Grey Bruce tops COVID-19 case counts in Ontario as Delta variant surges
Grey Bruce posted the highest number of COVID-19 cases in the province on Thursday, with 22 new infections reported, followed by Toronto with 18.
Grey Bruce managed to keep infection rates well below the provincial average throughout the pandemic, with fewer than five daily cases until the end of May, when one case of the Delta variant was reported that resulted in an outbreak at a rooming house in Hanover.
"That's where it started," said the region's medical officer of health, Dr. Ian Arra. "It is definitely different from the previous strains that we've dealt with and managed very well."
There are currently 151 active COVID-19 cases in the region.
Still, Arra believes they can get infection rates under control.
"In Grey Bruce, we have proven that we have the assets to manage the pandemic optimally, and that was reflected in the low number of cases and the low number of outbreaks and the low number of deaths throughout," he said.
DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITY MOST AT RISK
Arra noted the pandemic unmasked the need to support those less fortunate, adding the virus attacked the transient community.
"It's affected the most disadvantaged of us, people who have a challenge with homes, challenges with substance abuse, those are not things of their own choice," he said.
He also mentioned gatherings and parties as contributing factors to rising case counts.
"I do believe younger people are transmitting the virus when it happens innocently. They're not being aware at the moment that this behaviour is going to be part of a chain of transmissions that affect somebody else," Arra said.
GREY BRUCE TIPTOES INTO STEP 3
On July 16, when the province moved into a more lenient phase of its reopening plan, Grey Bruce's top doctor strongly recommended modifications to contain transmission.
Arra focused on large private gatherings, advising indoor groups remain at five people and outdoor gatherings stick to 25.
He also urged residents to forgo dining inside restaurants in favour of outdoor patios.
'PANDEMIC OF THE UNVACCINATED'
Arra said most of those infected were unvaccinated and urged residents to get their shots to protect themselves and others.
The health unit reports the vast majority, or 96 per cent of the nearly 300 cases reported between July 1 and July 15, were not fully immunized.
Public health cautions that a single infected individual spreads the Delta variant to six to nine others on average.
"This high efficiency in transmission is causing the surge," Arra said.
Residents 12 and older are eligible to book a COVID-19 vaccine New, over the phone, or by showing up at one of the walk-in clinics across the region.
WHERE TO FIND A WALK-IN CLINIC JULY 26 TO JULY 30
Several clinics across Grey Bruce offer no appointment vaccines to eligible residents as health officials ramp up immunization efforts.
Here's a list of where to find a walk-in clinic between July 26- July 30:
MONDAY
P&H Centre in Hanover - 12:00 pm to 8:00 pm
OSDSS in Owen Sound - 12:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Dundalk Community Centre in Dundalk - 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm
TUESDAY
P&H Centre in Hanover - 12:00 pm to 8:00 pm
OSDSS in Owen Sound - 12:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Flesherton Kinplex in Flesherton - 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm
WEDNESDAY
P&H Centre in Hanover - 12:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Davidson Centre Hub in Kincardine - 12:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Port Elgin Plex parking lot in Port Elgin - 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm
Ripley Community Centre in Ripley - 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm
THURSDAY
P&H Centre in Hanover - 12:00 pm to 8:00 pm
OSDSS in Owen Sound - 12:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Sauble Beach Community Centre in Sauble Beach - 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm
FRIDAY
P&H Centre in Hanover - 12:00 pm to 8:00 pm
OSDSS in Owen Sound - 12:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Dr. Ian Arra said without vaccines as high as 85 per cent or more, the Delta variant will continue to run rampant.
"The way out of the current surge, or the way out of any situation related to the Delta is with higher level of coverage with vaccines," he said.
"We have a surge that is serious. We have all the resources that we need to deploy. I have confidence in the public of Grey Bruce," Arra concluded.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
Wildfire southwest of Peace River spurs evacuation order
People living near a wildfire burning about 15 kilometres southwest of Peace River are being told to evacuate their homes.
U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with big bipartisan vote
The U.S. Senate has passed US$95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.