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Hastings and Prince Edward Public Health is reporting declining active cases of COVID-19 and related hospitalizations, but also the death of another senior citizen.
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The death of someone at least 70 years of age was the region’s 55th pandemic death and the 45th in that age group. Health unit officials, who do not provide further details of individual cases or deaths, noted the loss in Thursday’s updating of their website.
There were 56 new cases in high-risk settings, for an total of 274 cases active in those settings – the fewest since late March.
Outbreaks in such settings totalled 14, one more than on Tuesday, the date of the last update.
A congregate-living facility in Belleville and the Thanet unit of Bancroft’s Hastings Centennial Manor were the sites of the newest outbreaks. There were also outbreaks in six other congregate homes in Belleville, Quinte West and Prince Edward County and five other long-term care or retirement homes. The outbreak in Trenton Memorial Hospital’s inpatient unit continued.
The health unit, like others, no longer lists the number of cases involved in outbreaks, citing the provincial changes in testing which took effect in January.
Medical officer of health Dr. Ethan Toumishey said vaccination has been “so critical” in those settings.
“It has changed the impacts of these outbreaks and cases.”
As health unit staff examine each outbreak, he said, they are actively looking for cases, and may find evidence of cases which are no longer active.
For that reason, he said, the total number of cases found “is not going to be reflective of how many cases are actually in the home at one time” and may therefore not give a true picture “of the immediate risk or spread that may be occurring” at that time.
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Hospitalizations of COVID-positive patients declined from 40 on Tuesday to 32 Thursday, four of them in intensive care, an increase of one.
At Wednesday’s meeting of the counties’ board of health, Belleville Coun. Garnet Thompson – filling in for Coun. Sean Kelly – asked about development of COVID-19 vaccines for people younger than age five.
“There are active clinical trials being completed” by vaccine manufacturers, Toumishey replied.
He said he is “optimistic” vaccination for younger people will be available “sometime soon,” but gave no date.
In the meantime, he said, the region is now “in a different place” in the pandemic, which has not ended. He continued to encourage people to obtain booster doses.
“The vast majority of people have absolutely stepped up” to reduce the spread of COVID-19, Toumishey said.
“The action of the community has saved lives.”
For more information on COVID-19, including vaccination, testing and supports, visit hpepublichealth.ca.
Free, confidential mental health support for problems of any kind is available by calling Quinte Health Care’s Crisis Intervention Centre at 613-969-7400 ext. 2753 or 1-888-757-7766 or Addictions and Mental Health Services at 310-OPEN (6736).
