Peterborough Public Health‘s medical officer of health, Dr. Thomas Piggott, admits the active cases of COVID-19 being reported daily are an “enormous underestimate.”
His comments came during his noontime media update Thursday, prior to the health unit’s COVID tracker update at 4:45 p.m. which reported 1,153 active cases, up from 1,111 active cases on Wednesday and the death toll at 32 — two more deaths since Wednesday’s update.
A month ago on Dec. 6, the health unit reported 45 active cases and the 25th death in its juridisiction of Peterborough, Peterborough County, Curve Lake First Nation and Hiawatha First Nation.
Since Wednesday at 4 p.m., the health unit reports 101 new confirmed cases of COVID-19. However, the health unit notes that due to changes in PCR testing availability, the number of cases reported “should be considered an underestimate for our community.”
On Thursday, Piggott noted that prior to changes in the testing criterial, it’s believed provincial modelling projections were “underreported by a factor of eight.” He said a more accurate reflection of cases in the community “could be a multiplied by a factor of five to eight or even more.”
“Now that testing criteria has changed — we’re testing a more narrow range of people — the active cases we are reporting are an enormous underestimate.”
Hospitalizations
Since the pandemic was declared, 119 cases have required hospitalization — a figure unchanged since Wednesday’s update.
Peterborough Regional Health Centre late Thursday reported 18 current inpatients with COVID-19 — one more case since Wednesday’s update. The hospitalized cases make up approximately 3.2 per cent of all cases. Twenty-two of the cases required the intensive care unit — unchanged since Dec. 31.
Intensive care admissions make up 0.6 per cent of all the health unit’s cases since the pandemic’s beginning.
“The increases in hospitalizations that we are seeing provincially and in Peterborough are still deeply concerning,” said Piggott. “We are still early phase of the impacts of this. The coming weeks will be really telling.
“I hope it won’t overwhelm our health-care system. And I think that it’s going to be quite concerning and we do need to keep our eyes on things. As much as I see hope in the other side, we’re still on this side of it and still in the thick of it, for sure.”
Other data on Thursday:
- Deaths: 32 since the pandemic began in March 2020 — the two latest deaths reported Thursday were a vaccinated woman in her 90s and an unvaccinated man in his 90s.
- Case incident rate: 482 cases per 100,000 versus the provincial rate of 651 per 100,000
- Cumulative confirmed cases: 3,756 since the pandemic was declared in March 2020.
- Resolved cases: 2,572 — 57 more cases since Wednesday. Resolved cases make up approximately 68.4 per cent of all cases
- Enforcement: Since Oct. 1, charges have been laid against a total of four businesses under the Reopening Ontario Act.
- Rapid antigen tests: Distributed by the province this week at the following sites: Peterborough Farmers’ Market (151 Lansdowne St. W.) on Saturday, Jan. 8 from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Vaccination
The health unit is now posting daily updates for its vaccination data which can be found on its COVID tracker website. Of note, 80.1 per cent of eligible residents (ages 5 and up) are fully vaccinated with two doses; more than 53,000 residents have now received a third dose/booster of a vaccine.
All vaccine doses administered for residents ages 30 and up will be the Moderna vaccine as there is currently a Pfizer vaccine shortage, the health unit reported in late December.
The health unit updates its list of clinics on its website offering first, second and third doses for adults and first doses for children aged five-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.
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.
Child-friendly clinics
The health unit will host two child-friendly vaccination clinics (ages five-11) this weekend at the Healthy Planet Arena (911 Monaghan Rd.) in Peterborough, running from 9 a.m to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
Appointments can be booked through the provincial booking system online at www.ontario.ca/covidvaccine or by calling 1-833-943-3900.
As of Thursday’s data, approximately 45.3 per cent of school-aged children 5-11 years old have received at least one dose, the health unit reports.
While the National Advisory Committee on Immunization recommends an eight-week interval between first and second doses, Piggott says parents who consent can allow their child to get a second dose after 21 days.
Testing continues at Peterborough Regional Health Centre’s assessment centre at 1 Hospital Dr. The hospital says demand is extremely high. More information about booking a test through the COVID-19 Assessment Centre can be found on the health unit’s website.
Outbreaks
The health unit declared a new outbreak late Wednesday at an unidentified congregate living facility (No. 8). No details were provided.
Late Thursday, PRHC reported a second outbreak at the hospital. Details were not immediately available.
There are nine other active outbreaks:
- Unidentified congregate living facility (no. 7): Case details not made available.
- Peterborough Regional Health Centre: Declared Jan. 2. Case details not made available.
- Rubidge Street Retirement Residence: Declared Jan. 2. Case details not made available.
- Congregate living facility No. 6: Declared Dec. 29. Case details not made available.
- St. Joseph’s at Fleming long-term care in Peterborough: Declared Dec. 29, case details not made available.
- Fairhaven long-term care in Peterborough: Declared Dec. 28, the home initially reported five staff cases. As of Dec. 31, the facility reported 14 confirmed cases among staff and no cases among residents.
- Riverview Manor long-term care in Peterborough: Declared Dec. 28, the province as of Tuesday reported 10 cases among five residents and five staff.
- Congregate living facility No. 6 in Peterborough: Declared Dec. 23. Details are unavailable.
- Extendicare Lakefield: Declared Dec. 22. The province reported “fewer than five” cases among both residents and staff.
There have been 471 cases associated with 79 outbreaks since the pandemic was declared — 109 cases in the past 30 days.
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