Community outbreak declared in Madawaska Valley and Brudenell Lyndoch Raglan

The following was received from Renfrew County & District Health Unit on March 19:

Today, Renfrew County and District Health Unit (RCDHU) in conjunction with the Township of Madawaska Valley and the Township of Brudenell, Lyndoch, Raglan are declaring a COVID-19 community outbreak within the two local municipalities.

RCDHU confirms that over the past week, 3 students from Madawaska Valley District High School in Barry’s Bay,that serves students from the Townships of Brudenell, Lyndoch, Raglan; Killaloe, Hagarty, Richards; North Algona Wilberforce; Madawaska Valley and South Algonquin have positive laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19. “All three of the confirmed cases attended the same social gathering outside of the school day. This is a result of community transmission and disregard for public health guidelines to restrict social groupings to a minimum size,” states Dr. Robert Cushman, Acting Medical Officer of Health, RCDHU. This will continue to be followed by further testing and investigation, which could lead to more cases over the coming days.

“We are all responsible for the health and wellbeing of our community, family and friends. Parents need to make sure their children understand this and are following all the guidelines of Public Health. Just because you can do something, doesn’t make it a good idea,” expresses Mayor Kim Love, Township of Madawaska Valley.

“We are urging parents and guardians to have the difficult discussions with your children about COVID-19 and the associated dangers that come with not only contracting but spreading the virus. As role models, we must stress that it is not necessarily about how the virus will affect them, it is about how it could affect those they bring it home to – a parent, grandparent, family member or friend,” urges Dr. Cushman. For resources about how to talk to your children about COVID-19, click HERE to visit: https://bit.ly/3cSa35C.

RCDHU wants to remind residents that the Section 22 order for Self-Isolation requires all residents of RCD, to immediately begin self-isolation if they:

  • are a confirmed case or probable case of COVID-19;
  • have signs and symptoms of COVID-19, have been tested for COVID-19 and are awaiting the results of their test; 
  • believe they now have one or more symptoms (even mild symptoms) of COVID-19; or
  • are a close contact of a person diagnosed with COVID-19 or are a close contact of a person identified as a probable case of COVID-19.

“Self-isolation does not mean you are on vacation. You must stay home. Do not go to work, school, child care, or public places unless you require urgent medical attention. You can go outside, but you must stay on your own property. Do not walk around the neighbourhood, do not share bathrooms, utensils or living spaces if possible,” states Dr. Cushman.

“We all must take this virus seriously and not let our guard down, especially with the new variants of concern spreading close to home. We want to ensure that we are taking all necessary precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19 to keep our communities safe,” reminds Mayor Keller from the Township of Brudenell, Lyndoch, Raglan.

It is imperative that everyone do their part to stay home if they are sick, avoid contact with people who are ill, practice physical distancing (2 metres), wear a mask/face covering when physical distancing cannot be maintained, wash their hands, use the COVID Alert App, and complete the COVID-19 self-assessment tool or COVID-19 school and child care self-assessment tool daily if you go to work, school or daycare, to monitor for symptoms and proper guidance.

For more information, visit RCDHU’s website at https://www.rcdhu.com/novel-coronavirus-covid-19-2/ or call 613-732-3629 or 1-800-267-1097.

Renfrew County & District Health Unit(2021,Mar.19) COVID-19 Community Outbreak Declared Among Two Local Municipalities [media release]

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