More than two weeks into a province-wide stay-at-home order, numbers in the Eastern Ontario Health Unit (EOHU) have started to decline. Fifty-two new cases were reported in the region over the weekend, but there were 58 fewer active cases on Monday compared to Friday.
While the active case count dropped over the weekend, hospitalizations rose from 29 on Friday to 34 on Monday. Six people remained in intensive care due to COVID-19. The weekend also marked the hundredth death related to the virus in the EOHU, one of two new fatalities confirmed on Monday. Seven deaths have been reported so far in April: two in Prescott-Russell, and five in Cornwall.
EOHU Medical Officer of Health Dr. Paul Roumeliotis said there was a seven to 10 day lag between a drop in general population COVID-19 cases, and a similar fall in hospitalizations. He said the numbers in hospital were lower than a week ago.
“I think this is a manifestation of what we saw with the stay-at-home orders and some of the other restrictions put forward,” he said. “It’s going in the right direction, and let’s hope that we continue with that. We’re still in this lockdown until May 20, so hopefully we will come out of this in a much lower range.”
Outbreaks
Three of the seven outbreaks recorded across the EOHU on Monday were in Prescott-Russell. Cases were reported at the Caressant Care Nursing Home and Residence Cartier, both in Bourget, and Residence St-Mathieu in Hammond. Most of the outbreaks were limited to staff cases.
The region
Of the 357 active cases in the EOHU area on Monday, 155 were in Prescott-Russell communities, including 62 in Clarence-Rockland, 22 in Alfred-Plantagenet, 19 in Russell, 15 in Casselman, 13 in Hawkesbury, 13 in The Nation, 11 in Champlain, and 0 in East Hawkesbury.
