Chatham-Kent has the third-highest COVID-19 positivity rate in Ontario, according to the municipality’s top doctor.
“It’s not what I would like to see as far as Chatham-Kent is concerned,” said Dr. David Colby, Chatham-Kent’s medical officer of health. “[We] are one of the only jurisdictions where the wastewater signals are continuing to increase, rather than decrease. In most of the province, including the southwestern region, the wastewater signal is decreasing.”
Colby expressed concerns that the provincial government may have acted too soon when public health restrictions were dropped during the month of March.
“Personally, I think the lifting of some of the precautions, like gathering limits and physical distancing recommendations, was a bit premature. But on the other hand, in most of Ontario… there are definite signs that the wave has peaked,” he said.
The municipality has typically bucked the provincial trend throughout the pandemic, said Colby, but Chatham-Kent Public Health is continuing to keep a close eye on the situation locally, especially at the local hospital.
The number of patients with COVID-19 at the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance is currently on the decline, but there are 61 staff members who are off work due to the virus as of Thursday. As well there are 16 who are working from home or isolated at work.
According to CKHA President and CEO Lori Marshall, there are 18 patients in the hospital with COVID-19, six of whom are being treated primarily for the virus. Four of the COVID-positive patients are currently being treated in critical care beds in the Progressive Care Unit.
“I remain pleased with what we’ve seen in the last few days in terms of a downward trend, with respect to hospital patients,” said Marshall. “[However], the number of staff that are impacted really adds a level of complexity and difficulty to us in operating all of our services.”
While surgeries at CKHA have not been impacted by staffing levels, the hospital is consistently reassessing where to deploy staff to ensure they are meeting quality of care expectations in each department.
“I would say it is a daily occurrence right now, with respect to identifying which units or departments might be short-staffed and how we can share staff throughout the building,” said Marshall.
Chatham-Kent reported its 65th and 66th death related to COVID-19 on Wednesday and Colby said the death toll could increase before conditions improve.
“The death indicator is one of the most lagging of the indicators and it could get worse before it gets better,” he said.