As of Monday, April 12, there were 453 active cases of COVID-19 across the jurisdiction of the Eastern Ontario Health Unit (EOHU).  According to Medical Officer of Health Dr. Paul Roumeliotis, 107 new cases were added during the previous weekend.  Out of that amount, 48 new cases were in the United Counties of Prescott and Russell, 34 were in the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas, and Glengarry, and the remainder were in the City of Cornwall.  Roumeliotis attributed the increased number cases to people who held family gatherings one week before during the Easter weekend.

Roumeliotis said on Monday that COVID-19 variants now account for 72 per cent of the active cases among EOHU residents.  The EOHU is among the top 10 health units for total cases in Ontario and in the top five health units for variant cases.

There were 33 COVID-19 patients in hospital across the EOHU’s territory as of Monday.  Seven of those patients were in intensive care.

The number of deaths resulting from COVID-19 across the area served by the EOHU as of April 12 was 88.

School closures

Students attending public schools across Ontario are currently on their spring break week, which had been rescheduled from March.  On Monday afternoon, Ontario Minister of Education Stephen Lecce announced that in-person classes in all school across the province will not resume on Monday, April 19, and all students will instead be switching to online learning as a result of the significant number of new cases of COVID-19 among students in recent weeks.

Roumeliotis said on Monday that he had already ordered the closure of seven schools with COVID-19 outbreaks (three or more cases) in the past week.  He contended that it is still safe for children to attend school, but the varying source of cases and outbreaks was causing too much disruption in school operations.  Roumeliotis said that he recently spoke with Ottawa Medical Officer of Health Dr. Vera Etches and they both agreed that they were going to order schools to close in each jurisdiction if the province did not issue an order first.

Restrictions

A provincewide shutdown and stay-at-home order is to remain in effect for the entire province of Ontario.

Ontario statistics

As of April 12, there were 4,401 new, active cases of COVID-19 across Ontario.  According to calculations based on statistics from the Ministry of Health, there were 34,758 active cases of COVID-19 across Ontario as of Monday.

There were 1,646 COVID-19 patients in hospital across Ontario as of Monday.  Out of those patients, 619 were in intensive care, and 408 patients were on ventilators.

There had been 7,567 deaths due to COVID-19 across Ontario as of April 12.

Vaccinations

As of April 12, 33,712 COVID-19 vaccine doses had been administered across the jurisdiction of the EOHU and 3,214,465 COVID-19 vaccine doses had been administered across Ontario and 328,598 Ontario residents had been fully vaccinated by receiving both required doses.

The largest vaccination clinics yet held by the EOHU took place recently in Rockland and Casselman.  There were 1,000 people vaccinated at each location.  Eight clinics per week for the next four weeks are scheduled across EOHU communities.  Additional pharmacies are being added to those providing the Astra-Zeneca vaccine, including one in Rockland.  Pharmacies in Hawkesbury and Embrun are already providing COVID-19 vaccinations.  Vaccine doses are also being increased to doctor’s offices across the EOHU’s territory.

Within the EOHU’s jurisdiction, Ontario residents 60 years of age and older may 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.

The EOHU has launched 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

Ontario’s vaccine booking system is accepting vaccine bookings for individuals who will be turning 60 or older in 2021 (born in 1961 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 1961 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 1961 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 60+ 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 https://eohu.ca/en/covid/welcome-to-the-eohu-online-covid-19-vaccination-pre-registration-portal .

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

The following hospitals, long-term care, and retirement residences under EOHU jurisdiction also had COVID-19 outbreaks as of April 12:

Hawkesbury and District General Hospital CCU Unit only

Hawkesbury and District General Hospital East Wing

Caressant Care Nursing Home in Bourget

St-Joseph’s Continuing Care Centre –Complex Continuing Care side in Cornwall

EOHU COVID-19 case map, April 9, 2021

Map: Eastern Ontario Health Unit.