COVID-19: HKPR declares Omicron outbreak at Extendicare Port Hope; 111 active cases in region

The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit reported 19 new cases of COVID-19 in its jurisdiction and two new outbreaks — including an Omicron variant — early Tuesday afternoon as active cases continue to climb.

As of 1:40 p.m., the health unit reported 111 active cases, up from 101 on Monday and 71 on Friday. The newly reported cases include nine in the City of Kawartha Lakes, eight in Northumberland County and two in Haliburton County.

Among the 111 active cases, 51 are in the Kawarthas (unchanged), 55 in Northumberland (up by nine) and five in Haliburton County (up one).

Late Monday the health unit declared an outbreak at Extendicare Port Hope long-term care facility and noted an outbreak was declared Dec. 17 at BGC Kawarthas (Boys and Girls Club Kawarthas) in Lindsay — that outbreak was not listed on the health unit’s website on Monday.

The health unit on Tuesday afternoon told Global News Peterborough there are three cases associated with the Extendicare outbreak: one resident and two staff and the Omicron variant has been detected at the 128-bed facility.

“Preliminary screening for one of the confirmed cases indicates the Omicron variant,” HKPR’s manager of corporate services Chandra Tremblay said in an email. “As a result, the health unit is treating this as an outbreak of the Omicron variant and is continuing to work with Extendicare staff to implement outbreak control measures. Omicron is quickly becoming the dominant strain in Ontario.”

According to the BGC Kawarthas, the initial exposure occurred on Dec. 8 in its before-and-after school program, impacting four school groups. There are now two active cases with the outbreak as a child was in the same cohort with the first case and also attend the same school, the facility reports.

There are two other active outbreaks:

• St. Dominic Catholic Elementary School in Lindsay. Declared Dec. 15. There are four active cases as of 5:15 p.m. Monday, according to the Peterborough Victoria Northumberland Clarington District School Board.
• Leslie Frost Public School in Lindsay: Declared late Dec. 11, there were no active cases as of 4:30 p.m. Monday, according to the Trillium Lakelands District School Board.

An outbreak declared Dec. 11 involving nine individuals (players, parents and staff) with a Lindsay minor hockey double-B team was reported resolved on Tuesday.

Since the pandemic was declared, the health unit has dealt with 85 outbreaks: 31 at long-term care and/or retirement homes, 13 each at child-care facilities, workplaces, community settings and schools and two at a hospital.

Other data from the health unit on Tuesday:

• Resolved cases: 2,628 — 19 more since Monday’s update. The resolved cases make up approximately 93.7 per cent of the 2,802 cumulative confirmed cases since the pandemic’s beginning.
• High-risk contacts: 85 — down from 123 on Monday. The health unit notes 11 of the high-risk contacts are missing residence identification, but are included in the overall data.
• Hospitalized cases to date: 103 — unchanged since Friday. As of 1 p.m. Tuesday there are three hospitalized cases (unchanged since Monday) with two in an intensive care unit (unchanged since Friday). Since the pandemic began, there have been 57 hospitalized cases in the City of Kawartha Lakes, 42 in Northumberland County and four in Haliburton County.
• 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.

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

The health unit’s vaccination clinics will also include appointments for children ages five to 11. All adults ages 18 and up can book an appointment for a booster. Appointments can be made via the provincial booking system.

There are mass immunization clinics over the next few weeks scheduled at the Cobourg Community Centre, Cobourg Collegiate Institute, Lindsay Exhibition and I.E. Weldon Secondary School in Lindsay.

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The Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board as of 11:30 a.m. Tuesday reported eight active cases within the health unit’s jurisdiction:

• Two cases: North Hope Public School in Campbellcroft (+1 since Monday)
• One case: Campbellford District Public School (new case), and
• Unchanged single cases at: Hillcrest Public School in Campbellford; East Northumberland Secondary School in Brighton; Spring Valley Public School in Brighton; Northumberland Hills Public School in Castleton — school closed Dec. 15; and Port Hope High School.

The Trillium Lakelands District School Board reported as of 4:30 p.m. Monday reported four active cases:

• Two cases: Irwin Memorial Public School in Dwight (Two less since Monday. Both student cases)
• One case: Parkview Public School (new case)
• I. E. Weldon Secondary School in Lindsay (unchanged with one staff case, four classrooms closed).

The Peterborough Victoria Northumberland Clarington District School Board as of 5:15 p.m. Monday reported five active cases (school board does not identify if cases involve students or staff):

• Four cases: St. Dominic Catholic Elementary School in Lindsay (unchanged since Dec. 15 when the outbreak was declared)
• One case: St. John Paul II Catholic Elementary School in Lindsay (unchanged since Dec. 16).