The number of COVID-19 patients in ICU at Timmins and District Hospital (TADH) has increased.
In a virtual update on the COVID-19 situation in Timmins, TADH president and CEO Kate Fyfe said there are currently 16 patients admitted to hospital, including four people in intensive care. Yesterday, the hospital reported 13 patients were admitted, with two people in ICU.
There are 44 people waiting for COVID-19 people admitted to hospital waiting for COVID-19 test results and the average age of admitted patients is 55 years old, said Fyfe. All of the patients admitted are from the Timmins area.
Fyfe said there is a trend of largely young, healthy people requiring medical attention for COVID-related illnesses. It appears vaccines are working, though.
“Through our hospital we are seeing a reduced acuity or individuals presenting with less severe symptoms in those that are vaccinated compared to those who are not,” she said.
Fyfe was one of four local leaders to take part in the virtual update hosted by the City of Timmins. The event also featured Mayor George Pirie, Porcupine Health Unit medical officer of health Dr. Lianne Catton, and Cochrane District EMS director Jean Carriere.
Timmins has been in state of emergency since May 17. Pirie said the city will stay in it.
To date in the health unit region, there have been 1,630 confirmed cases of the virus.
There are 361 known active cases — 154 in Timmins, 170 in the James Bay region, 29 in the area of Cochrane, Matheson, Iroquois Falls and Smooth Rock Falls, two people in Hearst and Hornepayne, two in the Kapuskasing area, and four people out of region.
Catton said the cases counts are "not quite heading in the direction that we wanted to at this point in time”.
While the province announced it's entering the first stage of a three-phase reopening Friday, Catton said the region's numbers make it clear it cannot reopen this week.
"We will not be moving on and I know that’s going to be very challenging and that the emotions are going to get even higher, the frustrations are going to be higher,” said Catton.
Last week, the more transmissible Delta variant was confirmed in the region.
Catton is "pretty certain" more tests will come back positive for the variant. The whole genome testing to confirm the variant at a provincial lab can take a couple of weeks.
“What we know is we have a signal, we have the positive and we know we don’t have an outside of the region source for this Delta variant and for that extension we know it’s here,” she said.
Catton said the patterns of how the virus is spreading are different than last year.
"We are seeing spread outdoors where people are not distancing and wearing masks, we’re seeing spread indoors at alarming rates where PPE and measures are not being followed diligently and we absolutely need everybody on board in every community every day to take the steps necessary to get this contained,” she said.
Testing
There is a high test positivity rate at the Timmins assessment centre.
Since June 1, Fyfe said the positivity rate for tests is 10 per cent. The province's test positivity rate reported by Ontario Public Health today is 3.6 per cent.
The main COVID-19 assessment centre is located at 651 Ross Ave. E., across from Timmins and District Hospital. It is now open seven days a week.
Its hours are Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. for testing by appointment only. Saturday and Sunday it is open 8:30 a.m. to noon for walk-ins.
The pop-up testing clinics are:
- Tuesday, June 8, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. at the Whitney Fire Hall, 4858 Highway 101 E. at Northern College.
- Wednesday, June 9, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. at 316 Spruce St. S. Use the Porcupine Engineering entrance.
- Thursday, June 10, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. at the Mountjoy Fire Hall, 220 Shirley St. N.
- Friday, June 11, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. at the Schumacher Fire Hall, 7 Les Hall St.
For clinics that require an appointment, call 705-267-0224 to schedule one.
Carriere said paramedics have also been doing in-home testing for those that are convalescent and can't make it to a testing centre.
Vaccinations
There are currently first and second-dose clinics being offered across the health unit region.
Last week, second doses were opened up to certain people eligible for the shortened interval.
Catton noted Health Canada recently released supportive guidance about mixing mRNA vaccines, which are the Moderna and Pfizer options.
“We will be releasing some information on clinic opportunities upcoming for those that are interested in taking advantage of that opportunity,” she said.
Paramedics have also delivered vaccines to people in-home.
The pop-up vaccination clinics last week in smaller communities from Ramore to Mattice and Opasatika had an excellent turnout, said Carriere.
To hold the clinics, he said the region received help from the districts of Manitoulin, Sudbury, Timiskaming and Nipissing. Each district provided three paramedics to help the Cochrane District team.
Team Rubicon is also helping with logistics for vaccination centres.
Carrier also noted that paramedics can't keep the consistency there is with increased call volume and urgency.
“We’re seeing more sick patients in our ambulances that have COVID and ultimately those patients end up at the hospital and within our system. It is important that everybody does their part. Our paramedics, our healthcare workers are doing their part and there’s nothing more insulting to our healthcare workers when somebody is not doing their part out in the public,” he said.
