Chatham-Kent Public Health is set to introduce a diagram that will show how COVID-19 was recently transmitted at a church in Blenheim.
CK Medical Officer of Health Dr. David Colby said the diagram will show how the spread progressed and will be released when he declares the outbreak at Word of Life Church over. However, when that will be is unclear. Colby said public health inspectors will be talking with church leaders to make sure the church is safe to reopen and added it will remain closed if it doesn't meet public health standards.
"I haven't declared it over yet because we're out to the fifth generation of contacts," Colby said. "They technically don't need my permission to open again but I can certainly deny that if I'm not happy."
Colby said the cooperation in Blenheim was excellent because everyone understood how serious the outbreak was.
"There are always people who are, for personal or philosophical reasons, very upset when they get told that they have to isolate. But, by and large, the cooperation level was splendid," said Colby.
Dr. Colby said the source of the outbreak was a church member who travelled out of town to visit family and the investigation continues to determine how the virus spread. The church has said it followed all safety protocols and Colby is not sure how things broke down. Colby said the number of active cases in Chatham-Kent should drop to single numbers again when the church outbreak ends because the church spread was driving the numbers up.
On Thursday, CK Public Health reported no new cases and one recovered individual. The number of active cases in Chatham-Kent is down to 25 with no current hospitalizations.