Hastings and Prince Edward Counties/Nov.19, 2021
Today, Dr. Ethan Toumishey, Acting Medical Officer of Health at Hastings Prince Edward Public Health (HPEPH) has declared a community outbreak in the Trenton area of Quinte West. The outbreak currently involves 18 people with COVID-19 infections and acquisition has been traced to multiple linked social gatherings. While related cases have been confirmed in school-aged children, at this time, there is no evidence these individuals acquired COVID-19 in the school setting.
“All residents are asked to continue efforts to reduce the risk of local transmission of COVID-19,” says Dr. Toumishey. “Our case investigations continue to show that individuals are not always following public health guidance when they have symptoms, may assume their symptoms are caused by a cold or allergies, and are delaying testing. This puts everyone in the community at risk. If you feel sick, or even if you just have mild symptoms, make the responsible choice and stay home for all but essential reasons such as medical care or getting tested for COVID-19. Don’t visit public places or socialize with others while you feel sick or have symptoms.”
While an increase in COVID-19 cases is not unexpected as we spend more time indoors, it serves as a reminder that the pandemic is not over and we must continue efforts to protect one another. To do your part, limit your high-risk contacts, which will help reduce the spread of illness. To decrease high-risk contacts, avoid the three C’s: closed spaces with poor ventilation, crowded places, and close contact where you can’t practise physical distancing. To further prevent the spread of COVID-19 or any illness, practise the four fundamental actions to protect yourself and others:
- Get fully vaccinated. Get a booster dose if you are eligible.
- Limit indoor social gatherings and limit your close contacts
- Stay two metres apart and wear a mask in indoor public spaces or any time physical distancing is not possible
- Stay home, isolate, and get tested if you have any symptoms of COVID-19, even if you are vaccinated
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Media Contact:
Maureen Hyland, Communications Specialist
mhyland@hpeph.ca
Emily Tubbs, Communications Specialist
etubbs@hpeph.ca
About Hastings Prince Edward Public Health
Hastings Prince Edward Public Health (HPEPH) is a public health agency that serves the counties of Hastings and Prince Edward from four local offices. We monitor the health of our local population, deliver programs and services within our communities, and help develop healthy public policies. We provide information and support in many areas to help improve the health and well-being of our residents. Together with our communities, we help people become as healthy as they can be. For more information, please visit hpePublicHealth.ca. You can also find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.
