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Chirico confident province ‘trending in the right direction’ – The North Bay Nugget

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Face masks, physical distancing, vaccinations still key to defeating pandemic

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COVID-19 “indications are trending in the right direction,” and the medical officer of health with the North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit is comfortable with the province’s move toward reducing restrictions further.

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Dr. Jim Chirico told local media Thursday that as the province “moves into the next step of its reopening plan, indicators are that we are moving in the right direction.

“It’s nice to have some good news,” he said.

But he also pointed out that these advances have come because people have worked together to slow the spread of COVID-19, through vaccinations and protocols such as wearing masks.

“It is still important that you be fully vaccinated and receive your third dose” of the vaccine, Chirico said.

He said the spread of the coronavirus has been slowed by public health measures, such as wearing a mask or other face covering, maintaining distancing and frequently washing hands.

With the indicators “in a downward trajectory,” he said, “we’re in a really good place right now.”

He also pointed out that, as the province eases the restrictions, people continue to exercise caution to protect the health-care system.

But, he said, “there is risk no matter what you do.

“People should continue to do what they need to do,” and the health unit, he said, will continue to monitor the local situation to ensure public safety.

Chirico said the aim is to “keep key indicators such as hospitalizations, ICU admissions and deaths on a downward trajectory” so the province or the region don’t have to go into further lockdowns or reimpose restrictions.

Five deaths have been attributed to COVID-19 in the last two weeks, and 10 of the 19 deaths in the region linked to COVID-19 have occurred since the start of the year.

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Dr. Carol Zimbalatti, public health physician with the health unit, said the deaths during the most recent omicron wave “does speak to the number of cases we’ve had.

“Proportionately, we are seeing a higher number of deaths, even though, overall, omicron causes less severe illness.

“If it infects enough people, especially vulnerable individuals, it will cause severe illness and death in some.”

She said the deaths generally have “been in the older age groups and with comorbidities.”

Chirico said the availability of the vaccine, as well as third and fourth doses, has lessened the number of deaths for high-risk individuals.

Chirico said that, with the numbers now being reported in the province, he does not expect further lockdowns or restrictions will be necessary.

Current restrictions are planned to be lifted by March 1, a move Chirico supports, saying it is important “that we find the balance between reopening the economy and still protecting individuals and the health-care system from being overwhelmed.”

The region and the province, he said, are “on a really good path right now,” but “if anything changes, we can adjust.”

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How many Nova Scotians are on the doctor wait-list? Number hit 160,000 in June

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HALIFAX – The Nova Scotia government says it could be months before it reveals how many people are on the wait-list for a family doctor.

The head of the province’s health authority told reporters Wednesday that the government won’t release updated data until the 160,000 people who were on the wait-list in June are contacted to verify whether they still need primary care.

Karen Oldfield said Nova Scotia Health is working on validating the primary care wait-list data before posting new numbers, and that work may take a matter of months. The most recent public wait-list figures are from June 1, when 160,234 people, or about 16 per cent of the population, were on it.

“It’s going to take time to make 160,000 calls,” Oldfield said. “We are not talking weeks, we are talking months.”

The interim CEO and president of Nova Scotia Health said people on the list are being asked where they live, whether they still need a family doctor, and to give an update on their health.

A spokesperson with the province’s Health Department says the government and its health authority are “working hard” to turn the wait-list registry into a useful tool, adding that the data will be shared once it is validated.

Nova Scotia’s NDP are calling on Premier Tim Houston to immediately release statistics on how many people are looking for a family doctor. On Tuesday, the NDP introduced a bill that would require the health minister to make the number public every month.

“It is unacceptable for the list to be more than three months out of date,” NDP Leader Claudia Chender said Tuesday.

Chender said releasing this data regularly is vital so Nova Scotians can track the government’s progress on its main 2021 campaign promise: fixing health care.

The number of people in need of a family doctor has more than doubled between the 2021 summer election campaign and June 2024. Since September 2021 about 300 doctors have been added to the provincial health system, the Health Department said.

“We’ll know if Tim Houston is keeping his 2021 election promise to fix health care when Nova Scotians are attached to primary care,” Chender said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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Newfoundland and Labrador monitoring rise in whooping cough cases: medical officer

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ST. JOHN’S, N.L. – Newfoundland and Labrador‘s chief medical officer is monitoring the rise of whooping cough infections across the province as cases of the highly contagious disease continue to grow across Canada.

Dr. Janice Fitzgerald says that so far this year, the province has recorded 230 confirmed cases of the vaccine-preventable respiratory tract infection, also known as pertussis.

Late last month, Quebec reported more than 11,000 cases during the same time period, while Ontario counted 470 cases, well above the five-year average of 98. In Quebec, the majority of patients are between the ages of 10 and 14.

Meanwhile, New Brunswick has declared a whooping cough outbreak across the province. A total of 141 cases were reported by last month, exceeding the five-year average of 34.

The disease can lead to severe complications among vulnerable populations including infants, who are at the highest risk of suffering from complications like pneumonia and seizures. Symptoms may start with a runny nose, mild fever and cough, then progress to severe coughing accompanied by a distinctive “whooping” sound during inhalation.

“The public, especially pregnant people and those in close contact with infants, are encouraged to be aware of symptoms related to pertussis and to ensure vaccinations are up to date,” Newfoundland and Labrador’s Health Department said in a statement.

Whooping cough can be treated with antibiotics, but vaccination is the most effective way to control the spread of the disease. As a result, the province has expanded immunization efforts this school year. While booster doses are already offered in Grade 9, the vaccine is now being offered to Grade 8 students as well.

Public health officials say whooping cough is a cyclical disease that increases every two to five or six years.

Meanwhile, New Brunswick’s acting chief medical officer of health expects the current case count to get worse before tapering off.

A rise in whooping cough cases has also been reported in the United States and elsewhere. The Pan American Health Organization issued an alert in July encouraging countries to ramp up their surveillance and vaccination coverage.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 10, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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