COVID-19: HKPR reports 9 new cases, 4 active outbreaks and hospitalized cases

The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit reported nine new cases of COVID-19 over the past 48 hours, according to data released Wednesday afternoon.

Six of the new cases were reported in the City of Kawartha Lakes along with three in Northumberland County.

The number of active cases, however, dropped to 40, from 42 reported on Monday (no updates are issued on Tuesdays). There are 27 active cases in the Kawarthas (one more), 11 in Northumberland County (unchanged) and two in Haliburton County (down three).

Over the last 14 days, there have been 75 new cases identified across the health unit’s jurisdiction, the majority (32 per cent) as a result of contact within a household, 20 per cent of cases have no known source of exposure and 16 per cent were related to close contact.

The health unit again reports four active outbreaks within its jurisdiction:

• J. Douglas Hodgson Elementary School in Haliburton: Declared Dec. 4 with two confirmed student cases and one classroom closed as of Wednesday afternoon, according to the Trillium Lakelands District School Board
• My Toy Spot child care/daycare in Lindsay: Declared Dec. 1 with two cases. Facility voluntarily closed.
• School bus No. 32 in Haliburton County: Declared Nov. 26, there are three cases linked to the outbreak.
• Campbellford Memorial Hospital: Declared on Nov. 24 with nine cases as of Wednesday. Seven of the cases are patients and two individuals who visited the hospital, said medical officer of health Dr. Natalie Bocking.

Since the pandemic was declared the health unit has dealt with 79 outbreaks: 30 at long-term care and/or retirement homes, 13 at workplaces, 12 at community settings, 11 at congregate settings, 10 at schools, two at a hospital and one at a child-care facility.

Other data from the health unit on Wednesday

• Resolved cases: 2,509 — 17 more since Monday’s update. The resolved cases make up approximately 96 per cent of the 2,612 cumulative confirmed COVID-19 cases since the pandemic’s beginning.
• High-risk contacts: 335 — up from 285 reported on Monday. “It’s directly related through the number of cases connected to school cases,” said Bocking. The health unit notes 14 of the high-risk contacts are missing residence identification, but are included in the overall data.
• Hospitalized cases to date: 101 — one more since Monday’s update. There are currently four hospitalized cases with one in an ICU (unchanged since Monday). Since the pandemic began, there have been 55 hospitalized cases in the City of Kawartha Lakes (unchanged), 42 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: 245,610 tests have been completed in the health unit’s jurisdiction since the pandemic began — an additional 701 tests since Monday’s update.

School boards reported the following cases at schools within the health unit’s jurisdiction:

The Trillium Lakelands District School Board reported three active cases as of 2:35 p.m. Wednesday:

• 2 student cases at J. D. Hodgson Elementary School in Haliburton (outbreak declared, one classroom closed; unchanged since Monday).
• 1 student case at Parkview Public School (new case since Monday)

The Peterborough Victoria Northumberland Clarington District School Board reported three active cases as of 1:45 p.m. Wednesday (school board does not indicate if cases are students or staff):

• 2 cases at St. Dominic Catholic Elementary School in Lindsay (unchanged since Friday, school remains open).
• 1 case at St. Anthony Catholic Elementary School in Port Hope (reported Tuesday by the school; individual is at home isolating, according to principal Karen McCormack).

The Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board as of 10:25 a.m. Wednesday reported no active cases. A case at Dale Road Public School in Cobourg was reported resolved.

Bocking said during this school year to date there have been 47 cases of COVID-19 at schools and 14 classes and three bus cohorts dismissed. In the last 14 days there have been 20 cases of COVID-19 among students and/or staff, she noted.

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

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 bus will be in Brighton on Sunday, Dec. 12 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at King Edward Park (75 Elizabeth St.). A warming area will be available inside the adjacent King Edward Park Arena where people can wait pre- and post-vaccination.