As the number of COVID-19 cases continues to rise, the region’s top doctor is urging people to keep their guard up, especially as students return to school.
Dr. Charles Gardner, medical officer of health with the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit, provided a media update Tuesday, when 17 new COVID-19 cases were reported in the region.
Twenty-two cases were reported during the week starting Aug. 24. That was up from 11 the week before, and four the week before that.
Gardner noted there have been three “small surges” since June.
“We have to keep up our measures … to avoid a second wave of COVID-19,” he said. “If we’re not careful, it will keep going up.”
With kids going back to school and being around more people, “it’s important that people be mindful of who’s vulnerable,” he said.
That could mean re-evaluating who is in one’s social circle of 10, especially if it includes elderly people or those with existing medical conditions, Gardner said.
The increase in cases locally has mostly been related to “clusters in families,” he said, which could suggest people are expanding their social circles.
He stressed the importance of keeping that circle at no more than 10.
Gardner also noted flu season — from October to April — is approaching, and it’s important to keep COVID-19 cases low “to avoid confusion.”
“The flu vaccine is a good idea,” he said.
On a positive note, some countries in the Southern Hemisphere have reported fewer flu cases than usual, and Gardner said that is being attributed to precautions being taken against COVID-19.
