COVID-19: Peterborough health unit reports 25th death, 16 new cases; closes Peterburgers

Peterborough Public Health reported a COVID-19 death and 16 new cases over the weekend. It also closed a restaurant for repeated violations of provincial COVID-19 safety measures.

The health unit’s COVID tracker update, issued at 11:07 a.m. Monday, shows 45 active cases of COVID-19, up from 41 reported on Friday (updates aren’t provided on weekends.) The health unit’s jurisdiction includes Peterborough, Peterborough County, Hiawatha First Nation and Curve Lake First Nation.

On Friday evening, the health unit also reported its 25th COVID-19 death since the pandemic was declared. The case was a woman in her 90s, according to Ontario’s data catalogue. The case had no known epidemiological link. Prior to her death, the 24th death in the health unit’s jurisdiction was a man in his 70s reported on Oct. 30.

Other data from the regional health unit on Monday:

• Outbreaks: Three active — An outbreak was declared Thursday, Dec. 2, on Student Transportation of Canada bus route 627 in Peterborough. An outbreak was declared Wednesday, Dec. 3, at Holy Cross Catholic Secondary School in Peterborough with two cases. An outbreak declared Nov. 25 at Rhema Christian School (a private school) in Peterborough also remains active. The health unit has had 357 cases associated with 62 outbreaks since the pandemic was declared — one more case since Friday’s update.
• Cumulative confirmed cases: 2,055 since the pandemic was declared in March 2020.
• Variant of concern cases: 1,188 — 11 more since Friday’s update. The first variant case was reported on Feb. 23 and the first confirmed Delta variant case was reported on June 19.
• Resolved cases: 1,985 — 11 more cases since Friday. Resolved cases make up approximately 96.5 per cent of all cases.
• Close contacts: 392 — up from 322 reported on Friday. 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.

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• Hospitalizations: 97 cases have required hospitalization since the pandemic began — unchanged. Peterborough Regional Health Centre on Thursday reported four active COVID-19 admissions (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: 74.5 per cent of all cases (1,530) in the health unit’s jurisdiction are from contact with another existing case, 20.6 per cent (424 cases) are connected with community spread, 3.8 per cent (78 cases) are related to travel and 1.1 per cent (23 cases) have their source yet to be determined.
• Testing: More than 65,900 people have been tested for COVID-19 — approximately one in three residents. It’s an additional 300 since Friday’s update.
• Enforcement: Since Oct. 1, these charges have been laid against a total of four businesses under the Reopening Ontario Act. Late Friday the health unit issued a Section 22 order and an Ontario Superior Court of Justice order to close PB’s Peterburgers restaurant on George Street North and that the premises be off access. Both orders were served to owner Nicole Comber. It came after a Section 22 order was issued on Nov. 25 against the restaurant to either either comply with provincial COVID-19 protocols (such as contact tracing, mask wearing and requiring proof of vaccine and identification) or close the business. In October the business received three fines of $880 each for breaches of 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. 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.

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The Peterborough Victoria Northumberland Clarington Catholic District School Board as of 8:40 a.m. Monday reported 10 active cases at schools within the health unit’s jurisdiction — one more since Friday. In Peterborough, there are two cases (unchanged) at Holy Cross Catholic Secondary School (outbreak declared) and four at St. Catherine Catholic Elementary School (an additional case since Friday) along with single cases at St. Peter Catholic Secondary School in Peterborough and St. Paul Catholic Elementary Schools found 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 as of 2:35 p.m. Monday reported 10 active cases among its schools within the health unit’s jurisdiction: Three cases each at R.F. Downey Public School and Westmount Public School and single cases at
Queen Elizabeth Public School, Adam Scott Intermediate, Thomas A. Stewart Secondary School all in Peterborough and Millbrook/South Cavan Public School. The school board does not indicate if cases involve students or staff.

Trent University reported one active case at its Peterborough campus as of 1 p.m. Monday and none at its Durham campus. The case was first reported on Friday. 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.