COVID-19: Haliburton Kawartha Pine Ridge health unit reports 6 new cases including ICU admission

The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit reported six new cases of COVID-19 over the past 48 hours, including one person requiring intensive care, according to data released Wednesday afternoon.

Three of the new cases were reported in Haliburton County, two in the City of Kawartha Lakes and one in Northumberland County.

The number of active cases increased to 16, up from 14 reported on Monday – the health unit does not issue updates on Tuesdays. There are nine active cases in Northumberland County (unchanged), three in the City of Kawartha Lakes (unchanged) and four in Haliburton County (two more).

Other COVID-19 data reported by the health unit on Wednesday:

• Resolved cases: 2,458 — four more since Monday’s update. The resolved cases make up approximately 96.8 per cent of the 2,537 cumulative cases since the pandemic’s beginning.
• Variant cases: 966 — four more since Monday’s update. Overall, there have been 533 variant cases in the Kawarthas (one more), 378 in Northumberland County (three more) and 55 in Haliburton County (unchanged).
• High-risk contacts: 60 — down from 67 reported on Monday. The health unit notes five of the high-risk contacts are missing residence identification, but are included in the overall data.
• Outbreaks: None active. Since the pandemic was declared, the health unit has dealt with 74 outbreaks: 30 at long-term care and/or retirement homes, 12 at workplaces, 11 at congregate settings, 11 at community settings, nine at schools and one at a hospital.
• Hospitalized cases to date: 95 — one more since Monday’s update. There are currently three hospitalized cases, with one in an intensive care unit (one more since Monday). Since the pandemic began, there have been 53 hospitalized cases in the City of Kawartha Lakes (unchanged), 38 in Northumberland County (one more) and four in Haliburton County (unchanged).
• Deaths: 76 since the pandemic was declared. The latest virus-related death was reported on June 29 in the City of Kawartha Lakes. There have been 58 deaths among people who tested positive for COVID-19 in the Kawarthas, 17 in Northumberland County and one in Haliburton County.
• COVID-19 tests: 242,072 tests have been completed in the health unit’s jurisdiction since the pandemic began — an additional 735 since Monday’s update.

School boards as of 1:35 p.m. Wednesday reported the following cases at schools within the health unit’s jurisdiction:

The health unit releases its weekly vaccination rate data on Mondays. The latest data can be found in this story.

HKPR’s vaccination clinics will also include appointments for children ages five to 11. Appointments can be made via the provincial booking system.

Ontario’s Go-Vaxx mobile vaccine bus will be at the Haliburton County Visitor’s Centre in Haliburton (7 York St.) on Dec. 4 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. First, second and third doses (if eligible) are available. No appointments are needed, but bring your health card.

Virtual panel

To help answer questions parents may still have about vaccinating their child, the health unit is teaming up with local primary care providers to offer a virtual panel discussion entitled “Fast Facts on COVID-19 Vacs for Kids.”

The virtual event will be held on Thursday, Dec. 2 from 6-7 p.m. streamlined live on the health unit’s YouTube channel and will be available after the meeting too.

Panel participants will include the health unit’s medical officer of health Dr. Natalie Bocking, along with Dr. Sheila Mae Young, family physician in the City of Kawartha Lakes (moderator), Dr. Emma Smith, family physician with Northumberland Family Health Team and Brooke Mountney, HKPR public health nurse.

Visit the health unit’s website for information on how to view the session and pre-submit questions.