The second wave of COVID-19 is creating a new set of challenges for public health officials, said Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit medical officer of health Dr. Charles Gardiner.
Cases are on the rise and because the number of contacts per confirmed case is much higher than in the first wave, health officials are having trouble keeping up with the workload of contact tracing.
He said there are very different scenarios with the two waves – although it is possible that we are only in the first part of the second wave.
Testing shows that the virus’ positivity rate is 0.3 per cent. In the first wave the average age of infected people was 54, compared to 32 in the second wave. This is because the outbreaks are out in the community, and less so in long-term care facilities, like in the first wave.
“It’s likely that we are missing fewer cases now than we were back in May. We probably had more transmission happening in the community in that first week of May than we had in this last week of September even though the case count is the same,” said Gardner.
He spoke to the importance of controlling the spread in the second wave, saying, the higher the transmission in the community, the higher the risk of virus getting into long term care facilities.
“All this is very important if we are going to flatten the curve again, and bring this under control again to safeguard those who are most vulnerable – older people, people with pre existing medical conditions, people that live in long term care facilities who are very much at risk,” said Gardner.
The workload has put a hold on many public health programs offered by the health unit including vision and oral health screenings in schools, and Grade 7 vaccinations. Gardner said staff are working to administer those vaccines, but there is a delay.
He also said staff has had challenges with people not isolating when they are told to do so. In response, he has issued a class order under Section 22 of the Health Protection and Promotion Act to enforce COVID-19 self-isolation requirements. The order took effect Oct. 6 and will remain in effect until it is declared no longer necessary.
“Cases of COVID-19 are sharply on the rise in our communities and we need to make every effort to protect residents of Simcoe Muskoka from potential exposure to COVID-19,” said Gardner. “This order enables us to enforce existing self-isolation requirements for all individuals who have been advised to do so in a quick and efficient manner, reducing delays that could significantly increase the risk to the health of our residents.”
The order applies to any person living or present in the County of Simcoe and District of Muskoka who: is identified as a person diagnosed with COVID-19; has the signs and symptoms of COVID-19, has been tested for COVID-19 and is awaiting the results of their test; otherwise has reasonable grounds to believe they have one or more symptoms of COVID-19; or is a close contact of a person identified as a person diagnosed with COVID-19.
Individuals who fail to comply with the order may be liable for a fine of up to $5,000 for every day or part of each day on which the offence occurs or continues.