Point Edward, ON – The majority of lab confirmed COVID-19 cases to date continue to be related to close contacts of known cases or related to an ongoing outbreak.
“The recent increase in cases over the past two weeks was anticipated to coincide with reopening stages,” says Dr. Sudit Ranade, Medical Officer of Health for Lambton County. “Cases can present beyond the approximate two week incubation period for COVID-19. We expected to see new cases following the transition to Stage 2, however those new cases only started appearing last week.”
No current cases are attributed to known outbreaks, and there is no evidence of significant community spread in Lambton County at this time. Some of the new cases are related to close contacts of known cases, while other tests were performed to visit loved ones in Long-Term Care (LTC) or through screening of LTC staff.
Details of the new cases from the last two weeks:
- 6 of the 13 cases were from rural communities and 7 from urban
- 1 case has a possible travel link
- 2 close contacts of a case (outside Lambton)
- 2 close contacts of a case (local)
- 1 routine screening of LTC staff (no outbreak as asymptomatic)
- 2 routine screening for LTC visits
- 7 unknown exposures
These details have been provided since there was previously a lull in the number of local cases. You can access local COVID-19 case summaries online: https://bit.ly/COVID19-Reporting.
Dr. Sudit Ranade adds, “As a smaller community we can’t provide neighbourhood level data, in order to protect the individual’s identity and their health information. It’s also important to remember, knowing where COVID-19 has been does not tell you where it is currently. COVID-19 is in your community so please be mindful of risk at all times.”
COVID-19 case activity timelines are based, in part, on the degree and speed that community members reactivate social networks. Have a plan to avoid or limit interaction in high risk settings. Remember the three C’s as areas to avoid – crowded places, close-contact settings, and confined and enclosed spaces. Minimize your risk by staying home when sick, practicing physical distancing and hand hygiene, and wearing a mask if required or when physical distancing is not possible.
Visit LambtonPublicHealth.ca to learn more about local COVID-19 cases, information on physical distancing, safe use of masks, and good hand hygiene.
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