COVID-19: Peterborough reports 63 active cases, Fleming College delays in-person classes

Peterborough Public Health reported 14 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday as active cases continue to climb.

The regional health unit’s COVID tracker update, issued around 4:53 p.m., shows 63 active cases of COVID-19, up from 58 reported on Thursday. The health unit serves Peterborough, Peterborough County, Curve Lake First Nation and Hiawatha First Nation. A month ago on Nov. 17, the health unit reported 21 active cases.

There have been at least four confirmed cases of the Omicron COVID-19 variant with concerns about potential exposure at the American Eagle store at Lansdowne Place mall as reported on Thursday.

The health unit reports the following two active outbreaks on Friday:

• St. Catherine Elementary School in Peterborough: Declared Wednesday, Dec. 8, there are still five active cases, according to the Peterborough Victoria Northumberland Clarington Catholic District School Board as of 2 p.m. Friday.
• Millbrook/South Cavan Public School in Millbrook: Declared late Dec. 6, there is one active case (two less since Thursday), according to the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board as of 3:55 p.m. Friday.

The health unit has had 367 cases associated with 64 outbreaks since the pandemic was declared — 26 cases in the past 30 days.

Other data on Friday:

• Deaths: 27 since the pandemic was declared. The latest was reported on Tuesday.
• Cumulative confirmed cases: 2,141 since the pandemic was declared in March 2020.
• Variant of concern cases: 1,274 — six more cases since Thursday’s update. There are four Omicron variant cases, the first two reported on Tuesday. The first variant case in the region was reported Feb. 23; the first confirmed Delta variant case was reported on June 19.
• Resolved cases: 2,051 — nine more cases since Thursday. Resolved cases make up approximately 96 per cent of all cases.
• Close contacts: 305 — down from 308 reported Thursday. 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. 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: 74.3 per cent of all cases (1,590 +4) in the health unit’s jurisdiction are from contact with another existing case, 20.8 per cent (445 cases +10) are connected with community spread, 3.7 per cent (79 cases) are related to travel and 1.3 per cent (27 cases) have their source yet to be determined.
• Testing: More than 67,000 people have been tested for COVID-19 — an additional 150 since Thursday’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 Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board as of 3:55 p.m. Friday reported 14 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):

• 2 cases: Prince of Wales Public School (-1 since Thursday), Westmount Public School (+1 since Thursday), Queen Mary Public School (unchanged), Kenner Collegiate and Vocational Institute (+1) all in Peterborough; North Shore Public School in Keene (unchanged) and  Lakefield District Public School in Lakefield (unchanged)
• 1 case: Millbrook/South Cavan Public School in Millbrook (-2 since Thursday); outbreak was declared Dec. 6 and Peterborough Alternative Continuing Education (unchanged).

The Peterborough Victoria Northumberland Clarington Catholic District School Board as of 2 p.m. Friday reported 10 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):

• 5 cases: St. Catherine Catholic Elementary School  in Peterborough (unchanged since Wednesday); an outbreak was declared on Dec. 8.
• 1 case: Monsignor O’Donoghue Catholic Elementary School (new case), St. Anne Catholic Elementary School (new case), St. Teresa Catholic Elementary School (unchanged),  St. Peter Catholic Secondary School (unchanged), all in Peterborough and St. Paul Catholic Elementary School in Norwood (unchanged)

Trent University reported two active cases at its Peterborough campus as of 4:30 p.m. Friday — one less since Thursday — 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. In-person classes were set to resume in early January, however, plans are now on delay.

Fleming announced its winter semester classes will now begin on Monday, Jan. 17 with the weeks of Jan. 17 and Jan. 24 to be delivered fully online. The college aims to return to in-person learning on Jan. 31 for hands-on and specialized courses with some continuation of online delivery where appropriate.

The college says new residence students will be permitted to move into residence beginning Jan. 6 and Jan. 7 and students currently living in residence can return on Jan. 9.

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

Rapid antigen tests will be distributed at four locations in the city beginning on Saturday at the Peterborough Famers’ Market.

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.