COVID-19: Peterborough Public Health reports 26th death, 54 active cases

Peterborough Public Health reported another death and 16 new cases of COVID-19 in its jurisdiction over the weekend, according to data released late Monday morning.

The health unit’s COVID tracker update, issued around 11:55 a.m., shows 54 active cases of COVID-19, up from 52 reported on both Thursday and Friday (updates aren’t issued on the weekends). The health unit serves Peterborough, Peterborough County, Curve Lake First Nation and Hiawatha First Nation.

The region’s 26th COVID-19 death since the pandemic was declared was also reported over the weekend. Case details were not immediately available. The 25th death was reported on Dec. 3.

The health unit reports the following four active outbreaks on Monday:

• St. Catherine Elementary School in Peterborough: Declared Wednesday, Dec. 8, there are eight active cases (up two since Friday), according to the Peterborough Victoria Northumberland Clarington Catholic District School Board as of Monday morning.
• Millbrook/South Cavan Public School in Millbrook: Declared late Dec. 6, there are eight active cases (up one since Friday), according to the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board as of Monday morning.
• Student Transportation of Canada bus route 627 in Peterborough: Declared Dec. 2, case details have not been provided.
• Holy Cross Catholic Secondary School in Peterborough: Declared Dec. 3, there are two active cases (unchanged), according to the Peterborough Victoria Northumberland Clarington Catholic District School Board as Monday morning.

The health unit has had 364 cases associated with 64 outbreaks since the pandemic was declared.

Other data from the regional health unit on Monday:

• Cumulative confirmed cases: 2,101 since the pandemic was declared in March 2020.
• Variant of concern cases: 1,236 — 17 more cases since Friday’s update. The health unit has not reported any Omicron variant cases. The first variant case in the region was reported Feb. 23; the first confirmed Delta variant case was reported on June 19.
• Resolved cases: 2,021 — 13 more cases since Friday. Resolved cases make up approximately 96.1 per cent of all cases.
• Close contacts: 398 — down from 473 reported 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.
• Hospitalizations: 98 cases have required hospitalization since the pandemic began — unchanged since Dec. 7. Peterborough Regional Health Centre late Thursday reported four active COVID-19 admissions (most recent data). The hospitalized cases make up approximately 4.7 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: 74.6 per cent of all cases (1,567) in the health unit’s jurisdiction are from contact with another existing case, 20.5 per cent (430 cases) are connected with community spread, 3.8 per cent (79 cases) are related to travel and 1.2 per cent (25 cases) have their source yet to be determined.
• Testing: More than 66,600 people have been tested for COVID-19 — an additional 400 since Friday’s update. Approximately one in three residents has been tested for COVID-19.
• Enforcement: Since Oct. 1, these charges have been laid against a total of four businesses under the Reopening Ontario Act, including the orders issued Dec. 1 to close PB’s Peterburgers restaurant on George Street North.

The Peterborough Victoria Northumberland Clarington Catholic District School Board as of 9:40 a.m. Monday reported nine active cases at schools within the health unit’s jurisdiction (school board does not indicate if cases involve students or staff. All schools remain open):

• Six cases: St. Catherine Catholic Elementary School (unchanged case total since Friday) in Peterborough; an outbreak was declared on Dec. 8.
• Two cases: Holy Cross Catholic Secondary (unchanged) in Peterborough; an outbreak was declared on Dec. 3.
• One case: St. Paul Catholic Elementary School in Norwood (unchanged).

The Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board as of 10:14 a.m. Monday reported 20 active cases among its schools within the health unit’s jurisdiction. All schools with cases remain open (school board does not indicate if cases involve students or staff):

• Eight cases: Millbrook/South Cavan Public School in Millbrook (up by one); outbreak declared Dec. 6.
• Five cases: Westmount Public School (up by one) in Peterborough.
• Two cases: Queen Mary Public School (new cases since Friday’s update) and Prince of Wales Public School (up by one), both in Peterborough
• One case: Peterborough Alternative Continuing Education (new case), Adam Scott Intermediate (unchanged) and Thomas A. Stewart Secondary School (unchanged) all in Peterborough

Single cases were reported resolved at R.F. Downey Public School and Queen Elizabeth Public School, both in Peterborough

Trent University reported two active cases at its Peterborough campus as of 1 p.m. Monday — unchanged since Friday — and none at its Durham campus. 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.

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

Walk-in and school clinics

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. 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.

Bookings for children ages five to 11 to receive a COVID-19 vaccine are available as well as third-dose/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.

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.