DRYDEN, Ont. – A new case of the UK COVID-19 variant has been confirmed in a high school student in Dryden, with health authorities expecting more to follow.
The Northwestern Health Unit reported the news Monday evening, saying it anticipated confirming more cases of the variant in the coming days.
“It is unclear at this time if this cluster of cases is linked to the COVID-19 outbreak at Walmart,” the agency noted in a statement.
The NWHU declared an outbreak at the local Walmart on Sunday, and reported two new confirmed COVID-19 cases in Dryden Monday.
First detected in the UK and also known as the B.1.1.7 variant, the strain has been shown to be significantly more contagious, with emerging evidence that it’s also more likely to lead to severe outcomes.
Two cases of the variant were previously confirmed in Dryden, on Feb. 26 and March 12. It's possible the variant had continued to spread in the community since then, the health unit indicated Monday.
NWHU medical officer of health Dr. Kit Young Hoon noted Dryden had low testing rates compared to other communities in the region, and urged anyone with symptoms to get tested.
“The only way to know if someone has COVID-19 is to get tested. When people have a symptom but don’t get tested or isolate, COVID-19 spreads,” she stated. “It is disheartening and also dangerous when people do not follow precautionary measures when ill”.
