There is another case of COVID-19 in Chatham-Kent.
The Chatham-Kent Public Health Unit said the latest positive case was reported on Wednesday. The latest case is a woman in her 20s with no recent travel history who acquired the virus through "close contact."
There are now nine COVID cases in Chatham-Kent. One of the cases has been resolved, one of the cases (a woman in her 80s) is still being treated in hospital, and the remaining seven cases involve people who are now in self-isolation. So far, there are no deaths related to COVID in Chatham-Kent.
Chatham-Kent's Medical Officer of Health, Dr. David Colby, said two other cases that tested positive this week are linked to a workplace and the investigation to determine if they are linked to travel continues. There are at least four cases now linked to Community Living CK. Two employees, a man and a woman in their 40s, were found positive on Tuesday. They work at the same home where two residents were found positive March 26 and are in isolation. Community Living CK said several measures have been implemented to minimize the spread of the virus, including restricting visitors to their residential homes.
Dr. Colby said Chatham-Kent hasn't hit the peak yet and expects more positive cases to come as tests for those returning from vacations are completed.
"We haven't seen the worst of it yet and we're doing a good job here," he said.
Colby said the number of COVID-19 cases are low in Chatham-Kent because he would "like to think there isn't much community transmission happening". He added CK Public Health is doing the very best to stay on top of it and he has "a fantastic team."
He said CK Public Health is no longer issuing media releases about new COVID cases because it is trying to protect the rights of the victims and not keep cases a secret. Dr. Colby said anonymity is important in a small community because often people connect the dots and identify the person. He added a male victim in Chatham-Kent recently received death threats and hate mail because people thought he was putting them in danger.
The doctor said swab testing is already ramping up in Ontario and he expects testing to double by next week to 15,000 a day. Colby said 63 of the 266 tests done locally since March 3 are pending.
Colby said the situation in the U.S. worries him but it's not necessary to wear surgical masks in public because they are designed to contain the infection and not prevent it. He said the COVID-19 virus is not an airborne virus and droplets fall to the ground within one metre. The doctor added the masks are better used for healthcare workers who are in close contact with patients because there is a shortage of them globally.
Colby said he doesn't wear a mask in public and he has underlying health risks.
"There's no use. It's not helpful," he said.
He also said the 10,000 surgical masks received from Lyiang, China are good quality and will be used by healthcare workers across Chatham-Kent.
"I'm really happy with the quality," he said.
Colby expects restrictions and bans surrounding the virus to last several weeks if not a couple of months.
He said it could take anywhere from four to five days to two weeks before people get sick from the virus and they take another two weeks to recover.
As far as longterm care homes in Chatham-Kent, Colby said they are doing well, there are no outbreak issues within them and he wants to keep it that way.
Meanwhile, the COVID-19 Assessment Centre at 47 Emma St. in Chatham will now be accepting its last appointment at 4 p.m. but will keep opening at 9 a.m.
