Issued: Friday, May 13, 2022
BULLETIN: Updates to COVID-19 Information
Effective May 16, 2022, the Porcupine Health Unit (PHU) is changing the information it reports about COVID-19, including the frequency of public COVID-19 updates. This does not signal that COVID-19 is less of a concern in the region. The virus continues to circulate in PHU communities and there is still ongoing risk of spread of COVID-19.
The changes follow recent Ministry changes to case and contact management. Individuals who are eligible for PCR or rapid molecular testing and test positive will continue to receive notification of their positive results and instructions for isolation. Once notified, the file will be closed in the provincial database before the end of the individual’s isolation period, even though they are still considered an active case. This means that the number of active cases currently being reported is even less meaningful than it has been since the change in testing strategies announced by the province in December 2021.
What is staying the same:
What is changing:
The PHU continues to closely monitor local data, including wastewater surveillance results, to inform decisions and ensure necessary action is taken to reduce transmission and protect communities. This may include changing reporting of COVID-19 data to keep the public informed of the increased risk of COVID-19.
Stay tuned to the health unit’s website (phu.fyi/covid-19), Facebook page and Twitter feed for more information.
There are significantly more active cases than what is being reported. Before going out, assess your risk of exposure to COVID-19 and follow the public health measures: