COVID-19: Peterborough area reports 2 new deaths, 52 new PCR-lab confirmed cases

Peterborough Public Health reported two more COVID-19 deaths and 52 new PCR-lab confirmed cases on Thursday.

During his media briefing on Thursday, medical officer of health Dr. Thomas Piggott reported the 47th and 48th deaths in the region, noting the latest deaths were an individual in their 70s and an individual in their 50s who both had received three doses off a vaccine.

The 48th death was reported to Piggott during the middle of his noontime briefing.

There have now been 17 deaths reported in January and nearly half of the region’s deaths have occurred since the onset of Omicron wave of the pandemic a month and a half ago. There have been seven deaths over the past seven days.

Piggott began his role with the health unit on Dec. 1, 2021, when the death toll was at 25. He notes the health unit’s jurisdiction has an older population with higher number of vulnerable people and individuals who have more risk-factors for severe disease which has contributed to the “disproportionately bad impact on communities.”

The health unit serves Peterborough, Peterborough County, Curve Lake First Nation and Hiawatha First Nation.

“We have seen this number increase because — unlike previous waves one, two, three when Peterborough managed to have a far, far lower rate of infection — we have matched the Ontario average in a bad way. We have seen the proportionate deaths increase accordingly.”

Piggott says he’s “very concerned” the death trend will continue

“Because it lags behind (the rate of) transmission over the next few weeks,” he said.

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Piggott also said deaths among unvaccinated are occurring at a higher rate than those vaccinated, noting nearly 90 per cent of the area’s eligible residents have at least one dose of a vaccine.

“The proportionate (rate) of people (dying) amongst that 10 per cent who have not been vaccinated is far higher and far exceeds the proportionate rate of those who are vaccinated,” he said.

“That is why the vaccine is an important tool but not the only tool in our toolbox — the other measures to try to prevent the spread of Omicron continue to be critically important.

Piggott compared getting a vaccination to drinking and driving — even if you don’t drive impaired, you could still be a victim of an impaired driver.

“We actually see more motor vehicle collisions and deaths among people who did not drink or had a drop of alcohol,” said Piggott. “That’s because the vast majority — nearly all of the people on the road — do not drink and drive. But when you do drink and drive, the risks are dramatically higher of having a motor vehicle collision and dying.”

He says the importance of vaccines can’t be understated in what he says public health calls the “prevention paradox.”

“You wouldn’t know what the toll of what this Omicron wave would have been, but I would say it would have been nothing less than catastrophic had we not had the vaccine and taken other measures to prevent spread,” he said.

The health unit’s COVID-19 tracker, issued at 4:20 p.m., reported the following data for the jurisdiction of Peterborough, Peterborough County, Curve Lake First Nation and Hiawatha First Nation:

Deaths: 48 since the pandemic was declared.

New PCR-confirmed cases: 52 since Wednesday’s update.

PCR lab-confirmed active cases: 349 — up from 336 reported on Wednesday. The health unit notes the number of active cases being reported is an “underestimation” due to changes to PCR testing availability effective Dec. 31, 2021.

Cumulative lab-confirmed cases: 4,876

Hospitalized cases: Peterborough Regional Health Centre around 4:20 p.m. Wednesday again reported 21 inpatients with COVID-19 (most recent data). The hospital reports one patient transfer related to provincial directives, its first for 2022.

The health unit Thursday reported 165 hospitalized cases since the pandemic’s beginnings — one more since Wednesday — and 30 cases have been admitted to an ICU since March 2020 (unchanged since Wednesday)

Resolved cases: 37 more since Wednesday. The 4,479 cumulative resolved cases make up approximately 92 per cent of all lab-confirmed cases since the pandemic was declared.

No new outbreaks were reported Thursday, maintaining the following 16 active outbreaks unless indicated, case details not made available):

• Congregate living setting No. 17): Declared Jan. 19
• Congregate living setting (No. 18): Declared Jan. 19
• Congregate living facility (no. 16): Declared Jan. 19.
• Centennial Place long-term care in Millbrook: Declared Jan. 14. The home late Monday reported six active cases among residents, down from eight reported on Jan. 19.
• Peterborough Retirement Residence: Declared Jan. 14.
• Kawartha Heights Retirement Living: Declared Jan. 14.
• Congregate living facility (no. 14) in Peterborough: Declared Jan. 10.
• Peterborough Regional Health Centre: Declared Jan. 10 on the B4 inpatient unit.
• Sherbrooke Heights Retirement Residence in Peterborough: Declared Jan. 8.
• Congregate living facility (No. 9) in Peterborough: Declared Jan. 6.
• Rubidge Street Retirement Residence: Declared Jan. 2.
• Congregate living facility (No. 7): Declared Dec. 29.
• St. Joseph’s at Fleming long-term care in Peterborough: Declared Dec. 29. The home on Thursday reported four active cases among residents. The home says administration of the fourth vaccine program is underway.
• Fairhaven long-term care in Peterborough: Declared Dec. 28, the home initially reported five staff cases. On Jan. 20 there were 16 cases (six residents, 10 staff). However, on Wednesday morning  the facility reported no active cases but the outbreak remains in effect.
• Riverview Manor long-term care in Peterborough: Declared Dec. 28.
• Extendicare Lakefield: Declared Dec. 22.

There have been 772 cases associated with 96 outbreaks since the pandemic was declared — 357 cases in the past 30 days and 50 cases over the past seven days.

Daily updates are posted on the COVID tracker. Of note, 332,361 doses have been administered since Jan. 26, 2021. Approximately 86 per cent of eligible residents (ages 5 and up) have one dose, 81.1 per cent have two doses and 50.9 per cent have three doses.

Among youth ages 5 to 11, approximately 51.4 per cent have one dose and 10.6 per cent have two doses.

“There’s still lots of progress to go,” said Piggott on the 5 to 11 age group.

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 to 11. There are walk-in appointments available at the Healthy Planet Arena this week (Jan. 24-27). All other 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.

Testing continues at Peterborough Regional Health Centre’s assessment centre at 1 Hospital Dr. More information about booking a test through the COVID-19 Assessment Centre can be found on the health unit’s website.

The health unit also encourages parents to submit the results of students’ rapid-antigen tests to assist in monitoring situations at school settings. Results can be submitted at: https://chkmt.coRAT21