It's been 10 days since a COVID-19 case was confirmed in the Porcupine Health Unit (PHU) region.
In the organization's daily update, no new recoveries were reported today either.
To date, there have been 65 confirmed cases of the virus in the region. Of those, 55 are resolved and six people have died. The health unit is following four known active cases.
The health unit is aware of 4,395 tests being done locally, which is an increase of 23 from the last report. There are 227 tests under investigation.
Yesterday, PHU chief nursing officer Chantal Riopel reminded people to be cautious and that the virus is still circulating in the region. She said the health unit is expecting more cases to be confirmed locally.
People are still being asked to stay home as much as possible, send one member per family to run errands when possible, wash your hands frequently and maintain physical distancing when you're out. Anyone not feeling well in any way should stay home.
"In addition to continuing to follow these recommendations, the Chief Medical Officer of Health and other health experts are now recommending that individuals wear a face covering where physical distancing is not possible, such as on public transit or in a small grocery store or pharmacy. To learn more about how to properly wear, clean and dispose of face coverings, visit the Ontario website. For instructions on how to make your own face coverings, visit the Government of Canada's website," reads today's update.
"Medical masks, such as surgical and N95 masks, should be reserved for use by health care workers, those providing direct care, first responders and individuals who are ill and must leave their home for essential reasons such as seeking medical care, picking up medication or groceries."
For the local confirmed cases, 41 have been in Timmins. Of those, 33 cases are resolved and four people have died. There have been 23 cases in the area of Cochrane, Matheson, Iroquois Falls, and Smooth Rock Falls. Of those, 21 are resolved and two people have died. There has been one case in the area of Kapuskasing, Opasatika, Val Rita-Harty, Moonbeam, and Fauquier-Strickland and it is resolved.
Symptoms of the virus include cough, fever, and difficulty breathing as well as sore throat/hoarse voice, difficulty swallowing, loss of smell or taste, fatigue, muscle aches, runny nose, loss of appetite, diarrhea, and nausea or vomiting.
There are COVID-19 Assessment centres in Timmins, Cochrane, Iroquois Falls, Kapuskasing, Smooth Rock Falls, Hearst and Hornepayne. They are by appointment only and you must be referred by your primary healthcare provider or the health unit.
The PHU COVID-19 hotline is open today from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. It can be reached at 705-267-1181 or 1-800-461-1818.
