SUDBURY -- Northern Ontario health officials are advising the public about the risk of possible COVID-19 exposure on a recent train route.
Porcupine Health Unit said passengers on the Ontario Northland train travelling from Moosonee to Cochrane on April 26, departing at 5 p.m., may have been exposed to COVID-19, especially passengers in Coach 2.
Those who were seated in Coach 2 are required to self-isolate immediately and contact their local public health unit.
Other travellers on the train are asked to monitor themselves for symptoms and contact public health if any develop.
A person infected with COVID-19 is able to spread the disease to other people two days before having any symptoms.
Typical symptoms
- Fever
- New or worsening cough
- Shortness of breath
- Loss of sense of smell or taste
- Sore throat/hoarse voice
- Difficulty swallowing
- Runny nose or nasal congestion
- Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain
Atypical symptoms
- Unexplained fatigue or malaise
- Muscle aches
- Delirium
- Unexplained or increased number of falls
- Acute functional decline
- Exacerbation of current chronic conditions
- Chills
- Headaches
- Croup
- Conjunctivitis
As of May 3 at 8 p.m., the Porcupine Health Unit was reporting 118 active cases of COVID-19 in the Cochrane District, including one in the James and Hudson Bay region.
Since the pandemic began, there have been 646 positive cases confirmed among residents in the Cochrane District, 528 cases have been resolved, including 26 COVID-related deaths.
Porcupine Health Unit has administered 31,064 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine and 29,766 people have received at least one dose.
Ontario is currently under stay-at-home orders until at least May 20 to curb the surge in new COVID-19 cases and relieve pressure on the overwhelmed health care system do to the disease. Residents are ordered only travel outside the home for essential reasons, such as getting groceries, health services, outdoor exercise or going to work that cannot be done at home.
"You are not allowed to gather indoors or outdoors with anyone you do not live with, except one other person from outside of the household that lives alone," the provincial government said as of April 8.
