COVID-19

It’s no secret that the Kenora region, along with most of Canada, is experiencing a major staffing crisis within the health care sector. After two years of a global pandemic, burnout, exhaustion and disengagement, the hospitals and health care settings are facing historic vacancy rates.  

Recently, Lake of the Woods District Hospital CEO, Ray Racette, shared alarming statistics about the staffing crisis at Lake of the Woods District Hospital. 

Despite emerging evidence that we’re now in another wave of COVID-19, Ontario is digging in its heels and saying leaders are not prepared to reintroduce mask mandates, at least as of yet.

Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Kieran Moore, says a recent trend of rising hospitalizations driven by the new ‘stealth’ BA.2 subvariant of Omicron, a more-transmissible variant of the original strain of COVID-19, is likely to continue into May.

At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, retired teacher Lois Armstrong said local health officials where she lives in Kingston, Ont., provided daily updates about outbreaks, cases and deaths in the community. 

Now, Armstrong, 68, said the public is being asked to take a bigger role in managing their risk but information from health authorities is less available than before. Data such as the location of outbreaks, meanwhile, is no longer made public, she added.

The Lake of The Woods District Hospital is in a state of worry as they are currently in what they’re calling the period of “COVID-19 unknown”.

This is due to the fact they don’t know what state they will be in, in terms of safety following April 27, 2022, when remaining COVID-19 directives including masks will be lifted in health care settings.

LWDH CEO, Ray Racette says that two years ago the hospital had clear direction from the province, which provided a position of safety for the hospital, but now the future is unknown on what safety will look like.

This upcoming weekend many people will gather with friends and family, hunt for chocolate bunnies, eat lots of food and enjoy the Easter long weekend.

While people are enjoying a much-needed long weekend Dr. Kit Young Hoon, Medical Officer of Health for the Northwestern Health Unit offered some COVID safety advice for Easter.

“When developing plans for the Easter long weekend, you may want to continue using some of the public health prevention measures such as masking, and physical distancing when you gather with others,” Young Hoon said.

Provincial leadership says they’re not concerned with a recent rise of COVID-19 cases, found in both adults and children, across the province.

During a virtual announcement on April 6 in Etobicoke, Ontario’s Health Minister and Deputy Premier, Christine Elliott, says the uptick in cases was expected by Ontario’s COVID-19 Science Advisory Table, which has since been dissolved, after the removal of mask mandates.

Dr. Kit Young Hoon Medical Officer of Health for the Northwestern Health Unit is excited and is encouraging residents in the region to get out and enjoy what could be the first COVID-free summer in over two years.

On March 21, 2022, the mask mandate was removed in most indoor public settings, and recent COVID-19 data is showing a decrease in the virus in the region ahead of summer.

It’s been just over two weeks since the provincial mask mandate was removed in most public settings.

While people are settling into limited COVID-19 restrictions, Dr. Kit Young Hoon, Medical Officer of Health for the Northwestern Health Unit still wants residents to continue to be cautious.

“I continue to recommend that individuals assess personal risk and the risk of those who you gather with to determine whether you should wear a mask and practice other prevention measures,” said Young Hoon.

The Lake of the Woods District Hospital continues on the roller coaster ride of what is COVID-19.

This ride has taken them through vaccination policies, non-emergent services suspended, patient visitor limitations, outbreaks, and many more struggles.

Significant staff shortages are what the ride has taken the hospital on, along with many other regional hospitals in recent months causing unprecedented times.

Hospital CEO, Ray Racette says that the recent staff vacancies are the worst he has seen in the last 20-30 years and during the last two years of COVID-19.

The Ontario government has announced it will be expanding eligibility for fourth doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to individuals aged 60 and over, as well as First Nation, Inuit and Metis individuals and their household members over 18, effective today.

Ontario says booster doses are being offered to these individuals at a recommended interval of five months after receiving their last booster, or about December 2021.