June began with one new confirmed case of COVID-19 within the jurisdiction of the Eastern Ontario Health Unit (EOHU). As of Monday, June 1, there had been 149 confirmed cases, an increase from 148 confirmed cases on May 31.
There were 115 resolved cases of COVID-19 within EOHU jurisdiction on Monday, which means there were 34 active cases compared to 33 on Sunday. Out of the 34 cases, there were 28 active cases among residents of the United Counties of Prescott and Russell and 79 resolved cases. Among residents of the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas, and Glengarry (SD & G) on Monday, there were six active cases and 21 resolved cases. In the City of Cornwall, there were zero active cases as of Monday.
Among the active cases within the EOHU territory on Monday, three patients were in hospital, and one patient was in intensive care.
New outbreak
A new COVID-19 outbreak at a long-term care facility within the EOHU territory was declared on May 1 at the St-Viateur Nursing Home in Limoges. EOHU Medical Officer of Health Dr. Paul Roumeliotis said that an asymptomatic employee who lives in Ottawa but works at St-Viateur. They had tested negative for COVID-19 on May 4, but recently received a positive result from a more recent test. As a precaution, all St-Viateur residents and staff will be tested for COVID-19 on Tuesday, June 2. One case of COVID-19 in an employee or resident of a long-term care facility qualifies as an outbreak.
The other institutional COVID-19 outbreaks under EOHU jurisdiction, including the one at Pinecrest Nursing Home in Plantagenet that claimed the lives of 11 residents, are now resolved.
Across Ontario
Throughout the province of Ontario as of June 1, there had been 28,263 confirmed cases of COVID-19. That total was a 1.5 per cent increase from 27,859 confirmed cases on Sunday, May 31. Out of the total number of confirmed cases on June 1, 22,153, or 78.4 per cent of the 28,263 cases were listed by the Ministry of Health as resolved. That means 6,110 cases remained active.
Throughout Ontario on June 1, 732,720 people had been tested so far for COVID-19.
There were 781 COVID-19 patients in hospital across Ontario on June 1. Out of that number, 125 patients were in intensive care and 89 patients were on ventilators.
As of Monday, there had been 2,276 deaths due to COVID-19 across Ontario, which was an increase from 2,266 deaths on Sunday. Out of the 2,276 deaths, 1,445 or 63.5 per cent of them had been in residents of long-term care facilities.
A Warning
As many businesses and services are reopening or expanding their access, Roumeliotis had a warning for customers on Monday. He said that he has been informed of entire families going into stores together, and that needs to stop happening.
“We’re still in a pandemic,” Roumeliotis said.
He explained that customers should be spending as little time in stores as possible, and that they should get what they need, pay for it, and leave. He also said that sick people should not be going out shopping, even if they are wearing masks.
“I’m pleading with everybody, if you’re sick, don’t go out,” Roumeliotis emphasized.
Barber shops and hair salons reopened in Québec on June 1, while shaggy-haired Ontario residents are still waiting for those establishments to reopen. Roumeliotis said that Ontario residents should not be driving to Québec to get haircuts. He said that reopening salons is likely to happen during the second phase of the provincial reopening plan, but he would like to see stylists open as “expeditiously” as possible, but the decision will be made at the provincial level.
For full COVID-19 information for residents within the Eastern Ontario Health Unit territory, go to https://eohu.ca/en/covid/covid-19-status-update-for-eohu-region
Map of confirmed and resolved COVID-19 cases within EOHU territory as of Monday, June 1, 2020
Map: Eastern Ontario Health Unit.
