The Eastern Ontario Health Unit (EOHU) is notifying the public that a case of COVID-19 has been confirmed in an employee at the Canadian Tire store on Ninth Street East in Cornwall. The EOHU is actively working in cooperation with the store to assess the risk to store employees and to trace contacts of the individual. The risk to the public is considered to be low.

The employee worked on April 1^st from 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M., April 3^rd from 9:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. and April 5^th from noon to 2:00 P.M., and since that time is in isolation. All recommended public health measures were in place at the store throughout the days that the employee worked. In response to the positive case, the store has isolated other staff members who worked in contact with the positive employee.

“Although we feel that the risk to the public is low, we’re releasing this information so that shoppers who were at the Canadian Tire store during the time periods mentioned above are aware,” states Dr. Paul Roumeliotis, Medical Officer of Health. “As a precaution, shoppers who were at the store on these dates should self-monitor for symptoms. If they start to feel symptoms, they should seek testing.” Common symptoms of COVID-19 can include fever, a new or worsening cough, sore throat, muscle aches and more. A full list of symptoms is available at www.EOHU.ca/coronavirus.

Testing is offered at a number of COVID-19 assessment centres in the region. Locations and hours of the assessment centres are available on the EOHU’s website. Anyone presenting with symptoms, who was at the store on the dates above, should indicate to the assessment centre that they were potentially exposed.

Precautionary Measures Are Essential

The EOHU is reminding everyone across the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry, Prescott and Russell, and the City of Cornwall that precautionary measures are essential to protect themselves and their loved ones.

To reduce the risk of getting or spreading COVID-19, the EOHU recommends that you:

• Practice physical distancing with those outside your household
• Wear a mask when physical distancing is a challenge (and where mandatory)
• Wash your hands often with soap and water or alcohol-based hand sanitizer
• Download the COVID Alert app on your phone from the Apple and Google Play app stores

For more information about COVID-19, please consult EOHU.ca/coronavirus and Ontario’s website at Ontario.ca/coronavirus.