COVID-19: 1 new case in Peterborough area; 81.5% of eligible residents fully vaccinated

Peterborough Public Health reported just one new case of COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, according to data released Wednesday afternoon.

From its COVID tracker update issued around 4:08 p.m., the regional health unit reported 17 active cases, down from 19 reported on Tuesday.

Other data from the health unit — which serves Peterborough, Peterborough County, Hiawatha First Nation and Curve Lake First Nation — on Wednesday:

• Cumulative confirmed cases: 1,864 since the pandemic was declared in March 2020.
• Variant of concern cases: 1,091 — unchanged since Wednesday. The first confirmed Delta variant case was reported on June 19 and the first variant case was reported on Feb. 23.
• Resolved cases: 1,824 — an additional three cases since Tuesday (1,821). Resolved cases make up approximately 97.7 per cent of all cases.
• Close contacts: 135 — down from 136 reported on Tuesday. A close contact is a person who is known to have had close contact with someone who was infected with COVID-19. People who are close contacts have to self-isolate for 14 days from the last time they had contact with a person infected with COVID-19.
• Peterborough Regional Health Centre: Reported no COVID-19 inpatients as of Tuesday afternoon. Since the pandemic’s beginnings there have been at least 76 patient transfers from other areas.
• Hospitalizations: 88 cases have required hospitalized care since the pandemic began, making up approximately five per cent of all cases — 18 of the cases required the intensive care unit. ICU admissions make up one per cent of the cases.
• Outbreaks: Three active: St. Paul Catholic Elementary in Norwood, St. Paul Catholic Elementary School in Lakefield and Havelock-Belmont Public School in Havelock  — see “School Cases” below for more details. The health unit has dealt with 332 cases associated with 56 outbreaks since the pandemic’s beginnings.
• Deaths: 23 — the latest death was reported on Sept. 10, the first since June 29.
• COVID-19 exposure: 75.9 per cent of all cases (1,414) in the health unit’s jurisdiction are from contact with another existing case; 20 per cent (372 cases) are connected with community spread; 3.8 per cent (70 cases) are related to travel and 0.4 per cent (eight cases) have yet to be determined.
• Testing: More than 61,700 people have been tested for COVID-19 — an additional 150 since Tuesday’s update.
• Enforcement (Oct. 1 to Oct. 8): Three charges for one business under the Reopening Ontario Act.

The health unit released its weekly vaccination rate data on Wednesday

All eligible residents (ages 12 and up):

• 85.5 per cent had received a first vaccine dose (up from 85.8 per cent on Oct. 6)
• 81.5 per cent had received a first and second dose — fully vaccinated (up from 80.8 per cent on Oct.6)

Adults (ages 18 and up):

• 85.9 per cent had received a first vaccine dose (up from 85.6 per cent on Oct. 6)
• 81.9 per cent had received a first and second dose — fully vaccinated (up from 81.2 per cent on Oct. 6)

Youth (ages 12-17):

• 84.8 per cent had received a first vaccine dose (up from 84 per cent on Oct. 6)
• 75.8 per cent had received a first and second dose — fully vaccinated (up from 74 per cent on Oct. 6).

To date, the health unit reports that 226,8517 doses of vaccine have been administered locally — an additional 1,478 since the Oct. 6 update. Of that total, 112,828 eligible residents have received a first dose (476 more residents); 106,975 have received a first and second dose (an additional 994 since Oct. 6).

This month, the health unit is hosting a number of walk-in vaccination clinics for anyone aged 12 and older, offering first and second doses, including:

• Thursday, Oct. 14: Peterborough Sport and Wellness Centre, 766 Brealey Dr. in Peterborough — 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
• Friday, Oct. 15: Healthy Planet Arena, 911 Monaghan Road in Peterborough — 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Clinics being held at area schools this week:

• Wednesday, Oct. 13: Crestwood Secondary School (1885 Sherbrooke St. W. Peterborough) — 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.
• Thursday, Oct. 14: Lakefield College School (4391 County Rd. 29 in. Lakefield) — 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Friday, Oct. 15: Adam Scott Collegiate Vocational Institute (175 Langton St. in Peterborough) — 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

All testing and medical assessments for COVID-19 in Peterborough are now consolidated at Peterborough Regional Health Centre’s assessment centre at 1 Hospital Drive. Appointments must be booked online.

A number of Peterborough and area pharmacies offer vaccinations to eligible recipients. Appointments are required and can be made by calling the respective pharmacies or visiting the Ontario government’s website.

The Peterborough Victoria Northumberland Clarington Catholic District School Board reported 10 cases within the health unit’s jurisdiction on Wednesdsay afternoon (the school board does not state if cases involve students or staff):

• St. Paul Catholic Elementary School in Norwood: Three cases — unchanged since Friday when an outbreak was declared. The kindergarten to Grade 8 school remains open.
• St. Paul Catholic Elementary School in Lakefield: Six cases — one additional case since Friday. The kindergarten to Grade 8 school remains open, however, as of Friday two classes were dismissed and several students identified as close contacts on a school bus were also dismissed, a board spokesperson said.
• Holy Cross Catholic Secondary School in Peterborough: One case  — unchanged since Sept. 27. The school remains open.

The Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board, as of 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, reported eight active cases among its schools within the health unit’s jurisdiction (the school board does not state if cases involve students or staff) and one case at the school board office. An individual case at Lakefield District Public School is resolved. Active cases:

• Havelock-Belmont Public School in Havelock: Six cases — one less since Tuesday. An outbreak was declared on Oct. 3. On Tuesday, officials ordered the junior kindergarten to Grade 6 school closed until at least Oct. 15.
• Norwood District Public School: One new case reported since Friday. School remains open.
• Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board Education Centre: One case since Friday. Office is open.

Trent University reported one new case since Friday at its Peterborough campus. A case at its Durham campus is now resolved. The university also reported 92 per cent of students and 96 per cent of employees are fully vaccinated. Another four per cent of students and one per cent of staff are partially vaccinated.

Fleming College has not reported any cases at its Peterborough campus.