A man in his 80s is the first COVID-19 related death, and also the first case of community transmission, in the Kawarthas.
The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge (HKPR) District Health Unit reports the man was admitted to Ross Memorial Hospital (RMH) in Lindsay last Thursday (March 19) with a high fever and influenza-like illness.
Tests were conducted and late on Saturday (March 21) it was confirmed the man tested positive for COVID-19. He passed away the following afternoon with both pneumonia and COVID-19 listed as the cause of death.
The man had no travel history or contact with anyone confirmed to have COVID-19, making this the first identified case of community transmission in the Kawarthas.
“We offer our sincere condolences to this man’s family and our thoughts are with them during this sad time,” says Dr. Lynn Noseworthy, the HKPR District Health Unit’s medical officer of health. “Unfortunately, this man’s tragic passing highlights that we now have community transmission of COVID-19 in our area.”
Dr. Noseworthy says this means it’s more important now than ever that everyone works together to protect themselves and others against the spread of the virus. Everyone is urged to follow the public health recommendations for self-isolation if someone is ill; self-isolating if they have returned from travel recently, washing their hands frequently and thoroughly and covering coughs and sneezes.
As well, everyone is urged to practise social distancing which includes staying home if possible, staying at least two metres from others, limiting time out for necessary purchases and avoiding public settings.
“Our team continues to work collaboratively with HKPR, regional, and provincial partners on a coordinated response to COVID-19,” says RMH interim president and CEO Veronica Nelson.
“Seniors are especially vulnerable to this virus, which means that a large portion of our community is particularly at risk. Protect them by taking steps to ‘flatten the curve,’ and that means self-isolation, especially for those returning to Canada.”
If you think you may have COVID-19 symptoms or have been in close contact with someone who has it, use Ontario’s Self-Assessment Tool to see if you need to seek further care. If you need further assistance, call TeleHealth Ontario at 1-866-797-0000 or your health care provider. You can also call the HKPR Health Unit at 1-866-888-4577, ext. 5020 (leave a detailed message and someone will get back to you as soon as possible).
If you have other non-urgent questions or concerns about COVID-19, email the Health Unit at info@hkpr.on.ca or visit www.hkpr.on.ca.
Visit Ontario’s website at ontario.ca/coronavirus to learn more about how the province continues to protect Ontarians from COVID-19.
