COVID-19: 28th death in Peterborough area; region’s active cases surge to 128

For the first time since April, active cases of COVID-19 in the Peterborough area have surpassed 100.

Late Monday morning, Peterborough Public Health’s COVID tracker reported 123 active cases in its jurisdiction — up from 63 reported on Friday. The health unit reported 79 new cases since its last update on Friday evening, which included a single-day high of 33 new cases in an update issued Saturday, prompting the health unit to issue an advisory to residents to take caution over the holidays. The health unit serves Peterborough, Peterborough County, Curve Lake First Nation and Hiawatha First Nation.

Around the same time a month ago, on Nov. 22 (Nov. 20 fell on a Saturday, when updates aren’t issued), the health unit reported 17 active cases.

The health unit also reported its 28th death due to COVID-19 since the pandemic was declared. It’s the fourth death reported in December. Global News has requested additional details on the 28th death.

On Tuesday, the health unit reported the 27th death was a man in their 40s who was unvaccinated. The 28death was a male in their 40s who had two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.

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 no active outbreaks on Monday, declaring outbreaks over at St. Catherine Catholic Elementary School in Peterborough and Millbrook/South Cavan Public School in Millbrook. The health unit has reported 367 cases associated with 64 outbreaks since the pandemic was declared — 24 cases in the past 30 days.

Other data on Monday:

• Cumulative confirmed cases: 2,220 since the pandemic was declared in March 2020.
• Variant of concern cases: 1,302  — 28 more cases since Friday’s update. There are four Omicron variant cases, the first two reported on Dec. 14. The first variant case in the region was reported Feb. 23; the first confirmed Delta variant case was reported on June 19.
• Resolved cases: 2,064 — 13 more cases since Friday. Resolved cases make up approximately 92.3 per cent of all cases — down from 96 per cent reported on Friday.
• Close contacts: 220 — down from 305 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: 99 cases have required hospitalization since the pandemic began — one more since Friday, the first new admission since Dec. 7. Peterborough Regional Health Centre late Friday reported four active COVID-19 admissions. The hospitalized cases make up approximately 4.5 per cent of all cases; 22 of the cases required the intensive care unit — one new admission, the first 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: 72.1 per cent of all cases (1,601) in the health unit’s jurisdiction are from contact with another existing case, 20.5 per cent (455 cases) are connected with community spread, 3.6 per cent (79 cases) are related to travel and 3.8 per cent (85 cases) have their source yet to be determined.
• Testing: More than 67,150 people have been tested for COVID-19 — an additional 150 since Friday’s update. Approximately one in three residents has been tested for COVID-19.
• Enforcement: Since Oct. 1, charges have been laid against a total of four businesses under the Reopening Ontario Act.

The Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board as of 1:30 p.m. Monday reported 17 active cases among its schools within the health unit’s jurisdiction. The school board does not indicate if cases involve students or staff:

• Three cases: Kenner Collegiate and Vocational Institute (+1 since Friday).
• Two cases:  Westmount Public School in Peterborough,  North Shore Public School in Keene and Lakefield District Public School in Lakefield, all unchanged since Friday.
• One case: Crestwood Intermediate School (new case), Crestwood Secondary School (new case), Thomas A. Stewart Secondary School (new case), James Strath Public School (new case), Prince of Wales Public School (-1 since Friday) Peterborough Alternative Continuing Education (unchanged) all in Peterborough; Millbrook/South Cavan Public School in Millbrook (unchanged since Friday but outbreak declared over) and Warsaw Public School in Warsaw (new case).

Two cases were reported resolved at Queen Mary Public School in Peterborough since Friday.

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

• One case: St. Alphonsus Catholic Elementary School (new case) and unchanged at Monsignor O’Donoghue Catholic Elementary School, St. Anne Catholic Elementary School, St. Teresa Catholic Elementary School, St. Peter Catholic Secondary School, all in Peterborough, and St. Paul Catholic Elementary School in Norwood.

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.

On Monday, the university shifted all in-person exams to online at both its Peterborough and Durham campuses.

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. Winter semester classes will now begin on Monday, Jan. 17, 2022, 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.

2:29 Ontarians 18 and over now eligible for COVID-19 booster shots

• Ontarians 18 and over now eligible for COVID-19 booster shots
• COVID-19: How Omicron is impacting major sports amid new restrictions
• Can more restrictions can be enacted as Omicron spreads?
• With COVID-19 cases surging because of Omicron, homeless advocates worry

Previous Video

Next Video

The health unit releases its weekly COVID-19 vaccination rates on Wednesday. The latest data can be found in this Global News Peterborough article.

Third-dose/booster vaccinations are now available for residents ages 18 and up and first vaccine bookings are available for children ages five to 11. 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 updates its list of clinics on its website.

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:

• 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.

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.

Rapid antigen tests

Rapid antigen tests from the province will be available for distribution at the following locations:

• Peterborough Farmers’ Market, Morrow Building (151 Lansdowne St. W.) from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Jan 8, 2022.
• Lansdowne Place Mall (656 Lansdowne St. W.), hours to be determined, from Tuesday, Dec. 21 to Thursday, Dec. 23.
• Peterborough Memorial Centre (151 Lansdowne St. W.) from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 27.
• Peterborough Public Library (345 Aylmer St. N.) from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 5 and Thursday, Jan. 6, 2022.