UPDATED: The First Positive Case Of COVID-19 In The Peterborough Area Confirmed

This is a developing story… Check back for updates.

[UPDATE (March 16): The confirmed case of COVID-19 has been associated with Trent University's Peterborough campus. Read the message sent to all students, faculty and staff by Trent President & Vice-Chancellor Leo Groarke here.]

—————-

On Sunday (March 15th), Dr. Rosana Salvaterra, Medical Officer of Health for Peterborough Public Health, confirmed the first positive case of COVID-19  in the Peterborough area. 

Peterborough Public Health reports that on March 12th, a male in his 30s presented himself at Peterborough Regional Health Centre's emergency department with a travel history to Spain and Portugal. As per established infection prevention and control protocols, the patient was cared for at the hospital using all appropriate precautions, including being isolated as he was tested for COVID-19. The man was discharged home the same day and, per protocols, went into self-isolation where he remains with follow-up from Peterborough Public Health. The patient experienced fever, dry cough, and headache.

Peterborough Public Health is actively engaging in contact tracing and case management, including following up with the individual and his close contacts.

“Having a confirmed case in our area is not unexpected given the transmission of this virus around the world,” says Dr. Salvaterra. “As a community and as a health system, we have been preparing for COVID-19. Hopefully this news about the first local case helps reinforce the importance of public health measures in place such as school closures and event cancellations, as well as personal precautions like social distancing and regular handwashing.”

HOW PRHC RESPONDED

"The team at PRHC responded quickly and professionally with the appropriate precautions and protocols to ensure the safety of those in the Emergency Department and the hospital," adds Dr. Lynn Mikula, Chief of Staff and Chief Medical Officer of PRHC.

"Beginning Monday, March 16th, patients and visitors will see additional active screening measures, limited hospital entry points and restrictions for visitors and volunteers, and we continue to ask people to delay coming to the hospital for any non-urgent appointments, procedures or visits. Thank you in advance to the people of our community and region for their cooperation and diligence, including practicing excellent hand cleaning and social distancing, as we work to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and keep our patients, visitors, healthcare professionals, staff and volunteers safe."

IMPORTANT: If you suspect you have symptoms of COVID-19 and have recently travelled, contact Peterborough Public Health at 705-743-1000, ext. 401 or covid19@peterboroughpublichealth.ca Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., or Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. For medical advice after these hours, contact Telehealth Ontario at 1-866-797-0000 (TTY 1-866-797-0007).

Be sure to mention your symptoms and your travel history, including the countries you visited. If you are ill and must visit a health care professional, call ahead and tell them that you have a respiratory illness. If you need immediate medical attention, call 911 and mention your travel history and symptoms.

Visit peterboroughpublichealth.ca to learn more about COVID-19 and how you can prepare. Future positive cases of COVID-19 will be reported on www.peterboroughpublichealth.ca as well.  

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.