The Medical Officer of Health and CEO of the Hastings Prince Edward Public Health Unit, Dr. Ethan Toumishey, released the following statement regarding in response to the spread of respiratory viruses in our region.
Dear community members,
As announced by Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health on November 14, several respiratory viruses are circulating across the province and children are being hospitalized at much higher rates than usual due to these infections. From November 6 – 12, nearly 5% of local Emergency Department (ED) visits from individuals of all ages were for influenza like illness. This is more than double the average for this time of year, based on data from the last 5 years. In addition, ED visits for respiratory complaints among individuals aged 0-17 are 194% higher than average for this time of year, based on the 5-year average.[1]
It is strongly recommended that all residents revisit the simple public health guidelines that have helped limit the spread of illness throughout the pandemic.
Continue to screen daily for symptoms of cough, cold, flu, COVID-19, or RSV at Ontario.ca/exposed.
- For school and childcare, use Ontario school and childcare screener or the printable school screening tools available at hpePublicHealth.ca/back-to-school-planning-parents.
Stay home if you are sick or have new or worsening symptoms – even symptoms that seem minor.
- If you are caring for a sick child at home, you can find additional information on the Ontario College of Family Physician’s information sheet for respiratory illness.
Wear a mask when in public indoor settings, cover your cough, and keep hands and surfaces clean.
- Masking is strongly recommended for those who can do so, when in public and/or crowded indoor spaces, including schools and childcare.
Stay up to date with vaccines.
- Get your annual flu shot, and stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines.
- Visit hpePublicHealth.ca/vaccine-booking or contact a local pharmacy to find COVID-19 vaccination near you.
- Contact your health care provider or a local pharmacy to get your annual flu shot. HPEPH is offering a limited number of appointments to children under the age of 5 who do not have a primary care provider. Visit CanadaEHS.com/hpePublicHealth for upcoming clinic dates. Appointments are required.
- Ensure the school aged children in your life are up to date with their regular childhood immunizations. Find out more by contacting your health care provider or visiting hpePublicHealth.ca/daycare-school-immunizations.
The team at HPEPH is working together with community health care providers to prevent the spread of illness, but we need your help. We are stronger, together. Please do your part to protect the most vulnerable among us, and ensure our valuable health care resources remain available to those who need them most.
Sincerely,
Dr. Ethan Toumishey
Medical Officer of Health and CEO, Hastings Prince Edward Public Health
