A Wasaga Beach man has died at Collingwood General and Marine Hospital after testing positive for COVID-19.
The man in his 70s is believed to have contracted the virus after travelling to Ecuador. He has been at the Collingwood hospital since late March, and the health unit has not identified any potential exposure to hospital staff.
This is the fifth death in the region attributed to COVID-19.
There are now 87 lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Simcoe County and Muskoka. Two cases have been confirmed in Collingwood residents. The first patient, a man in his 50s who had travelled to the US, has now recovered. A second man in his 30s was confirmed positive for COVID-19 and is self-isolating.
Ontario has reported an additional 309 lab-confirmed cases in the province today, bringing the Ontario total to 4,347. While the backlog of tests awaiting results is way down (around 400 now), about 0.5 per cent of Ontario’s population has been tested for the virus.
There are now 46 outbreaks reported at long-term care facilities in the province, including one in Owen Sound (Maple View), one in Orillia (Spencer House), and one in Bradford (Bradford Valley).
While advice from most of the national, provincial, and regional health officials until now has been to caution the general public from wearing masks while they are not sick, that advice is changing.
Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s chief medical officer of health, said today people can use homemade cloth masks to prevent spreading the virus to others. She said there is increasing evidence people can transmit the virus before knowing they are sick, and keeping their mouth and nose covered while in public - in addition to frequent handwashing and physical distancing - could help reduce spread.
Dr. Charles Gardner medical officer of health for Simcoe Muskoka Public Health Unit said there is no proof homemade cloth masks will protect the wearer from getting the virus, it could help contain their own droplets. He cautioned against feeling “security” from a homemade mask, and said people wearing them must still keep their distance from other people and avoid touching their face, while also being diligent about handwashing.
He urged members of the public not to wear healthcare-grade masks, as there is a shortage of personal protective equipment for healthcare workers.
Need a mental break from the COVID-19 news? Collingwood’s poet laureate is posting one new poem everyday on the town’s website for National Poetry Month. She’s calling the project 30 Loaves, and has written a poem for the occasion.
CollingwoodToday would like to help recognize frontline heroes, whether they are healthcare workers, delivery drivers, grocery store cashiers or any other essential worker. Send us a photo of a frontline worker you’d like to thank and let us know a bit about what they do, we’ll add them to a photo gallery on CollingwoodToday.ca. Email photos to [email protected].
