be working with businesses and volunteer organizations to make it easier for Ontario's seniors to self-isolate and practice physical distancing by investing $10 million to help community organizations with the coordination of subsidized deliveries of meals, medicines and other necessities to seniors, twice the amount announced last week.
  • Grocers and pharmacists will be prioritizing seniors' delivery orders and establishing senior-only shopping hours.
  • The province will be working with Ontario Community Support Association and Older Adults Centres' Association of Ontario to mobilize volunteer supports and expand the use of innovative technologies to address social isolation and support daily living assistance.
  • Inspectors will be redeployed to support long-term care homes to help these homes prevent and contain infections.

Protecting Frontline Nurses from COVID-19

  • In collaboration with the Ontario Nurses' Association, Ontario Health and the Ontario Hospital Association, the province has issued a new directive on health and safety standards for frontline nurses in hospitals to prevent exposure to and transmission of COVID-19.
  • The new directive outlines:
    • precautions for interactions with suspected, presumed or confirmed COVID-19 patients.
    • point-of-care risk assessments for every patient interaction to assess appropriate health and safety measures.
    • training on the safe use of all personal protective equipment (PPE).
    • the ongoing stewardship and conservation of the current level of PPE supplies.

Local

  • Understanding that during the pandemic abuse for some will increase and staying home is not the safest option, Three Oaks Foundation shelter and services for abused women and their children is operating all services, with the exception of groups. The 24-hour crisis line is 613-966-3074. More information and support are available at www.threeoaks.ca or the Three Oaks Facebook page.

  • The County Foundation has established the PEC Helping PEC – COVID-19 Fund. The goal is to connect funding to community agencies that support the needs of vulnerable communities throughout the County. The County Foundation aims to raise $100,000 for food banks, food initiatives, and groups that provide food and health support in the County. Please visit thecountyfoundation.ca/covid-19-fund to donate and learn more.
  • Prince Edward County has released a helpline for residents. One of the services offered to residents is grocery delivery. Anyone in PEC looking for more information can call 1-833-676-2148.

  • Free food support programs are still operating in Belleville. Call Bridge Street United Church at 613-962-9178 for more information.
    • Breakfast - Coffee & sandwich, 9 am – 12 pm, Mon – Fri. 25 Wallbridge Cres. (Gleaners Food Bank)
    • Takeout Lunch - 11:30 am – 1:00 pm, 7 days/week, 60 Bridge St. E. (Bridge Street United Church)
    • Takeout supper - 4:00 pm – 5:30 pm, 7 days/week, 295 Pinnacle St. (Salvation Army)
    • Frozen meal - 2 pm - 4pm, Every Friday, 60 Bridge St. E. (Bridge Street United Church)
  • The Township of Stirling-Rawdon declared a state of emergency yesterday, joining Quinte West, Prince Edward County and Hastings County, who have all declared states of emergency in the past week.

Public Health

Precautions being taken at BGH following patient testing positive for COVID-19

  • A patient was admitted to QHC Belleville General Hospital mid-last week for a condition unrelated to COVID-19, but subsequently developed symptoms and has now tested positive for COVID-19. The hospital is currently in the process of determining the full potential exposure of staff and physicians prior to the patient developing symptoms. A number of health care workers have been instructed to self-isolate at home while the hospital determines the exposure risk in consultation with Public Health.
  • When a confirmed case is identified in a workplace, HPEPH works with the employer and contacts staff who are considered close contacts, and advises of appropriate protocols to protect the health of those involved.

We want to ensure this bulletin is as useful as possible. Please send your questions, comments and suggestions to klarose@hpeph.ca

Contact Information: 

To give us your comments: klarose@hpeph.ca

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