COVID-19: 333 active cases in Peterborough area, 7 in hospital; 3 new Catholic school outbreaks

After two consecutive record-setting days of new COVID-19 cases, Peterborough Public Health reported 51 new cases while the Catholic school board reported three new outbreaks.

However, it should be noted the heath unit’s COVID tracker update was issued at 11:45 a.m. Friday as opposed to the usual daily update issued between 4:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. The morning update shows 333 active cases, up from 301 reported on Thursday and 209 on Wednesday.

Ninety-nine new cases were reported on Thursday, the highest single-day total for the health unit, which serves Peterborough, Peterborough County, Curve Lake First Nation and Hiawatha First Nation.

A month ago, on Nov. 24, the health unit reported 36 active cases.

Other data on Friday:

• Cumulative confirmed cases: 2,470 since the pandemic was declared in March 2020.
• Deaths: 28 since the pandemic was declared, with four reported this month, the most recent on Monday.
• Hospitalizations: 100 cases have required hospitalization since the pandemic began — unchanged since Wednesday. Peterborough Regional Health Centre late Thursday reported seven active COVID-19 admissions — one new admission — with two of them in an intensive care unit. The hospitalized cases make up approximately four per cent of all cases; 22 of the cases require the intensive care unit — unchanged since Monday. ICU admissions make up 0.9 per cent of all the health unit’s cases since the pandemic was declared.
• Outbreaks: The Peterborough Victoria Northumberland Clarington District School Board at 1:19 p.m. Friday reported that outbreaks were declared at Monsignor Catholic Elementary School and St. Paul CES, both in Peterborough (three active cases each), and at St. Martin CES in Ennismore (two cases). The health unit’s morning update reported four active outbreaks: Crestwood Secondary School (nine cases) and a school varsity team in the city, an unnamed congregate living setting in the city and at Extendicare Lakefield. There have been 380 cases (up by four since Thursday) associated with 68 outbreaks since the pandemic was declared — 34 cases in the past 30 days.
• Variant of concern cases: 1,450 — 65 more cases since Thursday’s update. The first confirmed Omicron variant cases locally were 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: 2,109 — 19 more cases since Thursday. Resolved cases make up approximately 85.3 per cent of all cases, down from 86.3 per cent reported Thursday.
• COVID-19 exposure: 66.6 per cent of all cases (1,645) in the health unit’s jurisdiction are from contact with another existing case, 18.8 per cent (465 cases) are connected with community spread, 3.2 per cent (79 cases) are related to travel and 11.4 per cent (281 cases) have their source yet to be determined.
• Testing: More than 68,050 people have been tested for COVID-19 — an additional 250 since Thursday’s update. Approximately one in three residents have been tested for COVID-19 at least once.
• Enforcement: Since Oct. 1, charges have been laid against a total of four businesses under the Reopening Ontario Act.

The latest vaccination rate data can be found in this Global News Peterborough article from Wednesday. The health unit reported Thursday that beginning on Dec. 30, all vaccine doses administered for residents ages 30 and up will be the Moderna vaccine due to a supply shortage.

Third-dose/booster vaccinations are now available for residents age 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.

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. More information about booking a test through the centre can be found on the health unit’s website.

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:

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

As of 1:10 p.m. Friday, the Peterborough Victoria Northumberland Clarington Catholic District School Board reported 17 active cases and three outbreaks at its schools within the health unit’s jurisdiction. All schools are open but cases are not identified.

A full list of the school cases can be found on the school board’s website.

The Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board as of 2 p.m. Friday reported 29 active cases and one outbreak within the health unit’s jurisdiction.

• nine cases: Crestwood Secondary School in Peterborough (outbreak declared Wednesday)
• five cases: Lakefield District Public School in Lakefield
• three cases: Warsaw Public School in Warsaw
• two cases: Peterborough’s Crestwood Intermediate, James Strath Public School and Kenner Collegiate and Vocational Institute
• one case: Peterborough’s Edmison Heights Public School (new case), Adam Scott Intermediate School, Prince of Wales Public School and Thomas A. Stewart Secondary, and Westmount Public School and North Shore Public School in Keene.

Trent University reported four active cases at its Peterborough campus as of 4 p.m. Thursday and none at its Durham campus. No updates will be made from Friday, Dec. 24 to Jan. 4, 2022.

Fleming College has not reported any cases at its campuses in Peterborough, Lindsay, Haliburton and Cobourg. 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.