While vaccination levels for first doses have exceeded 50 percent for all Renfrew County and District residents over age 18, high COVID-19 infection case numbers arising from outdoor gatherings and workplace contacts are being reported in the RCDHU.
Acting Medical Officer of Health, Doctor Robert Cushman, says we’ve got to be serious about protective hygiene, social distancing measures, and avoiding congregate gatherings.
There are increasing difficulties regarding contact tracing in the district.
Individuals who have tested positive are not being forthcoming and truthful about who they have had contact with, or how many individuals with whom they’ve had interactions.
Cushman says being up front with contact tracers is the only way to get a handle on stopping the spread of the virus locally.
The process identifies, notifies, educates, and monitors individuals who have had close contact with an individual who has tested positive for COVID-19.
As these individuals are at higher risk of becoming infected, contact tracing helps high risk contacts understand their own risk and the imperative they immediately self-isolate.
This is more important than ever now that variants of concern are circulating locally, and these strains thrive on any breach in precautions.
A negative COVID test is not a permission slip to stop self-isolating for the two week period as the virus could have been incubating prior to your test result.
Failure to comply properly with self-isolation orders and/or contact tracing requests puts you in violation of the Section 22 Order issued by Dr. Cushman in October of 2020.
You can find details of what the order requires, and how you can comply by visiting the RCDHU website.
