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COVID-19 in Niagara, Friday update

New cases reported – more data added to Public Health reporting website
covid
COVID-19. (Stock photo)

Public Health reports two new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, bringing the regional total to 762 since the first case on March 13.

A recent update to the Public Health data tool accessible to the public now includes a column tracking the percentage of new cases without any known exposure.

The number on Friday was listed as 38.5 percent – a number that has public health officials concerned with where newly infected residents might have picked up the virus.

In recent weeks, the message from the Niagara Regions health department has been that the newly discovered cases - typically a couple per day with some minor fluctuations - has not followed a trend and mostly consists of transmissions within families or in long-term care facilities battling outbreaks.

However, the overall infection rate remains low, with only 0.1 percent of all tests conducted coming back positive.

Since opening in March, Niagara Health’s Assessment Centres have seen over 17,000 patients.

The St. Catharines Assessment Centre is located behind the Walker Family Cancer Centre at the rear of the St. Catharines Site at 1200 Fourth Ave. The centre also has a drive-through service. People eligible for this service will be notified when their appointment is booked.

The Niagara Falls Assessment Centre is located in the Allied Health building behind the Greater Niagara General Site located at 5673 North Street in Niagara Falls. There is no access to the Allied Health building from the hospital.

The Welland Assessment Centre is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday and is located in the auditorium of the Welland Site at 65 Third Street. The dedicated parking spots can be accessed from MacLean Place and Plymouth Road.