The Eastern Ontario Health Unit (EOHU) has changed how it reports active COVID-19 cases across Prescott and Russell, Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry, and the City of Cornwall. Due to reduced access to testing, except in high-risk cases, only the number of active, high-risk cases are being reported. This means the actual number of active cases is likely higher than the number being reported.  

On Monday, January 24, the EOHU reported 3,175 active high-risk cases of COVID-19 across its jurisdiction. One week ago, there had been 1,697 confirmed, reported cases. Out of the 3,175 active, high-risk cases reported on January 24, 35 patients were in hospital and seven of those patients were in intensive care. 

Across Ontario as of January 24, there were 4,790 new, confirmed high-risk cases of COVID-19. There were 3,861 COVID-19 patients in hospital, and 615 of those patients were in intensive care due to COVID-19-related illness as of Monday.    

Institutional outbreaks 

On January 24, the EOHU reported active COVID-19 outbreaks at a total of 41 long-term care centres, retirement homes, group living facilities, and hospitals across its jurisdiction. Outbreaks are in effect at the following 17 facilities in Prescott and Russell and North Glengarry:  

McGill Manor-261 McGill Street in Hawkesbury 

Prescott-Russell Residence in Hawkesbury  

Place Mont-Roc in Hawkesbury  

Manoir Caledonia in St-Isidore  

Pension du Bonheur in Alfred  

Pinecrest Nursing Home in Plantagenet  

Glengarry Memorial Hospital in Alexandria 

Community Living- Dominion St. Residence in Alexandria  

Community Living Glengarry Yanik Street Residence in Alexandria  

Maxville Manor  

Valoris Le Domaine in Casselman  

Foyer St-Viateur Nursing Home in Limoges  

Caressant Care Nursing Home in Bourget  

Centre d’Acceuil Roger Séguin in Clarence Creek  

Pavillion Laurier in Rockland 

Rockland Manor  

Russell Meadows Retirement Home  

Foyer St-Jacques in Embrun  

In addition to the institutional outbreaks, programming at l’Atelier des Petits childcare centre in L’Orignal has been cancelled from January 24 to 28.

Isolation Period  

Fully vaccinated individuals who have COVID-19, as well as children under 12, must isolate for five days from the onset of symptoms. Their household members must also isolate for five days. Contacts from outside the affected household must self-monitor for symptoms for 10 days.  

Individuals who are unvaccinated, partially vaccinated, or immunocompromised must isolate for 10 days.  

Staff who work in high-risk health care settings can return to work after 10 days from their date of diagnosis, or after seven days with a negative PCR or rapid antigen test result.   

Booster booking  

All Ontario residents aged 18 and older are eligible to receive a third, COVID-19 vaccine booster. To book your appointment through your local public health unit, call 1-833-943-3900 or go to https://covid19.ontariohealth.ca/ .  

Booster vaccinations are also being offered by local doctor’s offices and at pharmacies in Alexandria, Alfred, Bourget, Casselman, Embrun, Hawkesbury (Asselin Independent, Pharmasave, Shoppers Drug Mart, Guardian), Limoges, Plantagenet, Russell, St-Isidore, and Vankleek Hill. Contact each pharmacy to make an appointment. 

Changes in restrictions 

Beginning January 31, a series of public health measures related to COVID-19 and the omicron variant will change in Ontario. This means a sort of return to normal for some activities. Effective January 31, the following changes are to take effect:  

  • Increasing social gathering limits to 10 people indoors and 25 people outdoors. 
  • Increasing or maintaining capacity limits at 50 per cent in indoor public settings, including but not limited to: 
  • Restaurants, bars and other food or drink establishments without dance facilities; 
  • Retailers (including grocery stores and pharmacies) 
  • Shopping malls; 
  • Non-spectator areas of sports and recreational fitness facilities, including gyms; 
  • Cinemas; 
  • Meeting and event spaces; 
  • Recreational amenities and amusement parks, including water parks; 
  • Museums, galleries, aquariums, zoos and similar attractions; and 
  • Casinos, bingo halls and other gaming establishments 
  • Religious services, rites, or ceremonies. 
  • Allowing spectator areas of facilities such as sporting events, concert venues and theatres to operate at 50 per cent seated capacity or 500 people, whichever is less. 

Enhanced proof of vaccination, and other requirements will continue to apply in existing settings.