'This is crunch time': Thunder Bay District Health Unit warns of possible community spread of COVID-19

Dr. Janet DeMille, medical officer of health for the Thunder Bay District Health Unit (TBDHU), provided an update on the COVID-19 impact in the Thunder Bay District area on Saturday.

DeMille provided information on the newest positive cases of COVID-19 in the TBDHU catchment area, and added that three cases are still under a 'significant' public health investigation. 

"These three cases are individuals with COVID-19 are not quite so straightforward as some of the others," she explained during a media conference on Saturday.

DeMille said the three cases under investigation are individuals who reside in Thunder Bay, and have not travelled within the previous two weeks before experiencing an onset of symptoms. She said it appears these individuals acquired the virus in the city.

"For two of them, it is likely they got the virus from somebody close to them who did travel. This would not be surprising....For the third individual, it is possible that it is the same situation that they were in close contact with somebody who had traveled, however it may not be this," she said.

DeMille said the investigations into these three cases have revealed the possibility of community spread of the virus in Thunder Bay. 

"What this means.. is that there are people who have COVID-19 in this area that aren't being identified. Perhaps they had a fairly mild illness. Maybe they didn't think much of it. But those individuals can be passing the virus on to others without even knowing it," she said. 

Community spread and COVID-19 related deaths expected in the region

According to TBDHU, 500 COVID-19 tests have been done for the district, 60 of which are still pending. Up until recently all positive cases of the virus in the TBDHU region have been travel related, or close contact cases. As of April 4, 2020 two of the 12 confirmed cases have been resolved.

DeMille said that community spread in the city is likely low right now, but the public health agency is expecting to see more concrete evidence of community spread over the next month. 

"So over the next month...we are going to see a significant increase in the number of cases here," she said. 

"We will likely get more concrete evidence of community spread in Thunder Bay and in other communities...we will also see deaths related to COVID-19 in this area. These next few weeks are going to be uncomfortable." 

DeMille said as the virus becomes more prevalent, one positive thing they are seeing is an increase in quick turnaround times for testing, and that the backlog of tests in the province has been dealt with. 

Public Health measures already in place will help northern Ontario 

As DeMille delivered the details of the COVID-19 impact in the area, she added that northern Ontario is still in a good position to control the spread of the virus.

"I do want to reassure you that there are very significant public health measures already in place, these are benefiting us already," she said. 

Over the last week the province announced new measures which include the extension of school closures, further closures of non-essential businesses, closures of parks and outdoor recreational amenities, and the recommendation for self isolation for individuals who are over 70-years-old

"We here in northwestern Ontario may benefit from those measures, more than those in southern Ontario because they were implemented very early here, and early implementation...can significantly help," said DeMille while outlining provincial public health measures. 

The TBDHU is reminding residents in the district to continue to stay home, and to avoid non-essential travel within the region. The public health agency also encourages the community to continue to follow proper COVID-19 precautions and protocol as outlined on their website. 

"This is crunch time," said DeMille, while explaining the importance of following the COVID-19 precautions and measures under the federal quarantine act. "We must all do this well and we must all do this now." 

For more information on the COVID-19 virus, visit the TBDHU website or use the provincial assessment tool.