By: Mike Anderson

York Region Public Health reports three new infections and its second fatality from COVID-19.

This follows a disappointing week as cases spiked, with 117 new cases added from March 22 to March 28. There are now 197 positive cases in York Region as of March 29, 10:45 a.m.

In his update on March 27, Dr. Karim Kurji, York Region’s Medical Officer of Health, said that he expected a jump in cases.

But he wanted to assure the community that public health investigators are “trying very hard to put rings around the cases and their close-contacts to ensure that new cases cannot arise and that the community is safe from being exposed to them.”

“Every case that we put a ring around results in 60 cases that we are preventing down the road in about a month’s time,” he added.

The bulk of the new cases, some 44 per cent, are classified as “under investigation,” which suggests that community or local transmission is on the rise.

In fact, travel-related cases have dropped from a previous 58 per cent to just 19 per cent.

York Region’s second fatality was a Vaughan woman in her 80s who died on March 26.

Her case was not travel-related nor was she in a long-term care facility. Two of her close-contacts have tested positive, with one in hospital, according to public health officials.

Vaughan continues to be the hardest hit municipality with 77 cases, followed by Markham (48) and Richmond Hill (34).

Locally, Newmarket has 16 cases, Aurora (7) and East Gwillimbury (3).

So far, no cases have been reported in Georgina.

Despite the bad news, Dr. Kurji sees some signs for optimism.

“We have numbers in the double digits now recovering, and that is a hopeful sign,” he said.

“So by working together, you doing your civic duty (staying home and social distancing) and us keeping those cases contained. We’re going to come out positively through this.”

Mike Anderson
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