Dr. Moore provides update on COVID-19 outbreaks, hospitalizations
Kingston’s Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kieran Moore released a status update on several COVID-19 outbreaks in the community on Thursday, Dec. 10, 2020.
“We name these not to lay blame or to shame anyone, but just to let people know the level of activity in the community,” Dr. Moore said in a video posted on the Kingston Frontenac Lennox & Addington (KFL&A) Public Health YouTube channel.
Outbreak updates
According to Dr. Moore, the outbreak at a place of worship, confirmed to be the Third Day Worship Centre on Sydenham Rd., remains at 13 cases. Twelve cases are directly associated with visitors to the church, and one family member was infected through close contact.
The outbreak a local health clinic has grown to 23 positive cases — seven individuals that were either staff of clients of the clinic, plus 16 of their family and friends that have now tested positive, Dr. Moore said.
He noted that KFL&A Public Health is also tracking a new outbreak at Gan Chev Buick and their collision centre in Gananoque. Though this outbreak is technically in the Leeds, Grenville and Lanark (LGL) Public Health region, 14 people in the KFL&A region have tested positive, as well as a further 12 in the LGL region.
“The general advice is if you visited there between Dec. 2 and 8, follow the directions on our website. If you develop any symptoms get tested and isolate yourself,” he said.
Dr. Moore said Kingston has also seen some “off-campus activity in the downtown core,” associated with Queen’s University.
“We had two people turn positive, who went to one social event, and now three people who went to a series of parties downtown and a number of house parties. So we think that number will increase as well,” he said.
One healthcare worker at Fairmount long term care home has also tested positive, however Dr. Moore said the outlook for that outbreak is positive. “We’ve tested other staff and clients of Fairmount home and had no new positives as of today.”
He added that Public Health has also been working with a case associated with a homecare worker, which has led to a total of six cases.
“Stay within your household, only go out if it’s really essential,” Dr. Moore said. “I think we’re doing well, this seems to be contained, and we have capacity to deal with these types of numbers. Thank you for getting tested, thank you for staying home.”
According to KFL&A Public Health’s COVID-19 dashboard, they are currently monitoring three institutional outbreaks, zero school outbreaks, and four “other” outbreaks, which include workplaces. Relying on a system of alerting close contacts of cases within 24 hours, Public Health does not reveal all outbreak locations to the media or general public. They have said they will do so when they identify a need.
One COVID-19 case hospitalized Thursday
Currently, the KFL&A Public Health region has 75 confirmed active cases of COVID-19. Dr. Moore said that Public Health is following over 500 people identified as close contacts of those cases, who are isolating and monitoring themselves for symptoms.
Dr. Moore also confirmed that one patient in the region has been hospitalized as of Thursday, Dec. 10, 2020. Since the start of the pandemic in the KFL&A Public Health region, only two percent of the 351 total cases have been hospitalized, with one per cent in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and no patients on ventilator.
This is below the provincial average, which Dr. Moore explained earlier in the week is usually six hospitalizations for every 100 cases of COVID-19, with two patients in the ICU.
“I anticipate over the next four to six weeks we’ll have hospitalizations and need Intensive Care capacity,” Dr. Moore told the media on Monday, Dec. 7, 2020.