The Renfrew County and District Health Unit (RCDHU) is confirming that over the past week 9 individuals that reside in the Town of Arnprior and 5 individuals that reside in the Township of McNab/Braeside have tested positive for novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19).
The health unit says there’s currently 37 high-risk contacts and 6 local businesses affected. Many of these cases attended the same social gathering, and several others are considered close contacts of those that attended the gathering.
RCDHU has directed all persons and business impacted to self-monitor and/or self-isolate until
exposure and risks have been assessed by the contact tracing team at RCDHU.
“This will continue to be followed by further testing and investigation, which could lead to more cases
over the coming days,” states Dr. Robert Cushman, Acting Medical Officer of Health, RCDHU.
“I really encourage the residents of Arnprior to take this virus seriously and not let your guard
down,” states Mayor Walter Stack, Town of Arnprior.
Mayor Tom Peckett, Township of McNab/Braeside expresses that, “With the new variants of
concern spreading in other regions across Ontario, we want to ensure that we are taking all
necessary precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and keep our community, family
and friends safe.”
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.
“RCD has been classified as a Green Zone for weeks now, which will likely change if cases
continue to rise. Businesses are finally getting the chance to open again, to employ their
workers, and to serve their customers delayed needs. The last thing we want to do is to jeopardize our status and clamp down yet again on the economy, or possibly implement more stringent rules in the Arnprior Area,” notes Dr. Cushman.