BELLEVILLE – Hastings Prince Edward Public Health has posted a new dashboard detailing respiratory illnesses in the area.
New information surrounding COVID-19, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) will be updated on the dashboard every Tuesday.
For the week of September 22-28, two new institutional outbreaks of COVID-19 were reported, zero cases for both influenza and RSV.
Meanwhile, eight people were receiving hospital treatment for COVID-19, down from 12 the previous week. One individual was receiving hospital treatment for influenza.
There were 300 emergency room visits connected to respiratory illness that week, up from 247 previously.
Two new COVID-19 outbreaks were announced, making the total six.
Of the six outbreaks, five are in long-term care or retirement homes and one is at Belleville General Hospital.
In an email response to QNet News, Veronica Montgomery, a program manager at Hasting-Prince Edward Public Health, it’s imperative that numbers be posted now due to changes in the provincial statistics.
“With changes in the provincial reporting, the need to create a new dashboard emerged,” Montgomery said.
“HPEPH felt it was imperative that the launch of the new dashboard coincided with the start of the 2024-25 respiratory season.”
It’s noted that these numbers are only from cases being reported to Hastings Prince Edward Public Health.
The exact numbers are higher.
Montgomery also wants to advise the public to consider personal risk when viewing the information.
“Information available on the dashboard has a focus on health care setting,” she said.
“Since individual risk varies depending on one’s personal circumstances, all residents are advised to take practical precautions to prevent the spread of illness throughout the respiratory season.”
Montgomery says the Respiratory Illness Fact Sheet has additional information on how to protect oneself and others from respiratory illness.
The new dashboard can be viewed here.
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