DAN CEARNS, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, for The Standard
KAWARTHA LAKES: The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit (HKPR) recently provided an update on local COVID-19 related efforts.
The local health unit is still seeing plateauing numbers of first dose vaccinations.
“[We’re] really noticing one percent incremental increases in the total percent coverage each week. We continue to see a significant increase in the percentage of individuals who have had two-dose coverage. We’re seeing about a 10 percent increase in the coverage of that each week,” local medical officer of health Dr. Natalie Bocking told reporters on Wednesday, July 14th. Specifically, the health unit is seeing lower first dose coverage rates in the younger populations.
“Among youth aged 12 to 17, we’re currently at 58 percent having received their first dose. For young adults aged 18 to 29, currently, 60 percent have received their first dose,” Dr. Bocking explained.
The local medical officer also provided an update on a COVID-19 outbreak recently declared at a Kawartha Lakes, Haliburton Housing Corporation residence (KLH) at 68 Lindsay Street North.
“We are currently at a total of 20 cases. So 18 laboratory-confirmed [cases], and two probable cases,” Dr. Bocking said. “The last confirmed case was identified from testing [which] took place on July 8th. These were cases where we received the laboratory results over the weekend, but the actual test date was last week. Of those cases that have been confirmed as part of this outbreak, 14 are resolved [and] no longer considered active, and we have six remaining, which are considered to be active.”
Dr. Bocking added the health unit is working with the housing corporation and other community agencies to make sure they’re “supporting both expanded testing, vaccination efforts and other needs [which] have been identified to support the residents [who] have been impacted by this outbreak.”