Active COVID-19 cases among residents of the Eastern Ontario Health Unit’s (EOHU) jurisdiction have decreased slightly since the start of the week.  As of Tuesday, March 16, there were 165 active cases across the EOHU’s territory, and there had been 167 cases as of Monday, March 15.

There were also 18 COVID-19 patients from the EOHU’s territory in hospital, and four patients were in intensive care as of Tuesday.

The number of deaths resulting from COVID-19 across the area served by the EOHU as of Tuesday remained at 69.

On Monday, March 15, Medical Officer of Health Dr. Paul Roumeliotis said that 28.4 per cent of the active COVID-19 cases across the EOHU’s jurisdiction as of Monday were a Variant of Concern (VOC) and equalled approximately 40 cases.  He said most of the variant cases are of the one which originated in the United Kingdom.

The EOHU’s territory remains an orange zone under Ontario’s COVID-19 measures framework, although due to the number of cases, Roumeliotis said the territory is still close to the threshold of becoming a red zone.  For full details on orange zone restrictions, go to https://eohu.ca/en/covid/covid-19-response-framework .

Vaccinations

As of March 16, 16,151 people across the jurisdiction of the EOHU had been vaccinated against COVID-19.

Ontario residents 80 years of age and older can now book a COVID-19 vaccine appointment using Ontario’s online booking system. In accordance with the latest recommendations, those booking will be given appointments for first and second doses, 16 weeks apart.

In addition, the EOHU is launching an online pre-registration tool and asking all remaining individuals listed within the province’s Phase 1 priority populations, who have not yet been vaccinated or not yet booked an appointment, to pre-register. Pre-registration facilitates booking appointments quickly and easily as vaccine supply increases and more appointments become available.

Provincial Online Booking System

On March 15at  8a.m., Ontario’s vaccine booking system began accepting vaccine bookings for individuals who will be turning 80 or older in 2021 (born in 1941 or earlier). Booking is available at www.Ontario.ca/bookvaccine. Individuals who require assistance with booking can call the Provincial Vaccine Information Line at 1-888-999-6488.

The booking system will screen for eligibility based on age using health card information. Appointments can be made by an individual or with the help of family or an informal caregiver (note: family/informal caregivers born after 1941 cannot book an appointment for themselves at this time, however, they may use the EOHU Pre-Registration tool to pre-register for an appointment).

If you have a family member or provide care to someone who was born in 1941 or before, please encourage them to get vaccinated. Vaccinations will be available BY APPOINTMENT ONLY at vaccine clinics being held across the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas, and Glengarry; the United Counties of Prescott-Russell; and the City of Cornwall. Alternate arrangements will be made for individuals who notify us of barriers preventing them from physically going to a clinic.

EOHU Pre-Registration Tool

Those who are not in the 80+ age group, but who are eligible for the vaccine based on the Phase 1 priority populations, must first pre-register using the EOHU online pre-registration tool at www.EOHU.ca/register.

Once vaccine supply permits, those who have pre-registered will receive a code that will give them access to the provincial booking system.

Please note that pre-registration does not guarantee that you will get an appointment immediately. You may not get your appointment booking code for a week or longer, depending on vaccine supply.

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 16:

Maxville Manor

The Palace Long-Term Care in Alexandria

Heartwood Long Term Care in Cornwall

Baldwin House in Cornwall

Chartwell McConnell 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 16:

Upper Canada District School Board

One student at Rockland Intermediate School

Two students at Viscount Alexander Public School in Cornwall

One student at North Stormont Public School

One student at Longue Sault Public School in South Stormont

One student at Morrisburg Public School

Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario

One student at Iona Academy in South Glengarry

One student at St. Matthew Catholic Elementary School in Cornwall

One staff member at Bishop Macdonell Catholic School in Cornwall

One student at St. Andrew’s Catholic School in South Stormont

Conseil scolaire de district catholique de l’Est ontarien

One staff member at École élémentaire catholique Sacré-Coeur in Clarence-Rockland

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

One student at École élémentaire catholique Sainte-Lucie in South Stormont

Conseil des écoles publiques de l’Est de l’Ontario

One student at École élémentaire publique Rose-des-vents in Cornwall

There were active cases of COVID-19 connected with a childcare facility under EOHU jurisdiction at the following locations as of Monday, March 15:

One child at Centre éducatif Ste-Lucie in South Stormont

Ontario statistics

As of March 16, there were 1,074 new, active cases of COVID-19 across Ontario.  According to calculations based on statistics from the Ministry of Health, there were 12,506 active cases of COVID-19 across Ontario as of Monday.

There were 761 COVID-19 patients in hospital across Ontario as of Tuesday.  Out of those patients, 292 were in intensive care, and 194 patients were on ventilators.

There had been 7,173 deaths due to COVID-19 across Ontario as of March 16, which was an increase of nine deaths from March 15.

EOHU COVID-19 case map, March 16, 2021.

Map: Eastern Ontario Health Unit.