Bluewater Health's chief of staff is hopeful but can't say for sure if local COVID-19 cases are at or near their peak.
Dr. Mike Haddad told Sue Storr on CHOK (103.9 FM, 1070 AM) Friday morning that there have been two more deaths, but he added there are indications provincially and locally that the second-wave surge may be levelling off.
"If you look at the whole province over the past week, the numbers have plateaued it seems," said Dr. Haddad. "The rise slowed down and the number of cases-per-population started dropping. In our case, we haven't seen that happen completely yet. The temperature, I would say, in the hospital was rising in the last couple weeks and I would say this week it's not as bad."
Dr. Haddad said with the two week incubation period, the next couple of weeks will be very important in determining if the local curve is indeed flattening.
"Our COVID unit, which opened last week, has about 20 patients now," he said. "About half are COVID-positive and half are still waiting for the result but at least the rise [in hospitalizations] has slowed down. If that continues, then maybe we have reached a peak and maybe we'll have a drop afterward. If the numbers in the community continue to go up, and that translates in a week or two to more admissions, then our numbers will go back up again."
Dr. Haddad says the number of hospital staff self-isolating or having tested positive for COVID has dropped from 60 at the beginning of the month to 11.
Sarnia-Lambton recorded its first single-digit increase in new confirmed cases in two weeks Friday.
-With files from Sue Storr