Judging from local COVID-19 test results, physical distancing and self-isolation efforts seem to be limiting the spread of the novel coronoavirus in the Peterborough area.
The local rate of positive COVID-19 cases is well below the provincial average, sitting at 40 per 100,000 people compared to the Ontario-wide rate of 82 per 100,000.
Referring to a “dashboard” of local COVID-19 data during her weekly media briefing held on Wednesday (April 22), Peterborough medical officer of health Dr. Rosana Salvaterra said there has been a total of 59 positive cases in Peterborough city and county, Curve Lake and Hiawatha to date — 22 of which are still active.
COVID-19 Weekly Situational Report – April 22, 2020 – Peterborough Public Health
COVID19-Weekly-Situational-Report-April-22-2020
In addition, the data shows that 58 per cent of the local positive cases have involved females while 42 per cent are male, which is consistent with provincial demographic data.
“We know that for the majority of our cases, it’s travel history with 45.7 per cent having had exposure outside of Peterborough,” Dr. Salvaterra said.
“Almost 41 per cent of our cases were a close contact of a confirmed case,” Dr. Salvaterra noted. “This highlights the importance of our case investigation and management and the fact that we ask close contacts to either self-isolate or self-monitor.”
“For another 10.2 per cent of our cases, we have not been ale to determine where they were exposed. That’s much lower than what we’re seeing in the rest of the province.”
Dr. Salvaterra added two of three earlier identified outbreaks — at Riverview Manor and at the Peterborough Regional Health Centre — have been resolved, with the outbreak at St. Joseph’s at Fleming “stable and well under control.”
To date, more than 2,000 COVID-19 tests have been conducted locally with results awaited on 360 of those tested. A total of 1,613 tests have come back negative while 36 cases have now been resolved.
The first and only COVID-19 related death in the Peterborough area to date was reported on Sunday (April 12) by the Peterborough Regional Health Centre. Facebook posts identified the patient as 68-year-old Peterborough photographer and retired psychologist Dr. George Dimitroff.
On Monday (April 20), Dr. Salvaterra signed a class order under section 22 of Ontario’s Health Protection and Promotion Act. That order comes with a penalty of up to $5,000 per day for anyone who fails to self-isolate as required.
The order applies to anyone in Peterborough city and county, Curve Lake and Hiawatha who has tested positive, is awaiting test results or has “reasonable grounds to believe they have COVID-19 whether they have been tested or not” as well as anyone who have been in close contact with people in the previous three categories.
“The rationale for issuing the order is not based on any perception on my part that we have issues with compliance,” Dr. Salvaterra said.
“This order is intended as a tool to remind anyone who has been tested and anyone who is a contact or may have symptoms that isolation is expected and is legally required. It is not voluntary. Peterborough Public Health is prepared to take measures to enforce if necessary. We need full compliance if we wish to build on if we wish to protect and build on the success we have achieved.”
The original order, which appeared on the Peterborough Public Health website but was not broadly released to the media, made no mention of the inclusion of Curve Lake and Hiawatha. Dr. Salvaterra said it’s her intention that both First Nations communities be included under the order.
“Given their right to self-government and self-determination, my approach with any issues of enforcement of provincial legislation has always been to approach the chiefs and council first and work co-operatively with them,” she said. “For that reason they weren’t explicitly named in the order (on Monday). I will seek to work through their chiefs and elected council moving forward.”
Also participating in Wednesday’s media briefing were Peterborough Mayor Diane Therrien, Peterborough County Warden J. Murray Jones, and Peterborough Public Health chair Andy Mitchell.
“It’s still a long road ahead of us in terms of coming out on the other side,” Mayor Therrien said, “but we’re making plans on how we’re going to forge a path forward towards post-pandemic life and what that’s going to look like.”
