The Porcupine Health Unit is reporting 40 new COVID-19 cases in the region today.
There are 18 cases in Timmins, 14 people are in the James Bay region, seven in the area of Cochrane, Matheson, Iroquois Falls and Smooth Rock Falls, and one in the Kapuskasing area.
The exposure of 31 cases is under investigation, six people are the contacts of a case, and there are related to an outbreak, according to the health unit.
To date, there have been 1,366 confirmed cases of the virus. As of Friday, 933 people had recovered and 26 people died. While the health unit reports new cases on the weekend the number of known active cases and recoveries is not updated.
While the weekly case rate has dropped, the Porcupine Health Unit continues to have the highest rate in Ontario.
The weekly case rate (from May 20 to May 26) for the Porcupine Health Unit, which covers the Timmins area, is 312.8 cases per 100,000 population. Peel Region’s rate is 134.1 cases per 100,000 population for the same time period. Toronto Public Health’s rate is 79.7 cases per 100,000 people.
There are COVID-19 assessment centres in Timmins, Cochrane, Iroquois Falls, Matheson, Kapuskasing, Smooth Rock Falls, Hearst, and Hornepayne, as well as communities on the James Bay coast.
The Porcupine Health Unit COVID-19 information line can be reached at 705-360-4819 or 1-800-461-1818.
There is a provincial shutdown and stay-at-home order in effect until at least June 2.
