The Grey-Bruce Health Unit (GBHU) has identified a trend in the region’s COVID-19 cases.
It shows that the main chain of transmission is connected to youth and organized sports.
The health unit is working with stakeholders within the school systems (both in class and extracurricular), minor, and amateur sports organizations following the findings.
“Our goal in the management of the pandemic is not to shut down Grey-Bruce, rather to keep it open as long as we can, so long as it is safe to do so,” GBHU Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Ian Arra said.
If trends continue, the health unit may introduce several restrictions including:
• Pausing sporting events associated with school boards (Extracurricular)
• End travel of minor and amateur sports teams to locations outside of Grey Bruce
• Restrictions to the sporting events within Grey-Bruce such as reducing frequency of events for certain age groups, for all age groups, and/or
• Pausing sporting events within Grey-Bruce
“We implore parents to not send their children or allow them to go to school and sports if they have symptoms. We remind the public of the importance of vaccination and the need to be vigilant especially when interacting in the above settings and over the holidays.” Dr. Arra said.
Other trends identified by the health unit include transmission starting in individuals who attended sports, school, or childcare while having symptoms and the increased risk (of both infection and transmission) in individuals who are not vaccinated.
The GBHU advised that currently there is no evidence of transmission in places like malls, big box stores, or grocery stores, or the high impact sectors such as long-term care, retirement homes, or hospitals.
There are 76 active cases, 16 of which were reported in the last day.
The health unit said that there are no confirmed Omicron cases in Grey Bruce, though there is one case under investigation.
Read original story from Midwestern Ontario News – BlackburnNews.com