RAINY RIVER, Ont. – COVID-19 cases appear to be spiking in the Rainy River region, as the Northwestern Health Unit announced eight new confirmed cases there Saturday.
The health unit had supported the extension of lockdown measures in Northern Ontario after seeing cases rise consistently over recent weeks.
There had been 16 active cases in the Rainy River region before the eight new cases announced Saturday.
The NWHU's Kenora region has been even harder hit, reporting 22 active cases as of Friday. No new cases were announced there Saturday.
The NWHU releases only vague information on the location of its cases, citing privacy concerns. The Rainy River and Kenora regions, for example, each include well over a dozen communities.
"Information about the exact location of a COVID-19 case will not protect you," the health unit has stated on social media, saying residents should assume COVID-19 is present in their community, and focus on basic measures such as distancing, masking, and hand-washing.
The health unit had reported a cumulative total of 206 cases as of Friday, with 169 considered resolved, 36 active, and one death.
Three individuals in NWHU territory were hospitalized with the virus as of Friday.
