GUELPH POLITICAST #260 - Still COVID [Winter Edition] with Dr. Mercer

As this week started, the 7-day moving rate of confirmed cases is just a few points above the red line of 40 per 100,000, while the test positivity rate is now at 3.6 per cent. This is good news since it was just a month ago that the numbers were over 115 per 100,000 and five per cent. The numbers are going down, but where does the local medical officer think we stand in all this?

According to data presented at the Board of Health meeting last week, the second wave peaked in our region on January 9, and that was before the outbreak at the University of Guelph. At the same time, we've also seen a precipitous increase in fatalities from the virus in the last month, which is especially noteworthy since there were months that went by where we had no deaths from COVID in our area.

Things have changed though. While delays in receiving vaccine distribution are a pain, Public Health has completed a full round of first doses for residents in long-term care homes, and are now handing our second doses. Our numbers are steering lower, and there was the announcement Monday that Ontario will be lifting the state of emergency and lockdown measures in most of the province by this time next week. The hope is that the worst is over, but there are still so many unanswered questions about the road ahead.

This week we’re joined by Medical Officer of Health Dr. Nicola Mercer, for the fourth time in the last year, to cover the latest in pandemic developments. Mercer will address the vaccine delivery delays, and why we shouldn’t be worried about short-term holdups. She will also talk about variants, and how we will know if there’s a case of one of the variants in the region. And finally, Mercer will discuss the long-term effects of COVID, and the reasons why we’re see so much loss of life in our senior population. 

So let's catch-up on COVID-19 in our area with Dr. Mercer on the Guelph Politicast!

You can visit the Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health website for up-to-date information about the pandemic, and the latest public health advice. Look for further guidance about the re-opening of the local economy to be released sometime later this week, and look for coverage on Guelph Politico.

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