23 | durahregion.com This Week Thursday, April 21, 2022 MRS SMITH'S QUOTE FROM A COMPETITOR $1990 OUR PRICE FOR THE SAME HEARING AIDS $1000 Quality hearing Care for less 1 Warren Ave, U#C7 OSHAWA • 905-721-2494 701 Rossland Rd, U#15C WHITBY • 905-493-3133 hearrightcanada.ca ARE YOU OR A LOVED ONE STRUGGLING TO HEAR CONVERSATIONS? HER SAVINGS $990* TRY OUR FREE ONLINE HEARING TEST AT: hearrightcanada.ca *After OHIP fundIng MEET KATARINA GEORGE, SENIOR LIVING EXPERT For over twenty years, Katarina has faithfully worked with seniors and their families in the Durham Region, helping them navigate the many senior living options and supportive services available to them. Katarina respects the difficulty of deciding whether to stay at home or make the move to a senior living residence, and the challenges associated with having this conversation with a loved one. Consider her your senior living expert. She can be relied upon to share her empathy and extensive knowledge of Durham Region's many senior living options and supportive services and help you and your loved one find the solution that's right for you. JOIN US AT OUR LUNCH & LEARN Join us for a chef-prepared lunch and learn from Katarina about our upcoming SENIOR SERVICES & LIFESTYLE OPTIONS IN DURHAM REGION 8 5 TAUNTON ROAD EAST n AM ICA .CA - Lunch & Learn - Wednesday, May 4 | 11:00am Bella Notte Ristorante 3570 Brock St N, Whitby RSVP to Alison Keller at 1-888-264-2299. Seating is limited. residence in North Whitby, and all the senior services and lifestyle options available in Durham Region. ADVERTORIAL When it comes to senior living, how do you know which option is right for you or your loved one, or when is the right time to make the move? Amica Senior Lifestyles is pleased to invite you to a Lunch & Learn featuring Amica keynote speaker, Katarina George, Community Relations Director. Daily updates of new confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been discontinued by the Durham Region Health department, a move designed to "streamline" provision of public data as the approach to the pandemic evolves. The health department will continue to provide statistics about local data and trends via its online Data Tracker, but the information provided is shifting to focus on indicators such as hospitalizations and deaths, vaccination rates and wastewater surveillance, according to information provided this week. The new format sees the tracker updated three times weekly, with a focus on factors including weekly trends. Launched in April 2020 at the onset of the pandemic, the Data Tracker has been a daily source of information, reporting on statistics including new confirmed infections, deaths, hospitalizations, and outbreaks in institutions such as nursing and retirement homes. While much of that data will continue to be reported, the focus on new daily infections has shifted, according to the health department. That data has been affected by a scaling back of testing provincewide over the past few months. "While the number of confirmed cases continues to be provided, information on the Data Tracker is now focused on serious complications (hospitalizations and deaths), vaccination and wastewater surveillance. With laboratory testing restricted to high risk individuals, the number of confirmed cases is not an accurate representation of the number of COVID-19 infections," the department said in a statement. While reporting of data has shifted, the pandemic is ongoing and requires vigilance, the department said: "COVID-19 is still circulating throughout the community. The Health Department continues to strongly recommend that everyone wear a mask in indoor public spaces, get your third vaccine dose to protect against serious disease (or fourth dose if eligible), and maintain physical distancing when in public spaces." DURHAM HEALTH SHIFTS FOCUS IN REPORTING ON COVID-19 DATA JEFF MITCHELL jmitchell@durhamregion.com NEWS