Hastings and Prince Edward Counties/April 8, 2021
Hastings Prince Edward Public Health is seeing increasing rates of COVID-19 in the community and reminds residents that learning to live with COVID-19 does not mean the pandemic is over. Residents are urged to remain cautious and continue to take realistic action to reduce the transmission of COVID-19 as the virus continues to circulate in the community.
While many provincial restrictions have been lifted, the pandemic is ongoing and as we start to resume many normal activities, there is continued risk of contracting and transmitting COVID-19. While not unexpected, positive PCR test results have been steadily increasing in eligible local workers over the month of April. This reflects a steady increase in the overall community, reinforcing that precautions must be maintained.
While everyone is tired of the pandemic, there are practical actions you can take to help protect yourself and those around you. Each step you take adds a layer of protection for you – and those around you, which can lower everyone’s risk.
- Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations you are eligible for, including fourth doses for individuals 60+ and other eligible groups.
- Stay home if you are sick – even if your symptoms are very mild
- Take a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) if possible, or a PCR test if eligible.
- If you test positive or have not tested but have symptoms, you should stay at home for at least five days or as otherwise advised by current isolation guidance. People can be infectious for up to 10 days, so it is important that for an additional five days you wear a mask when outside the house and avoid vulnerable individuals and high-risk settings like hospitals and long-term care.
- Remember that a negative RAT does not exclude COVID-19. If you receive two negative RAT taken 24-48 hours apart AFTER your symptoms develop, they are less likely to be caused by COVID-19, however you still must stay home until your symptoms are improving for 24-48 hours.
- If you are a close contact – you are required to take extra precautions. These include:
- Isolating, if required.
- Wearing a mask for a minimum of 10 days after your exposure to the symptomatic/positive person – even if isolation is not required.
- Monitoring closely for symptoms of COVID-19 and isolating immediately if symptoms develop
- It is strongly recommended that you continue to wear a well-fitted three-layer mask or use a medical mask in all public indoor settings.
- Respect those who remain at higher risk of complications from COVID-19 by wearing a mask to help to protect those at a higher risk.
“The pandemic is not over, so as we move into this new phase of living safely with COVID-19 please continue to be cautious and reasonable,” said Dr. Ethan Toumishey, Medical Officer of Health and CEO at HPEPH. “While many restrictions have been lifted, we are relying on the public to make responsible choices and respect those who remain at higher risk of complications from COVID-19.”
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Media Contacts:
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. HPEPH is situated and provides services on the traditional territory of the Anishinaabe, Huron-Wendat and Haudenosaunee people. 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 and Instagram.
We invite community partners and residents to share this Media Release with their respective networks.
