KINCARDINE, ONT. -- A record-setting day in Grey-Bruce, and specifically Kincardine, has the local mayor on edge.
“I’ve been concerned about our numbers for a couple of weeks now. We went the whole summer with our numbers relatively stable and we had a ton of visitors. But people were outside so yes I am very concerned,” says Municipality of Kincardine Mayor Anne Eadie.
Seventeen new COVID-19 cases were announced in Grey-Bruce Wednesday, nine of them in Kincardine. Both broke single-day records.
The Grey-Bruce Health Unit says the surge in cases isn’t as a result of a wedding or funeral, or one large gathering, it can be traced back to four families who inadvertently spread the virus through their own families, and then to the greater community.
“What’s concerning is the number of close contacts for each case. In March and April, a case would have three or four close contacts. Currently, we’re seeing cases with 10 or more, sometimes 30 or 40 close contacts,” says the Grey-Bruce Health Unit’s Medical Officer of Health Dr. Ian Arra.
COVID-19 case counts have doubled in Grey-Bruce since September, with more than 40 active cases, 13 of those in Kincardine.
“No one is immune to this virus,” says Eadie.
Arra says it’s more than likely that Grey-Bruce will move into the yellow 'protect' tier of restrictions being enforced by the province, due to the rise in cases.
“Washing your hands frequently, keeping our distance of two metres or more, wearing a mask properly correctly. These are the things we must do until a vaccine is in place, hopefully in a few months from now,” says Arra.
“I always tell people about my parents' generation. Back to back, they survived the Great Depression and World War II, and that was over many years. We’re still in our first year. We can be tough too, and we can do it,” says Eadie.
Daily COVID-19 numbers and current safety protocols for Grey-Bruce can be found on the public health website.
