Peterborough Public Health reported no new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday. However, for the first time since the pandemic was declared, the region has a weekly incidence rate higher than the provincial average.
In its update issued at 4:35 p.m., the health unit for the second straight day reported 29 active COVID-19 cases in its jurisdiction. There were 23 active cases on Tuesday.
However, cases have slowly climbed in the region over the past month, now placing the health unit with the fourth-highest weekly incident rate in Ontario ending June 28 — 19 per 100,000 residents versus 9 per 100,000 for Ontario. Previously the health unit had reported 2.7 cases per 100,000.
“This is certainly not going in the right direction — it is a concerning trend,” said Dr. Rosana Salvaterra, medical officer of health said during a noontime video conference with media (prior to the day’s case update).
“For the first time in this pandemic, our weekly case incidence rate is worse than the provincial rate.”
The spike in cases stems from a workplace outbreak at a construction site in the city along with a Father’s Day indoor social gathering in North Kawartha Township, she noted.
“There was not the adherence to the PPE that is expected in a workplace and with transmissibility of the variants — despite these workers working outdoors — there was lots of transmission that occurred,” said Salvaterra of the construction site outbreak.
Case specifics were not provided.
The Father’s Day gathering is affecting clusters of residents in North Kawartha and has seen cases appear at the Compass Early Learning & Care in Apsley (one case according to the province) and at a business in the region.
“They began with a social gathering that took place on Father’s Day — before indoor social gatherings were allowed — and at that gathering there were people who were infectious and who spread it to others and it has just taken off from there,” she said.
She said most of the people who contracted the virus were not vaccinated.
Salvaterra says if the cases keep increasing, it could delay the region entering Stage 3 of Ontario’s reopening plans.
“We can’t be complacent — we have to follow the rules and the rules are there for a reason,” she said. “There’s good reason. There’s evidence behind them.”
Other data
Of the health unit’s 1,614 cumulative cases since the pandemic began, 1,563 are resolved. The resolved cases make up approximately 96.8 per cent of all cases in the health unit’s jurisdiction of Peterborough, all municipalities within Peterborough County, Curve Lake First Nation and Hiawatha First Nation.
There are still 812 reported variant cases, up from 806 on Tuesday. The health unit confirmed its first Delta variant case on June 19 and its first confirmed variant case on Feb. 23.
Other COVID-19 data
- Outbreaks: The health unit has dealt with 306 COVID-19 cases associated with 51 outbreaks since the pandemic was declared.
- Close contacts: 48, up from 45 reported on Wednesday.
- Hospitalizations: at least 81 cases have required hospitalized care since the pandemic was declared; 16 cases required the intensive care unit (unchanged). The ICU admissions make up one per cent of all the health unit’s cases.
- Peterborough Regional Health Centre: reports as of noon Thursday there were four COVID-19 inpatients, up from three reported Wednesday. There have been at least 76 patient transfers from other areas.
- Deaths: 22 — the latest on June 29, a woman in her 70s. Since the pandemic was declared, two deaths have been linked to the Empress Gardens Retirement Residence in Peterborough. Another death was linked to the Severn Court Student Residence February outbreak in Peterborough, while three were tied to a November 2020 outbreak at Fairhaven long-term care.
- Trent University: reports no cases.
- Fleming College: reports no cases related to its Sutherland campus.
- More than 54,400 people have been tested for COVID-19, an additional 100 since Wednesday’s report.
Vaccination
All vaccination appointments must be made via the provincial call centre at 1-833-943-3900, available daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., or any time online. Clinics are being run at the Evinrude Centre/Healthy Planet Arena and at the Peterborough Regional Health Centre.
The following Peterborough and area pharmacies offer vaccinations to eligible recipients:
- Aylmer Street Pharmacy, 296 Aylmer St. N. (in Above and Beyond)
- Costco Pharmacy, 485 The Parkway
- Charlotte Care Pharmacy, 270 Charlotte St. Unit 100
- Keene Drug Mart, 1105 Heritage Line in Keene
- Havelock Pharmacy, 44 Ottawa St. W. in Havelock
- High St. Guardian, 815 High St.
- Loblaw Pharmacy, 400 Lansdowne St. E.
- Loblaw Pharmacy, 230 George St. N. (inside No Frills Grocery)
- Medical Centre Pharmacy, 707 Charlotte St.
- Pharmasave The Clinic Pharmacy at 26 Hospital Dr.
- Rexall Pharmacy, 85 George St. N.
- Rexall Pharmacy, 1154 Chemong Rd.
- Rx Drug Mart, 16 Grand Road in Campbellford
- Sherbrooke Heights Pharmacy, 1625 Sherbrooke St. W.
- Shoppers Drug Mart, 971 Chemong Rd.
- Shoppers Drug Mart, 250 Charlotte St.
- Shoppers Drug Mart, 741 Lansdowne St. W.
- Shoppers Simply Pharmacy, 361 George St. N.
- Sobeys Pharmacy, 1200 Lansdowne St. W.
- The Medical Shoppe, 860 Chemong Road
- Walmart, 1002 Chemong Rd.
- Walmart Pharmacy, 950 Lansdowne St. W.
- Westmount Pharmacy, 1293 Clonsilla Ave.
Appointments are required and can be made by calling the respective pharmacies or visiting the Ontario government’s website.
— with files from Jessica Nyznik/Global News Peterborough
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