During the previous weekend, 14 new active cases of COVID-19 were confirmed among residents of the Eastern Ontario Health Unit’s (EOHU) jurisdiction.  As of Monday, March 8, there were 178 active cases of COVID-19, there had been 164 active cases on Friday, March 5.

On March 6, there were five COVID-19 patients from the EOHU’s territory in hospital, and zero patients were in intensive care.

The number of deaths resulting from COVID-19 across the area served by the EOHU as of Monday was unchanged at 68.

Medical Officer of Health Dr. Paul Roumeliotis said that as of March 8, there were 15 active COVID-19 variant cases in people living across the EOHU’s jurisdiction.  The exact variants are not yet known.

Orange zone in effect, but at the risk of red

Roumeliotis said on Monday that due to the recent upward trend in active cases of COVID-19 across the EOHU region, the health unit is at the threshold of becoming a red zone again under the Ontario government’s COVID-19 restriction system.

“It’s not going in the right direction,” Roumeliotis said.

The EOHU’s territory is currently an orange zone full details of the orange zone restrictions are listed on the EOHU website at: https://eohu.ca/en/covid/covid-19-response-framework .

Vaccinations

As of March 8, 9,617 people across the jurisdiction of the EOHU had been vaccinated against COVID-19.

Roumeliotis said on Monday that the Astra-Zeneca vaccine is being introduced as a pilot project in the Kingston, Toronto, and Windsor areas of Ontario.

According to Roumeliotis, people who receive a two-injection vaccine will be able to wait up to 16 weeks between injections, except for mor vulnerable people living in long-term care and retirement residences.

Roumeliotis said that he was recently informed that the EOHU will soon be receiving 4,000 to 5,000 doses of Pfizer and Moderna vaccine per week.

People aged 80 or greater who receive home care are now eligible to be vaccinated. Next week, the EOHU is planning to begin allowing all other individuals aged 80 or greater to be vaccinated.

Phase two of the vaccination project is to begin in April which will include people age 60 or greater, people with chronic health conditions, and people who have jobs they cannot do from home.

Long-term care outbreaks

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 as of March 5:

Rideau Place in Hawkesbury

The Palace Long-Term Care in Alexandria

Baldwin House in Cornwall

Chartwell McConnell in Cornwall

Glen-Stor-Dun Lodge in Cornwall

Woodland Villa in Long Sault

School and childcare facility cases

There were active cases of COVID-19 connected with the following schools under EOHU jurisdiction as of March 8:

One staff member at École secondaire catholique régionale de Hawkesbury

One student at Glengarry District High School in Alexandria

One student at École élémentaire catholique St-Joseph in Wendover

One student at Rockland Intermediate School

One student École intermédiaire catholique Pavillon L’Escale in Clarence-Rockland

One student at École élémentaire catholique Sainte-Trinité in Clarence-Rockland

One student at Iona Academy in South Glengarry

One student at École élémentaire catholique de l’Ange-Gardien in South Glengarry

One student at St. Matthew Catholic Elementary School in Cornwall

One staff member at Bishop Macdonell Catholic School in Cornwall

One individual at Cornwall Collegiate and Vocational School

One student at North Stormont Public School

One student at Rothwell-Osnabruck Elementary School in South Stormont

One student at Morrisburg Public School

There was one cases of COVID-19 connected with a childcare facility under EOHU jurisdiction as of Monday in one child at South Glengarry Child Care Centre.

Across Ontario

As of March 8, there were 1,631 new, active cases of COVID-19 across Ontario.  According to calculations based on statistics from the Ministry of Health, there were 11,016 active cases of COVID-19 across Ontario as of Monday.

There were 626 COVID-19 patients in hospital across Ontario as of Monday.  Out of those patients, 282 were in intensive care, and 184 patients were on ventilators.

There had been 7,077 deaths due to COVID-19 across Ontario as of March 8, which was an increase of 10 deaths from March 7.

EOHU COVID-19 cases, March 8, 2021.

Map: Eastern Ontario Health Unit.