In the wake of the province’s end to PCR testing for the general public, Hastings Prince Edward Public Health is changing how they are reporting its numbers.
Effective immediately, the number system will only show high-risk cases and outbreaks. These are cases in settings like hospitals, congregate care living centres and long-term care homes. The only outbreaks that will be tracked are those that occur in these settings. Hospitalizations and ICU patients for the general population will still be tracked.
In addition, cases will no longer be tracked by geography, vaccine status or source of infection. This is because the new reporting will only occur in high-risk areas.
Public Health says the changes come as limited PCR testing no longer gives an accurate picture of COVID-19’s spread in their region. The province has ended the practice of offering lab-confirmed PCR testing to the general population. Numbers will be updated on Monday, Wednesday and Friday instead of on a daily basis.