“At this point, I cannot confirm that,” said Dr. Paul Roumeliotus, chief medical health officer for the Eastern Ontario Health Unit (EOHU) today (April 6), during his daily teleconference with regional media on the state of the COVID-19 pandemic in the region.

Dr. Roumeliotus was responding to a question about whether there was a COVID-19 casualty in the region.

“We’ve had no deaths reported,” he said.

The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases for the entire Eastern Ontario region now numbers 44. Five cases, Dr. Roumeliotis noted, are receiving hospital treatment, with three people assigned to intensive care units.

The EOHU is no longer providing specific information about the number of COVID-19 cases for specific areas of Eastern Ontario. Dr. Roumeliotis explained that some people might get a feeling of false safety and security about where they live and lower their guard on strict hygiene and social distancing guidelines which aim at reducing the spread of the virus.

“I don’t want people to be complacent,” he said. “I want people to realize that it’s here in this region. COVID-19 is a reality.”