COVID-19: No new cases for HKPR health unit; all cases resolved at Central East Correctional Centre

The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit reported no new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday afternoon.

The active cases for the health unit dropped to 18 per its 1:15 p.m. update, from 21 reported about 24 hours earlier.

Tuesday marks the first time since March 23, 2021 that the health unit reporting zero new cases of COVID-19. Prior to March, the last time zero cases were reported was Nov. 29, 2020.

“Although we recognize this does not mean the pandemic is over, it is certainly milestone worth celebrating,” stated Dr. Natalie Bocking, medical officer of health. “Like other areas of the province, we saw a spike in local cases as part of the third wave, so this decrease is a welcome sight.”

The active cases include eight in the City of Kawartha Lakes (two less), nine in Northumberland County (one less) and one in Haliburton County (unchanged).

There were three more resolved cases reported since Monday. The 2,067 cumulative resolved cases make up 96.2 per cent of the health unit’s 2,147 total cases since the pandemic was declared in March 2020.

The health unit for a second day in a row reported 779 variant cases. Total variant cases include 402 in the Kawarthas, 341 in Northumberland County and 36 in Haliburton County.

There remains one active outbreak for the health unit on Tuesday:

• Central East Correctional Centre: Initially declared May 17 with six inmate cases. There were up to 146 cases as of May 27. However, according to the province, as of Sunday, June 20  — the most recent available data — there were no active cases among inmates. At least 10 staff members have also tested positive during the outbreak.

Since the pandemic was first declared, the health unit has dealt with 69 outbreaks — 29 of them at long-term care facilities and 11 at workplace settings.

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• Deaths: 75 since the pandemic was declared. The latest death was reported June 5 in the City of Kawartha Lakes. There have been 57 virus-related deaths in the Kawarthas, 17 in Northumberland County and one in Haliburton County.
• Hospitalized cases to date: 81 — unchanged since Monday. Five people are currently in an area hospital (unchanged) with three in an intensive care unit (unchanged since June 17). Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay reported two admitted COVID-19 patients as of noon Tuesday (one less case since Monday).
• Vaccinations: As of June 21, 73 per cent of HKPR residents 12 years of age and older have had at least one dose of vaccine.