The number of active cases of COVID-19 under Eastern Ontario Health Unit jurisdiction decreased again between Wednesday, January 20, and Thursday, January 21.  As of Thursday, there were 544 active cases, and there had been 560 on Wednesday.

There were 23 COVID-19 patients from the EOHU’s territory in hospital as of January 21 and six of those patients were in intensive care.

The number of deaths resulting from COVID-19 across the area served by the EOHU remained at 48 for the second day, as of January 20.

Vaccination information

On Thursday, EOHU Medical Officer of Health Dr. Paul Roumeliotis said that more than 1,500 residents and employees of long-term care facilities under EOHU jurisdiction had received COVID-19 vaccinations as of that day.  He said that the lack of delivery of additional vaccine from manufacturer Pfizer next week will not affect meeting the deadline of having all long-term care residents and employees vaccinated by February 1.

Roumeliotis was confident that larger quantities of vaccine will arrive in February.

However, he did say that people who live in or work at long-term care facilities will likely receive their second dose 27 to 28 days after the first dose, rather than the general standard of 21 days.

Vaccine varieties cannot be mixed.  An individual cannot receive the Pfizer vaccine for the first dose and the Moderna vaccine for the second dose.

School situation

Roumeliotis said on Thursday that he supported the decision by the province to keep schools within the EOHU’s territory closed to in-person learning because the decision was based on the high case numbers in local communities.  Roumeliotis does believe that schools will reopen by February 10, when the stay-at-home order is to end.

Roumeliotis said that COVID-19 cases are being commonly transmitted among teenagers or pre-teens due to them spending time together during the day and then transmitting it to other family members at home.

Long-term care outbreaks

As of January 20, COVID-19 outbreaks of two or more cases were in effect at the following long-term care, retirement, and group living facilities under EOHU jurisdiction:

Heritage Lodge in Vankleek Hill

Maxville Manor

Caressant Care Nursing Home in Bourget

Foyer St-Jacques in Embrun

Foyer St-Viateur Nursing Home in Limoges

Lancaster Long-Term Care.

St. Joseph’s Continuing Care Centre–Complex Care

Baldwin House in Cornwall

Sandfield Place Long-Term Care in Cornwall

Riverview Manor in Cornwall

Heartwood Long-Term Care in Cornwall

Heritage Heights in Cornwall

Cornwall Community Hospital—JMP 2500 and 2600 pods

Glen Stor Dun Lodge in Cornwall

TSIIonKwa NonhSoTe Long-Term Care in Akwesasne

Woodland Villa in Long Sault

Ontario statistics

The Provincewide Shutdown and stay-at-home order remain in effect across the province of Ontario.

As of January 21, there were 2,632 new, active cases of COVID-19 across Ontario from January 20.  According to calculations based on statistics from the Ministry of Health, there were 26,063 active cases of COVID-19 across Ontario as of Thursday.

There were 1,533 COVID-19 patients in hospital across Ontario as of January 21.  Out of those patients, 388 were in intensive care, and 293 patients were on ventilators.

There had been 5,614 deaths due to COVID-19 across Ontario as of January 21, which was an increase of 46 deaths from January 20.

EOHU COVID-19 cases, January 21, 2021

Map: Eastern Ontario Health Unit.

EOHU COVID-19 media briefing, January 2021.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLov-gS8-Tg