The Northwestern Health Unit has reported 36 new COVID-19 cases across the region on Tuesday.
13 cases were found in the Sioux Lookout Health Hub, six in the Fort Frances Health Hub, five in the Kenora Health Hub, four cases in the Rainy River Health Hub, three each in the Dryden and Emo Health Hubs, and one each in the Red Lake and Atikokan Health Hubs.
The NWHU did confirm that the cases found in the Sioux Lookout Health Hub do include cases reported in First Nation communities in the Sioux Lookout area.
The new cases found on Tuesday brings the active case count down to 365. There are currently seven people hospitalized due to COVID-19 in the region.
Of the 365 known cases, 153 are in the Kenora Health Hub, 146 are in the Sioux Lookout Health Hub, 27 are in the Fort Frances Health Hub, 21 cases in the Dryden Health Hub, four are in the Atikokan Health Hub, four cases are in the each of the Red Lake and Emo Health Hub and six cases are in the Rainy River Health Hub.
NWHU recommends that everyone, including those who have been vaccinated, assume COVID-19 is in their community and practise preventive measures like physical distancing, wearing a mask in enclosed public spaces and when physical distancing is a challenge, good hand hygiene, and not touching their face. Anyone who has symptoms, or who has been in contact with a positive case, should visit www.ontario.ca/exposed for more information on what to do next.
The NWHU does want to note that the confirmed cases are an underestimate of the true number of people with COVID-19 in the Northwestern Health Unit region, given that access to PCR testing is increasingly limited, positive rapid antigen test results are not reported to Public Health, and the likelihood that people with asymptomatic infections may not seek testing.