Peel announces new public health measures amid recent rise in COVID-19 cases

TORONTO — Peel Public Health will begin publicly disclosing the location of large events that are believed to have been the source of multiple COVID-19 cases amid a recent rise in infections traced back to social gatherings.

Peel’s Medical Officer of Health Dr. Lawrence Loh made the announcement during a briefing at Brampton City Hall on Wednesday morning.

He said that starting this week, Peel Public Health will be disclosing the location of any events attended by more than 100 people where two or more cases of COVID-19 could have reasonably been contracted.

He said that venues will also now be required to provide a full list of event attendees to Peel Public Health within 24 hours of an outbreak being declared to assist with contract tracing efforts.

Loh said that the new policies are in response to a “significant rise in large COVID exposures at social gatherings like weddings, funerals, sporting events, and other organized events.”

About 16 per cent of COVID-19 cases in Peel over the last week were traced back to social gatherings.

“This is to reduce risk to the public by advising contacts in a rapid manner,” Loh said of the new policies.

POSITIVITY RATE TOPS FOUR PER CENT IN BRAMPTON

COVID-19 case counts have been on the rise across Ontario amid a Delta-driven fourth wave of the pandemic but the increase in transmission has been particularly pronounced in Brampton, where Loh said that the test positivity rate over the last week stood at 4.1 per cent.

That is compared to a seven-day average of 2.7 per cent test positivity across Ontario.

Loh said that while Brampton’s high vaccination rates have so far limited hospitalizations “admissions are once again rising.”

For that reason he said that he is once again advising residents to take precautions when out in public, even if they have been vaccinated.

“We do know that in certain instances vaccinated individuals can pass on the infection, which means that vaccines alone are not enough and as transmission starts to increase again we must reduce risk by again limiting contacts where possible and following precautions like masking and distancing, getting tested and staying home if sick, and where possible connecting again virtually for work and play,” he said. “I know that many people have gotten weary of all these precautions, especially if we've done the right thing and gotten two doses of vaccine but the reality is that 250,000 residents have not yet received their first dose.”