The North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit confirmed 12 more cases of a variant of concern in North Bay on Friday.
These are cases that were already given a preliminary positive result for a variant, with the exact strain now identified.
The strain is B.1.351, originating from South Africa. 14 people in total have now tested positive for the strain.
As of today, 42 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in connection with the Community Outbreak at Skyline-Lancelot Apartments; three cases are still considered active and two individuals have died.
“It is now clear that we have an outbreak of the COVID-19 VOC that emerged from South Africa,” states Dr. Jim Chirico, Medical Officer of Health. “Although it was expected that there were more cases of the VOC originating from South Africa, it is concerning due to how contagious this variant is. It is critical that residents of Lancelot and other multi-unit dwellings continue to follow public health measures to help stop the spread of COVID-19 and its variants.”
The Health Unit is reminding residents living in multi-unit dwellings to:
- stay home and only leave for essential reasons;
- wash or sanitize hands often, especially after returning to their unit;
- maintain 2 metres from anyone outside their unit, especially in shared spaces like laundry rooms;
- only ride the elevator with other tenants if you can stand 2 meters;
- wear a face covering when unable to keep 2 metres apart;
- cover coughs and sneezes;
- follow all COVID-19 precautions put in place by building management.
The Health Unit will make the public aware when the Skyline – Lancelot Apartment outbreak is declared over.
Written by Greg Bowman