**PORCUPINE HEALTH UNIT NEWS RELEASE**

Daily COVID-19 Update for Friday, April 17, 2020

The Porcupine Health Unit is reporting 4 new COVID-19 cases among residents in the health unit area. The current number of confirmed positive cases is now 49.

Three of the cases are residents from the Cochrane, Matheson, Iroquois Falls, and Smooth Rock Falls areas. The cases include a male in his 30s; a male in his 40s and a female in her 30s. The other case is a male in his 80s who is a resident of the Timmins area whose exposure is from an institutional outbreak. For more information, visit phu.fyi/coronavirus.

The online COVID-19 self-assessment tool is updated to include a range of symptoms and improved instructions on the results screens. (https://covid-19.ontario.ca/self-assessment/)

Yesterday, the province has added 1,035 acute care beds and 1,492 critical care beds and taken steps to ensure hospitals have the staff available to care for a sudden surge in patients. (https://bit.ly/3aiSp7T)

Medical Officer of Health Dr. Catton urges everyone to continue to “work together to stop the spread of COVID-19.” Stay home as much as possible and avoid travelling between communities. Only go out if absolutely necessary to pick up groceries, prescriptions or go to a medical appointment. Maintain physical distancing. Do not visit loved ones or friends outside of your immediate household.

There are COVID-19 Assessment Centres in Kapuskasing, Timmins, Cochrane, Iroquois Falls and Hornepayne. Please note that you require an appointment. Call your primary care provider or the PHU. Our COVID-19 Information line is open today from 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Call the toll-free number, 1-800-461-1818, or the PHU office in your community. See phu.fyi/offices for local contact numbers.

Keep physically distant, but socially close. Stay home if you’re feeling ill. Wash your hands often. Stop the spread.

Stay home, stay well, stay kind. We’re all in this together.

Filed under: Local News