Thunder Bay

Northwestern Health Unit confirms 2nd case of COVID-19 in Kenora, Ont.

The Northwestern Health Unit (NWHU) announced Wednesday a second case of COVID-19 has been confirmed in the Kenora, Ont., area.

Health unit covers areas west of Thunder Bay to Manitoba; now has 16 total cases

The Northwestern Health Unit has confirmed the second case of COVID-19 in the Kenora, Ont., area. (Patti Fairfield)

The Northwestern Health Unit (NWHU) announced Wednesday a second case of COVID-19 has been confirmed in the Kenora, Ont., area.

Officials with the NWHU, which covers the region west of Thunder Bay to the Manitoba border, said the individual is a close contact of a known case and was already self-isolating.

"Although daily connection was already being made with this individual as a contact, further in-depth investigation is underway to verify that all contacts are identified and are self-isolating as well, " NWHU officials stated in a Facebook post.

The NWHU is encouraging people to assume COVID-19 is circulating in the community and to practise physical distancing, frequent hand washing, and regular disinfection of surfaces.

As of April 22, there are 16 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the NWHU region, including an individual who has a primary residence in southern Ontario and has not returned to northwestern Ontario since contracting the virus while travelling internationally.​​​​