Two new COVID-19 cases were reported in the Porcupine Health Unit region today.
One case is in the Hearst, Hornepayne area, and one is in the area of Cochrane, Matheson, Iroquois Falls, and Smooth Rock Falls.
Since Sunday (Jan. 17), 26 new cases have been reported in the region. Twelve of those were in the Hearst, Hornepayne area, 13 were related to the outbreak at Extendicare Kapuskasing, and one was in the Cochrane, Matheson, Iroquois Falls, and Smooth Rock Falls area. So far this year, there have been 63 cases reported in the area.
Yesterday, the 10th virus-related death was reported for the Porcupine Health Unit. It was a resident at the Kapuskasing Extendicare. According to today's provincial long-term care outbreak update, there are 13 resident cases and five staff cases at the 61-bed facility.
Since the start of the pandemic, there have been 193 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the health unit region. Of those, 155 are recovered and 10 people have died. There are 28 known active cases — one in Timmins; one in the Cochrane, Matheson, Iroquois Falls, and Smooth Rock Falls area; 12 in Hearst, Hornepayne; and 14 are part of the Extendicare Kapuskasing outbreak.
Public Health Ontario reported 2,662 new cases of COVID-19 today. Active cases, hospitalizations and weekly incidence rate are all trending downward based on provincial reporting. Since the start of the pandemic, there have been 250,226 cases in the province, including 219,262 recoveries and 5,701 deaths, of which 3,350 were individuals living in long-term care homes.
The Government of Canada will be deploying two mobile health units to help Ontario in its COVID-19 response. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made the announcement today, pointing to the strain that January's spike in COVID-19 cases has put on Ontario hospitals. Read more on the story here.
Big-box stores and workplaces accessible to the public and deemed essential — such as grocery stores — in North Bay, Sudbury, and across Northern Ontario could face targeted government enforcement of COVID-safety requirements, just as their southern counterparts recently have. The full story is available here.
Timmins Mayor George Pirie isn't sold on the idea of a Northern Ontario bubble. Amid the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, the idea of a regional bubble continues to resurface. Read the full story here.
Every week, more people are using the NAN Hope program, which launched last August to help people with mental health and addiction issues. As of Jan. 20, the program had 247 clients who are receiving active care. The full story is available here.
There are COVID-19 assessment centres in Timmins, Cochrane, Iroquois Falls, Kapuskasing, Smooth Rock Falls, Hearst, and Hornepayne.
The Porcupine Health Unit COVID-19 information line can be reached at 705-267-1181 or 1-800-461-1818.
