The Grey Bruce Health Unit (GBHU) is reporting six new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours.
The six new cases are located in Grey Highlands (2), Southgate, Arran Elderslie, Owen Sound, and Meaford.
The cumulative total number of COVID-19 cases in the GBHU catchment area is now 344, with 35 confirmed active cases.
Active cases in Grey County are currently located in Southgate (7), Grey Highlands (6), West Grey (2), Hanover (2), Owen Sound (2), and Chatsworth (1).
Of the 344 cumulative cases, 293 cases have recovered and 16 cases were referred to other health units.
An outbreak was declared at a long-term care facility in Bruce County on Nov. 25. The Golden Dawn Senior Citizen Home remains in outbreak status.
The health unit is also currently working with Gospel Light Christian School in Ceylon to address a positive COVID-19 case associated with the school.
GBHU confirms there are no outbreaks; that is, evidence of transmission from person-to-person, in any schools or child-care centres, in Grey-Bruce. And, no bus routes are involved with this case.
“The case has been contacted directly by our COVID-19 Case and Contact Management Team. We are working with the individual and Gospel Light Christian School to identify others, both in and out of the school environment, who may have been exposed and to determine their risk level,” Dr. Ian Arra, medical officer of health for GBHU, said in a news release.
Anyone identified as a contact to the confirmed case will be contacted by a public health case manager directly.
GBHU has also identified 221 high-risk contacts associated with the 35 active cases.
The health unit has indicated there are eight additional active-probable cases. An active probable case is considered to be someone that is linked to an active case and is showing symptoms, but has not received lab-confirmed test results.
The eight active probable cases are located in Chatsworth (4), Grey Highlands (2), Saugeen Shores (1), and Arran Elderslie (1).
Currently, no one in the region is being hospitalized for COVID-19. And, GBHU continues to be one of the only health units in Ontario to have no deaths as a result of COVID-19.
The current Public Health Classification Level for the Grey-Bruce region is yellow or protect.
In the yellow category of the framework, restaurants, bars, cinemas, casinos, and performing arts centres will be required to close at midnight and stop serving alcohol at 11 p.m. A maximum of six people may be seated together. Workers within two metres of a customer not wearing a face covering (such as a server) must wear eye protection.
Gyms are limited to 10 people per class and 50 people per room (for weights or exercise equipment) and the people in the room or class must be three metres apart.
According to a news release from the provincial government, public health data from each region will be reviewed weekly to determine if health units should stay where they are or be moved into a higher level.
Lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases in Grey County include: Owen Sound (71); Southgate (50); Grey Highlands (41); West Grey (21); Meaford (13); Blue Mountains (17); Hanover (14); Georgian Bluffs (2); Chatsworth (2).
