Vulnerable, unvaccinated populations fueling rise in KFL&A COVID-19 case counts: MOH
Global News
Dr. Piotr Oglaza, KFL&A's new medical officer of health, addressed the rising COVID-19 cases in the region, urging parents to be cautious with their unvaccinated children.
With COVID-19 cases rising once again by the double digits in KFL&A, the region’s new medical officer of health spoke to media to address exactly why case counts seem to be rising so rapidly in the region.
Thursday, the health unit reported 13 new cases, with 91 active cases in the region. Active case counts have not been this high locally since mid-May, 2021, at the tail end of the third wave. In comparison, the two neighbouring health units are dealing with less than 30 active cases combined.
Most cases over the last two weeks can be attributed to two age groups, with 36 cases found in those under the age of 9 and 33 cases found among the 18 to 29 group.
Dr. Piotr Oglaza said he can’t be sure why cases have risen so dramatically in the last several weeks in KFL&A, since the virus is unpredictable, but cases are rising very quickly among unvaccinated populations.
“It’s linked to population density and activities that are undertaken by individuals who are not immunized, who are not protected against the virus,” he said.
That tracks with where KFL&A is reporting outbreaks, with five school outbreaks and one large outbreak linked to Kingston’s Integrated Care Hub, which serves those experiencing homelessness in the region.
Oglaza said contact tracing shows that cases are coming from unstructured events among vulnerable populations in the community, such as unvaccinated children and the unhoused population.
Oglaza was adamant that the school system is safe, and that the majority of cases found among children were being traced back to events like sleepovers and parties that are taking place after school hours.