The active case numbers of COVID-19 in Chatham-Kent dropped from three to two, as the Chatham-Kent Public Health Unit updated their ‘current situation’ page on Friday, September 18, 2020.
The total number of cases in Chatham-Kent has remained steady at 366 all week.
There has not been a new case in Chatham-Kent since September 12, 2020.
However, the Province of Ontario announced a total of 401 new cases on Friday, continuing with a recent trend.
On Thursday, the Province announced they have lowered limits for social gatherings in the Ottawa, Peel and Toronto regions, who are all experiencing higher rates of transmission of COVID-19.
Provincial officials say the limits of 10 people at an indoor event or gathering and 25 people at an outdoor event or gathering in these three regions, includes: functions, parties, dinners, gatherings, barbecues or wedding receptions held in private residences, backyards, parks and other recreational areas.
Dr. David Colby, Chatham-Kent’s Medical Officer of Health, said the rising numbers in these areas is concerning.
“If the numbers keep rising, I think people will have to accept the reality that this could be the start of the second wave that everybody is worried about,” Dr. Colby said during a press conference on Thursday.
Dr. Colby added he has to be “very concerned” about this recent surge across Ontario impacting Chatham-Kent.
“So far, Chatham-Kent has always gone contrary to the Provincial direction,” he said.
“When we were having our big surge in Chatham-Kent, that outbreak was across many jurisdictions in a broad band across Southern Ontario, but as our cases were going up, the Provincial cases were going down sharply. At a time when the number of new cases in the Province were less than 100, that’s when we were dealing with our huge surge.”
Dr. Colby said this surge in Chatham-Kent was “dealt with” and the community is currently at a “very, very low level now.”
The two active cases, and the case that was announced as resolved on Friday, did not acquire their infection in Chatham-Kent, Dr. Colby said.
“They’re residents, but they did not acquire the infection here,” he said.
“As the provincial numbers of new cases are increasing substantially, resulting in all this concern, we are not seeing that yet here, but we will always be vigilant to deal with whatever comes our way. Both in a reactive, but especially in a proactive way.”
CK Public Health officials say 362 people have recovered from the virus and no one is hospitalized.
There are no active workplace outbreaks, institutional outbreaks or school outbreaks.
Since the pandemic began back in March, two people people have died from COVID-19.
A total of 25,756 tests for the virus have been completed to date.
To view the full ‘current situation’ page from CK Public Health, click here.
For more information about COVID-19, residents are asked to visit
http://www.ckpublichealth.com/covid19Â or call the CK Public Health COVID-19 intake line at 519-355-1071 ex. 1900.
