Covid-19 outbreak declared in eastern Grey County, with spillover cases in Simcoe County

Everyone across Grey Bruce needs to consider themselves a carrier for the next 48 hours

The Grey Bruce Health Unit has declared a community outbreak of COVID-19 in eastern Grey County. The cases have been identified as a variant of concern.

The health unit said this is a significant event requiring a Grey Bruce wide response as at-risk contacts are from across Grey, Bruce, and Simcoe Counties.

“A class action order from the Medical Officer of Health, to those identified as cases or at-risk contacts, reinforces the need to follow direction from public health case managers,” according to a news release from the Grey Bruce Health Unit.

There are 21 confirmed cases, plus a significant number of probable cases and high-risk contacts related to this outbreak. This outbreak is widespread but is centred in the communities of Thornbury, Clarksburg and Meaford and spills into neighbouring Simcoe County.

The sources of transmission are identified as individuals not following provincial emergency brake orders by visiting others when symptomatic as well as large social gatherings and ‘bush parties’. The issue is worsened by individuals being untruthful to public health contact tracing and case management inquiries.

The Grey Bruce Health Unit declared a COVID-19 critical threshold warning due to soaring cases and limited contact tracing.

Public health officials have asked every resident in Grey Bruce to consider themselves a carrier for the next 48 hours after reporting 70 new COVID-19 cases in the last 36 hours.

The Health Unit says those cases have the potential to generate hundreds of additional close contact cases.

“If we do not implement drastic measures at this juncture, the pandemic will spiral out of control,” the Health Unit wrote in a statement posted to Facebook Wednesday evening.

⚠️𝗖𝗢𝗩𝗜𝗗-𝟭𝟵 𝗖𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱 ⚠️The Grey Bruce Health Unit is declaring a critical threshold of COVID-19 cases in Grey…

Posted by Grey Bruce Health Unit on Wednesday, April 14, 2021

The Health Unit has decided to redeploy staff from other programs, including the vaccine program and helpline, to support contact tracing and case management.

“It may take us 2-3 days to reach everyone who is a case and complete managing their contacts. We are asking the public to help. Everyone across Grey Bruce needs to consider themselves a carrier for the next 48 hours until we reach all case and their contacts.”

0 Shares
Tweet
Share
Share
Pin