York Region defends top doctor as calls for termination grow louder, COVID cases rise
Posted April 15, 2021 3:35 pm.
Last Updated April 15, 2021 4:49 pm.
York Region council is defending its top doctor and asserting belief in its public health unit as COVID-19 cases increase province-wide.
York Region Chairman and CEO Wayne Emmerson issued a lengthy statement on Thursday, saying officials “reaffirm our strong confidence in York Region Medical Officer of Health Dr. Karim Kurji and continued support of his leadership in our collective fight against COVID-19.”
“Throughout this global pandemic York Region and York Region Public Health’s top priority is protecting the health and safety of our residents while also balancing the needs of our communities on various levels,” said Emmerson.
“COVID-19 is unlike anything we have experienced before. The situation continues to change rapidly and the decisions of Dr. Kurji and Regional Council are made in the best interest of our community as a whole – not based on the needs and wants of individual groups or interests.”
York Region Public Health reported several outbreaks in recent weeks after it was under the province’s “Red-Control” for a good part of March, which saw restaurants and businesses open at capacity.
RELATED: York Region District School Board calls for move to online learning, vaccination of teachers
On Tuesday, the public health unit sent out a notice after it identified approximately 105 high-risk contacts were exposed to COVID-19 as part of an outbreak at a restaurant in Vaughan.
Patrons that attended Avenue Cibi e Vini at 10519 Islington from March 30th to April 1st were being asked to isolate for 14 days and get tested.
One week prior, YRPH issued a notice after 84 patrons were deemed high-risk with seven staff testing positive following a COVID-19 outbreak at a nail salon in Vaughan.
Emmerson praised Dr. Kurji’s philosophy throughout the pandemic.
“This approach has allowed York Region to take targeted action to reduce harms without inflicting new ones and better balance health and safety with economic vitality,” he said.
“The COVID-19 situation continues to change rapidly, and decisions often need to be made quickly. Unfortunately, not everyone is going to be pleased with or agree with every decision made in our pandemic response. But rest assured these decisions are evidence-based and data-driven.”
Despite a stay-at-home order now in effect across the province, York Region continues to fall behind other GTA hotspots, such as Toronto and Peel, in reporting high daily COVID-19 cases and transmission.
As of data collected Thursday, York’s COVID-19 case incidence per 100,000 people is 40.66; second-highest behind Peel (45.56) with Toronto at 38.68.
York Region’s effective reproduction rate (Rt) – which corresponds to the average number of additional infections caused by one infection – is now at 1.23; higher than Peel (1.19) and Toronto (1.13).
An Rt greater than 1 indicates exponential growth.
“Data is only part of a larger picture that drives York Region’s response to COVID-19. Dr. Kurji and the York Region Public Health team also look closely at case and contact operations, advanced planning, enforcement capacity, vaccine operations, and communications before making decisions or recommendations that impact our residents and businesses,” Emmerson said.
“The best actions to address the spread of COVID-19 in our communities include targeted interventions and an aggressive vaccination strategy. We will never truly bring an end to this pandemic without everyone’s earnest participation.”
“This means more than just following public health measures. It means cooperating with public health and being forthcoming with information related to COVID-19 symptoms and close contacts. If residents are not providing public health with accurate information this virus will continue to spread in our communities,” he adds.
Ontario is reporting 4,736 new COVID-19 cases and 29 additional deaths on Thursday.
Locally, there are 1,188 new cases in Toronto, 983 in Peel, 526 in York Region, 342 in Ottawa, 216 in Durham, and 215 in Niagara.
“…We are in this together and we each have a role to play,” said Emmerson.
“On behalf of York Regional Council, I extend our appreciation to Dr. Kurji for his steadfast leadership throughout this pandemic and thank him for his continued efforts to balance the health and well-being of residents with the economic vitality of our communities.”
