COVID-19: 6 new cases over weekend in Peterborough area; outbreaks lifted at 2 schools

Peterborough Public Health reported six new cases of COVID-19 over the weekend, but the number of active cases dropped, according to data released Monday morning.

From its COVID tracker update issued around 11 a.m., the regional health unit reported 18 active cases, down from 23 reported on Friday.

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

• Cumulative confirmed cases: 1,881 since the pandemic was declared in March 2020.
• Variant of concern cases: 1,099 — unchanged since Friday’s update. The first confirmed Delta variant case was reported on June 19 and the first variant case was reported on Feb. 23.
• Resolved cases: 1,840 — an additional 10 cases since Friday (1,830). Resolved cases make up approximately 97.4 per cent of all cases.
• Close contacts: 138 — up from 74 reported on Friday. 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 Friday afternoon (latest data). Since the pandemic’s beginning, 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 cases.
• Outbreaks: One active — St. Paul Catholic Elementary School in Lakefield. On Monday the health unit declared outbreaks over at St. Paul Catholic Elementary in Norwood (declared Oct. 8), and at Havelock-Belmont Public School in Havelock (declared Oct. 3, school was closed until Oct. 14). See “School Cases” below for more details. The health unit has dealt with 333 cases associated with 56 outbreaks since the pandemic’s beginnings.
• Deaths: 23 — the latest death was reported on Sept. 10.
• COVID-19 exposure: 75.7 per cent of all cases (1,424) in the health unit’s jurisdiction are from contact with another existing case, 19.9 per cent (374 cases) are connected with community spread, 3.9 per cent (74 cases) are related to travel and 0.5 per cent (nine cases) have yet to be determined.
• Testing: More than 62,150 people have been tested for COVID-19 — an additional 250 since Friday’s update.
• Enforcement: Since Oct. 1, three charges have been laid against one business under the Reopening Ontario Act.

The Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board, as of 11:28 a.m. Monday, reported no active cases among its schools within the health unit’s jurisdiction (the school board does not state if cases involve students or staff).

Since Friday, individual cases were reported resolved at Norwood District Public School and a case at the school board’s office.

The Peterborough Victoria Northumberland Clarington Catholic District School Board reported five active cases at its schools within the health unit’s jurisdiction on Monday morning (the school board does not state if cases involve students or staff).

• St. Paul Catholic Elementary School in Lakefield: Two cases — unchanged since Friday. Four cases resolved. Outbreak, declared Oct. 6, remains in effect. The kindergarten to Grade 8 school remains open.
• Immaculate Conception Catholic Elementary School in Peterborough: One case, unchanged since Thursday. The school remains open.
• St. Paul Catholic Elementary School in Norwood: Two cases. Outbreak, declared Oct. 8, lifted on Monday by the health unit. School remained open during the outbreak.

Trent University reported one active case at its Peterborough campus on Monday morning. 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.

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The health unit released its weekly vaccination rate data on Wednesday. The most recent data is available in this Global News Peterborough story.

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:

Clinics this week at the Healthy Planet Arena (911) Monaghan Road in Peterborough:

• Monday, Oct. 18: Noon to 6 p.m.
• Wednesday, Oct. 20, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Friday, Oct. 22, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Other clinics:

Tuesday, Oct. 19:

• Silver Bean Café at Millennium Park (130 King St.) in Peterborough: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
• Bridgenorth Hall (836 Charles St.) in Bridgenorth: 2 p.m. – 6 p.m.

Thursday, Oct. 21:

• Ennismore Arena (553 Ennis Rd.) in Ennismore: 2 p.m. – 6 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 Dr. 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.