Chatham-Kent Public Health is reporting two more Chatham-Kent residents have tested positive for COVID-19.
Health officials said both men, aged 40 and 45, are self-isolating at home.
Community Living Chatham-Kent has confirmed they lived at a residential home and immediately went into self-isolation at an unoccupied agency home after getting a fever and getting tested at the hospital a week ago. Executive Director Ron Coristine said he got the test results Thursday night and the men will remain isolated until April 3. Coristine added each man is doing well.
The health unit said it is connecting with close contacts of these cases and they will be directed to self-isolate for 14 days.
Public Health is unable to connect these two new cases to travel outside of Canada or outside of Ontario and continue to investigate if there's evidence of community spread.
"An increase in positive cases was not unexpected," said Chatham-Kent Medical Officer of Health Dr. David Colby. "Our goal is to slow the spread of COVID-19 in our community. We need all Chatham-Kent residents and businesses to do their part."
Dr. Colby is urging people to please continue to practice social distancing, follow good hand hygiene, and avoid unnecessary trips outside of their home.
Chatham-Kent now has four confirmed cases of COVID-19.
Meanwhile, 100 staff and 17 doctors at Chatham-Kent Health Alliance are halfway through their isolation after travelling abroad.
CKHA gave a media briefing Friday morning and CEO Lori Marshall told reporters some hospital employees worked in the U.S. while others went away for March Break. Marshall said travel was not discouraged and staff must now choose one site to work at.
CKHA has 1,400 staff and 250 physicians and Marshall said the hospitals in Chatham and Wallaceburg are doing well with occupancy and personal protective equipment (PPE). She said the hospital has gone from 100 per cent capacity weeks ago to 70 per cent occupancy currently. The CEO added there is a four week supply of PPE and work continues to always look for new suppliers. Marshall said staff is trying to conserve PPE by keeping strict safe distancing and wearing equipment longer.
As far as the Chatham assessment centre at 47 Emma St. goes, Marshall said 23 of the 127 people who have gone through were swabbed and 15 are in the hospital waiting for test results. She added the vast majority of people don't meet swabbing criteria because their symptoms are mild and there aren't enough tests. An 81-year-old woman who tested positive last week remains in the hospital.
All non-urgent surgeries have been cancelled and Marshall said only emergency and cancer surgeries that can't be postponed are currently on-going.
The hospitals also have a plan to deal with staff burnout as the COVID numbers continue to increase. CKHA said healthcare graduates and licences are being fast-tracked and retired staff is being asked to return to action to deal with the anticipated virus surge and to give other frontline staff a much-needed break.