Peterborough Public Health reports four new cases of COVID-19 on Monday, a new outbreak and additional variant cases
They follow six new cases reported over the weekend (three each on Saturday and Sunday). Late Friday afternoon, the province announced Peterborough Public Health’s jurisdiction would remain in the “red — control” zone under the provincial COVID-19 response framework announced on March 8.
The health unit serves Peterborough, Peterborough County, Hiawatha First Nation and Curve Lake First Nation.
The number of presumed variant of concern cases continues to climb, sitting at 161, up from 144 reported on Friday. The first confirmed variant of concern was reported on Feb. 23.
A presumed variant is defined as having tested positive for a mutation, but it requires further genomic sequencing to determine its specific strain, the health unit notes.
Testing at the Public Health Ontario labs generally takes seven to 14 days. Once a strain is identified, it is then placed on the tracker’s “confirmed” case list.
The health unit also declared an outbreak at Empress Gardens Retirement Residence in downtown Peterborough after a staff member tested positive.
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“The staff member has minor symptoms and is isolating at home,” executive director Renee Dixon stated. “The good news is that all residents received their first vaccinations almost two weeks ago. Studies indicate that that the vaccine offers significant defence against COVID-19 after a single dose and two weeks to allow the immune response to activate. It is just unfortunate that the vaccine was not offered to staff at the same time as residents received it during the onsite clinic.”
There remains four other active outbreaks, all in Peterborough:
- Trent University’s Gzowski College student residence (declared March 19)
- Trent University’s Champlain College student residence (Declared March 4): As of March 18 there was one active case,
- Severn Court Student Residence (declared Feb. 20): Up to 59 cases, all variants. One death reported on March 15. As of March 18 there were four active cases,
- Brock Mission emergency men’s shelter (declared March 16): One case.
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As of Monday there are now 55 active cases of COVID-19, up from 63 reported on Friday. Of the 817 cases, 752 are now declared resolved — approximately 92 per cent.
Other data on Monday:
- Fleming College: Reports no cases related to its Sutherland Campus in the city.
- Trent University: Reports 12 active cases — up from two reported on Friday. All 12 cases are students living on residence. On Friday there was one on-residence case and one off-residence case. The university states “not all active cases may be related to current outbreaks at Champlain College or Gzowski College.”
- Close contacts: 200 (211 were reported on Sunday, 218 on Saturday, 154 on Friday).
- Peterborough Regional Health Centre: “Less than 5” COVID-19 patients — unchanged since March 16. There have been 20 patient transfers from other area, unchanged since March 18.
- Hospitalized cases: 29 since the pandemic was declared — 2 more since Friday (four required the intensive care unit — that’s one more since Friday’s update).
- Death toll: 10 since the pandemic was declared, one with the Severn Court Student Residence outbreak; three associated with a November 2020 outbreak at Fairhaven long-term care in Peterborough.
More than 45,650 people have been tested for the novel coronavirus. To get tested for COVID-19, book an online appointment. Testing for those without symptoms or with mild symptoms is held at the Northcrest Arena in Peterborough.
School cases within the health unit’s jurisdiction:
- North Cavan Public School in Cavan: One case reported on Monday by the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board.
- St. Catherine Catholic Elementary School in Peterborough: four cases, up from two initially reported March 10 by the Peterborough, Victoria, Northumberland Catholic District School Board; school remains open. “Peterborough Public Health has confirmed that the current cases at St. Catherine CES do not meet the definition of a school outbreak.”
- St. John Catholic Elementary School in Peterborough: One case reported on March 10.
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