COVID-19: 4 new cases for Peterborough area; outbreak declared on school bus route

Peterborough Public Health reported four new cases of COVID-19 and a new outbreak on a bus route in the city, according to data released early Thursday evening.

The health unit’s COVID tracker update, issued around 5 p.m., shows 42 active cases of COVID-19, down from 45 cases reported over the previous two days in the health unit’s jurisdiction of Peterborough, Peterborough County, Hiawatha First Nation and Curve Lake First Nation.

Other data from the regional health unit on Thursday:

• Outbreaks: Three active — An outbreak was declared Thursday on Student Transportation of Canada bus route 627 in Peterborough (details not immediately available). An outbreak was declared Wednesday at Holy Cross Catholic Secondary School in Peterborough with two cases (an initial case was reported on Monday). An outbreak declared last Thursday at Rhema Christian School (a private school) in Peterborough remains active. The health unit has had 357 cases associated with 62 outbreaks since the pandemic was declared – an additional four cases since Wednesday’s update.
• Cumulative confirmed cases: 2,036 since the pandemic was declared in March 2020.
• Deaths: 24 — the latest death was reported on Oct. 30.
• Variant of concern cases: 1,175 — two more since Wednesday. The first variant case was reported on Feb. 23 and the first confirmed Delta variant case was reported on June 19.
• Resolved cases: 1,970 — 13 more cases since Wednesday. Resolved cases make up approximately 96.5 per cent of all cases.
• Close contacts: 334 — up from 304 on Wednesday and 237 on Tuesday and 179 on Monday. 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.
• Hospitalizations: 97 cases have required hospitalization since the pandemic began — one more since Monday. Peterborough Regional Health Centre Tuesday reported four active COVID-19 admissions — down one case from Monday (most recent data). The hospitalized cases make up approximately 4.8 per cent of all cases; 21 of the cases required the intensive care unit — unchanged since Nov. 23. ICU admissions make up 1.1 per cent of all the health unit’s cases since the pandemic’s beginning.
• COVID-19 exposure: 74.9 per cent of all cases (1,525) in the health unit’s jurisdiction are from contact with another existing case, 20.5 per cent (417 cases) are connected with community spread, 3.8 per cent (78 cases) are related to travel and 0.8 per cent (16 cases) have their source yet to be determined.
• Testing: More than 65,500 people have been tested for COVID-19 — approximately one in three residents. It’s an additional 100 since Wednesday’s update.
• Enforcement: Since Oct. 1, eight charges have been laid against a total of four businesses under the Reopening Ontario Act. Late Friday evening, The White House nightclub/restaurant at 175 Charlotte St. was issued a Closure/Section 22 order requiring “immediate closure” of the establishment. On Nov. 21, the business was issued an $880 fine for exceeding the 25 per cent capacity limit.  On Thursday, the health unit issued a Section 22 order against PB’s Peterburgers restaurant on George Street North to either comply with regulations or close the business for failing to follow Ontario’s COVID-19 protocols.

The health unit releases its weekly vaccination rate data on Wednesdays. The most recent data can be found in this Global News Peterborough article.

Bookings for children ages five to 11 to receive a COVID-19 vaccine are available as well as third booster vaccinations. All appointments have to be booked on Ontario’s online portal or by calling the provincial vaccine booking call centre at 1-833-943-3900.

The health unit will host a number of vaccination clinics for children at several Peterborough County schools. All clinics will be held outside of school hours. Clinics include:

• Friday, Dec. 3: Norwood District High School from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
• Friday, Dec. 10: Apsley Public School from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
• Friday, Dec. 17: St. Martin Catholic Elementary School in Ennismore from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
• Monday, Dec. 20: Millbrook/South Cavan Public School from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Wednesday, Dec. 29: Lakefield District Public School from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The Peterborough Victoria Northumberland Clarington Catholic District School Board as of 4:30 p.m. Thursday reported eight active cases at schools within the health unit’s jurisdiction: In Peterborough, there are two cases each at Holy Cross Catholic Secondary School (outbreak) and St. Catherine Catholic Elementary School and single cases at St. Peter Catholic Secondary School and St. Paul Catholic Elementary Schools in Peterborough, Norwood and Lakefield. The school board does not indicate if cases involve students or staff. All schools remain open.

The Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board at 11:25 a.m. Thursday reported five active cases among its schools within the health unit’s jurisdiction — a new case at Queen Elizabeth Public School along with a single case at Adam Scott Intermediate (unchanged) and three cases at R.F. Downey Public School (one more case since Wednesday) — all Peterborough schools remain open. The school board is dealing with 23 other cases at 11 other schools outside the health unit’s jurisdiction. The school board does not indicate if cases involve students or staff.

Trent University reported no active cases at its Peterborough and Durham campuses as of Thursday afternoon. The university reports that 96 per cent of students and 97 per cent of employees are fully vaccinated and zero per cent of students and zero per cent of staff are partially vaccinated.

Fleming College has not reported any cases at its Peterborough campus. The college will resume in-person classes and services in January 2022.

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.

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.