Peterborough Public Health wrapped up the work week reporting four new cases of the novel coronavirus on Friday.
There are now 15 active cases out of the 170 which have been reported by the health unit since the pandemic was declared in March. The health unit serves Peterborough, Peterborough County, Hiawatha First Nation and Curve Lake First Nation.
One new resolved case was also reported on Friday, increasing the total to 151. There are currently eight close contacts.
This week the health unit also reported two deaths of residents at Fairhaven long-term care in Peterborough as an outbreak declared on Oct. 31 remains in effect. Five other residents have tested positive, the health unit reported on Thursday.
The deaths were the first since April when two Peterborough residents died.
Since the pandemic was declared, there have been 10 hospitalized cases, the health unit reports, which is approximately six per cent of cases locally. The latest case was released earlier this week.
Of the 10 cases, three required the intensive care unit at Peterborough Regional Health Centre.
As of Friday, more than 35,400 people have been tested for the virus — approximately one in five residents in the health unit’s jurisdiction. An average of 600-700 people are being tested for COVID-19 each week, the health unit states.
The health unit reports over the past four weeks, 12 of the last 33 cases were the result of community transmission. The case incidence rate for last week stands at 8.8 cases per 100,000. The week before it was 2.7 per 100,000, the health unit reports.
Dr. Rosana Salvaterra, medical officer of health, says if the health unit’s case incidence rate reaches 10 per 100,000, it is an indicator that’s considered to move the region into the “yellow”, or “protect” level of Ontario’s new COVID-19 response framework.