For Municipal Partners

Hastings Prince Edward Public Health
Online Bulletin for Municipal Partners

April 2, 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 Prince Edward Public Health (HPEPH) now has 16 lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19. Yesterday's reported 254 probable cases has not yet been updated due to technical issues delaying the report. The number of current probable cases will be updated on our website once available.

• There are 2,793 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ontario reported to date in the integrated Public Health Information System (iPHIS). This represents an increase of 401 confirmed cases from the previous report.

Summary of cases of COVID-19: Ontario, January 15, 2020 to April 1, 2020

Note: 17 cases did not specify male or female. The age of two cases were unknown.

• There are 2,793 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ontario reported to date in iPHIS. This represents an increase of 401 confirmed cases from the previous report.
  • 48.5% of cases are male, 50.9% are female.
  • 32.3% of cases are 60 years of age and older.
  • Greater Toronto Area public health units account for 53.6% of cases.
• Of all cases, 22.4% had travelled in the 14 days prior to becoming ill, 11.1% had close contact with a confirmed case, 16.6% had neither and 49.9% have exposure information pending.
• 11.5% of cases were hospitalized and 53 deaths have been reported (please note there may be a reporting delay for deaths in iPHIS).
• Twenty-six outbreaks have been reported in long-term care homes.

• Canada: 9,613 cases have been confirmed positive for COVID-19, with 109 deaths reported. In Canada, over 250,000 people have been tested; 3.7% confirmed as positive and 95% tested negative.

Federal

• The Prime Minister is recalling Parliament to pass new legislation needed to deliver the enhanced COVID-19 emergency aid measures. Recognizing the extraordinary efforts being made by everyone, he exclaimed that, "Canada hasn't seen this type of civic mobilization, since the Second World War."

Canada Economic Response Benefit (CERB)

Prime Minister Trudeau and Finance Minister Morneau provided more details about the CERB calling it "the largest economic program in Canada's history." The new program will:

• Cover a period of up to 16 weeks and be available to any Canadian who has stopped working for a 14-day period due to Covid-19.
• Support wage earners, contract workers, or self-employed individuals; those who've had to stay home without pay to self-isolate or care for loved ones; and anyone else who hasn't been permanently laid off, but has stopped receiving paycheques.
• Be open for Canadians to apply from April 6^th onwards by going here.

Measures are being taken to avoid overloading the application system.

Employment Insurance (EI)

• Finance Minister Morneau and Employment Minister Qualtrough provided the following details about the difference between EI and CERB:
  • Any of the 2.1 million Canadians who have applied for EI benefits within the last two weeks, of which 430,000 have been approved, will be moved over to the new emergency benefit (CERB) when it becomes available.
  • Canadians who would have received EI benefits below the $2,000-per-month threshold will now be bumped up to the maximum payment.
  • EI-eligible workers will still qualify for their usual benefits, whether lower or higher than $2000-per-month, after the four-month CERB period.
• The government aims to process around 400,000 application per day which will help to clear the backlog by next week.
• People who have already applied for EI will begin receiving money over the next few days.

Canada Economic Wage Subsidy (CEWS)

While sending a clear message to employers to "get ready to rehire", Finance Minister Morneau outlined the following details of the CEWS program:

• It will help businesses cover up to 75% of wages and keep their employees on the payroll.
• It includes organizations from bars and restaurants to charities, small businesses and large corporations.
• Employees receiving this benefit, cannot apply for other unemployment benefits.
• Employers can apply through the Canada Revenue Agency portal that will be launched soon; funds will be dispersed within 6 weeks.
• Anyone who breaks the trust implicit in this program will bear severe penalties.

Provincial

Testing Backlog Being Addressed

• The backlog of laboratory tests in the province has been reduced to about 3,000. When the backlog is cleared, it will give the province a real-time look at numbers of tests and numbers of positives, which will in turn give some idea of whether the measures taken are bending the curve. The numbers are going up each day, in part due to the reporting of older test results.

Physical Distancing

• Premier Ford stressed that we are "facing a ruthless enemy... if we're going to beat this virus, we need to remember that the virus doesn't travel on its own: - it's people that help spread it". He emphasized that the next few weeks are critical and urged Ontarians to help slow the virus by keeping away from others; noting that there's little separating us from the situation in Italy and Spain. He warned that he's prepared to take any measure and won't hesitate to take further action.

CMOH Calls for More Aggressive Measures

• Ontario's Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. David Williams, has directed local Medical Officers of Health (MOHs) to enforce isolation for those with the virus and their contacts and recommended MOHs implement more aggressive contact tracing and management to help flatten the curve.
• He urged local MOHs to use their powers under Section 22; among other things this order could result in those being directed to stay home and defying that order being charged with a provincial offence and fined up to $5,000 per day.
• A copy of Dr. Williams' memo to local public health agencies was released by the Ministry of Health. The note also highlighted the $100M in additional funding to public health units announced in last week's fiscal and economic update.

Developing Equipment and Supplies

• A $50 million Ontario Together Fund was launched to "help companies retool, build capacity or adopt the technological changes needed to produce supplies and equipment to manufacture essential medical supplies and equipment, including gowns, coveralls, (e.g. masks, face shields, testing equipment, ventilators) for hospitals, long-term care homes and other critical public services".
• This new Fund will support the development of proposals submitted by businesses and individuals through the Ontario Together web portal.
• Some 10,000 ventilators have been ordered from Ontario based O-Two Medical Technologies.

Breaching an Emergency Order

• Provincial law enforcement officers can now require people to identify themselves when being charged with an offence under Ontario's state of emergency.
• Charges could be laid for not complying with requirements to self-isolate, closing business or attending social gatherings or for price gouging.
• Provincial and municipal police and bylaw enforcement, First Nations and special constables can require a person to provide their correct name, date of birth, and address when being charged; those not complying can face fines, starting at $750.

Local

• COVID-19 assessment centres are opening in Belleville and Picton. This does not mean that everyone determined to be probable for COVID-19 will be tested, as 80% of people with this virus have mild to moderate symptoms, need to isolate themselves at home, and do not need to be tested for the virus.

• Prince Edward County has joined Quinte West, Belleville and other municipalities in delaying property tax payments free of interest. Check with your local municipality for specifics.

• The City of Belleville has started a #BellevilleCares initiative to share good news stories and acts of kindness seen in the community.

Public Health

• Public Health Inspectors at HPEPH have been following up with local essential businesses about complaints and concerns submitted by the public to ensure they are aware of the necessary infection control procedures and taking every precaution to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

• Public Health offers Free online prenatal education that is available for access anytime through our website hpepublichealth.ca/clinic/prenatal-education/. Expectant parents who have prenatal education questions or who are looking for information on prenatal resources and supports can call our CARELine at 613-966-5500 ext. 223 or text 450-990-5551.

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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