There are still no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in our city. The City, Thunder Bay Health Unit and Thunder Bay Regional Hospital provided updates to the public today during a Facebook live.
City Manager Norm Gale explained again that essential services in the city will continue to operate during the COVID-19 pandemic. Those essential services include emergency professionals like paramedics and firefighters. He added payroll services will also continue.
Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Janet DeMille says they have been very busy noting it has been all hands on deck.
She says they’ve tested closed to 300 people and 163 have come back negative with the rest being marked as pending. These figures are up to date as of Wednesday evening.
The Medical Officer of Health suggests residents avoid travel within the region saying if you stay in your community, you will help protect the region from the further spread of the illness.
Dr. Stuart Kennedy of the Thunder Bay Regional Hospital says this is the greatest health crisis they’ve faced in over a century.
Kennedy says as of Friday there will be no visitors allowed at the hospital with a few select exceptions.
“No visitors allowed, a few exceptions that will be listed on our website, labour and delivery and palliative care is an exception,” Kennedy said.
Only essential care partners will be permitted at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre until further notice. This extends to people who may have been previously identified as care partners in recent weeks.
Essential Care Partners are defined as:
- the care partner of a patient who is dying or very ill (e.g. when imminent death is anticipated or possible in the next 72 hours);
- a parent/guardian of an ill child or youth;
- the care partner of a patient undergoing surgery (up to 1600 the day following surgery); or
- the care partner of a woman giving birth.
The hospital also dealt with a presumptive case of COVID-19 Thursday morning and staff had access to their protective equipment.
The presumptive case from Thursday morning had a swab test conducted on it and now they will wait for the results to come in.
Kennedy told media that Thursday’s presumpative case wasn’t the first they’ve dealt with, he just shared that story to highlight medical staff are doing important work and have the protective gear to do their work.
