Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.
With Ontario reporting a single day record of 1,050 new COVID-19 cases, the provincial government released its new “COVID-19 Response Framework: Keeping Ontario Safe and Open Framework”, which includes classifying public health unit regions into one of five colour-coded categories to reflect the level of COVID-19 activity.
Details were announced on Tuesday (November 3) during a media conference at Queen’s Park by Premier Doug Ford, health minister Christine Elliott, finance minister Rod Phillips, Treasury Board president Peter Bethlenfalvy, and chief medical officer of health Dr. David Williams.
“This framework, developed in consultation with our health experts, will serve as an early warning system allowing us to scale up and scale back public health restrictions on a regional or community basis in response to surges and waves of COVID-19,” Ford said. “By introducing public health measures sooner, we can keep this deadly virus at bay, bend the curve and reclaim a little more of our normal lives.”
The least restrictive category is Green-Prevent, which includes standard public health measures. The majority of public health units currently fall in this category, including the three in the greater Kawarthas region. The next category is Yellow-Protect, which includes strengthened measures; Brant County, Hamilton, Durham, and Halton currently fall in this category. Orange-Restrict includes intermediate measures; Toronto, Peel, York, Ottawa, and Eastern Ontario Health Unit currently fall in this category.
There are currently no health units in the two most restrictive categories: Red-Control, which includes stringent public health measures, and Grey-Lockdown, which includes maximum public health measures.
The new system modifies existing health measures depending on the category, which in some cases are less restrictive than the current modified Stage 2 requirements affecting Toronto, Peel, York, and Ottawa.
For example, in Yellow-Protect, bars and restaurants must close at midnight, alcohol cannot be served past 11 p.m., and only 6 people can be seated together. In Orange-Restrict, bars and restaurants must close at 10 p.m., alcohol cannot be served past 9 p.m., and only 4 people can be seated together.
The list of all proposed measures, including for social gatherings, bars and restaurants, sports and recreational facilities, meeting and event spaces, retail, personal care services, casinos, bingo halls, and gaming establishments, cinemas, and performing arts facilities are included in the COVID-19 Response Framework, available below.
PDF – COVID-19 Response Framework: Keeping Ontario Safe and Open Framework
COVID-19 Response Framework: Keeping Ontario Safe and Open Framework
The new colour-coding system will go into effect as of Saturday (November 7), although Toronto may be delayed into entering the Orange-Restrict level until the following week at the request of Mayor John Tory.
Of the 1,050 new cases reported today, most are in Toronto (408), Peel (212), Halton (86), York (76), and Durham (57), with smaller increases in Ottawa (34), Niagara (31), Hamilton (34), Simcoe Muskoka (21), Southwestern Public Health (20), Waterloo (20), Eastern Ontario Health Unit (11), Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (11), and Brant County (10). The remaining 20 public health units are reporting 5 or fewer cases, with 13 health units reporting no new cases at all.
Of today’s cases, 51% are among people under the age of 40. With 837 more cases resolved since yesterday, the percentage of resolved cases has decreased by 0.1% to 85.4%. The positivity rate remains unchanged at 4.0%, meaning that 40 out of every 1,000 tests performed were positive for COVID-19 on November 2.
There have been 14 new deaths, including 8 new deaths in long-term care homes. Hospitalizations have increased by 29 to 357, although this increase is based on yesterday’s number that excluded data from 40 hospitals. There are 2 fewer patients in ICUs and 2 additional patient on ventilator.
A total of 25,279 tests were completed yesterday, and the backlog of tests under investigation has increased by 5,361 to 20,758.
The number of cases in Ontario schools has jumped to 134, an increase of 65 from yesterday, with 82 student cases, 13 staff cases, and 39 cases among unidentified individuals. There are 23 cases in licensed child care settings, an increase of 17 from yesterday, with 7 cases among children and 16 cases among staff.
In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 2 new cases to report in Peterborough; however, an additional case has been resolved, leaving 7 active cases there. There are no new cases to report in Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland, Haliburton, or Hastings and Prince Edward counties. An additional case has been resolved in Hastings and Prince Edward counties, leaving 6 active cases there.
None of the new cases in Ontario schools and child care settings are in the greater Kawarthas region.
There are currently 17 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, including 7 in Peterborough, 6 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties, 3 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton.
Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 152 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (143 resolved with 2 deaths), 185 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (166 resolved with 32 deaths), 50 in Northumberland County (46 resolved with 1 death), 20 in Haliburton County (19 resolved with no deaths), and 81 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (70 resolved with 5 deaths). The most recent death was reported in Northumberland on September 8.
Province-wide, there have been 78,705 confirmed cases, an increase of 1,050 from yesterday, with 67,244 cases resolved (85.4% of all cases), an increase of 837. There have been 3,166 deaths, an increase of 14 from yesterday, with 2,024 deaths in long-term care homes, an increase of 8 from yesterday. The number of hospitalizations has increased by 29 to 357, although this increase is based on yesterday’s number that did not include data from 40 hospitals. There are 2 fewer patients in ICUs and 2 additional patients on ventilators. A total of 5,200,247 tests have been completed, an increase of 20,758 from yesterday, with 20,758 tests under investigation, an increase of 5,361 from yesterday.
This report is based on data supplied by the province’s integrated Public Health Information System (iPHIS), as well as any additional information supplied by health units. This information is at least 24 hours old, so it is not real-time data. Note that each health unit reports the information in a different way.
Peterborough Public Health
Peterborough Public Health’s service area is the City and County of Peterborough and the Hiawatha and Curve Lake First Nations.
The health unit provides daily reports, including on weekends.
Confirmed positive: 152 (increase of 2)
Active cases: 7 (increase of 1)
Close contacts: 17 (no change)
Deaths: 2 (no change)
Resolved: 143 (increase of 1)
Hospitalizations (total to date): 9 (no change)
Total tests completed: Over 34,550 (increase of 50)
Institutional outbreaks: Fairhaven (no change)
*An outbreak at Fairhaven Long-Term Care in Peterborough was declared on October 31 after a caregiver tested positive.
Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit
The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit’s service area is the City of Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland County, and Haliburton County.
The health unit provides reports from Monday to Friday, excluding statutory holidays.
Confirmed positive: 255, including 185 in Kawartha Lakes, 50 in Northumberland, 20 in Haliburton (no change)
Probable cases: 0 (no change)
High-risk contacts: 14, including 4 in Kawartha Lakes, 4 in Northumberland, and 6 in Northumberland (no change)
Hospitalizations (total to date): 15, including 11 in Kawartha Lakes, 3 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton (no change)
Deaths: 33 (no change)
Resolved: 231, including 166 in Kawartha Lakes, 46 in Northumberland, 19 in Haliburton (no change)
Active cases: 4, including 3 in Northumberland and 1 in Haliburton (no change)
Institutional outbreaks: Warkworth Long Term Care (no change)
Hastings Prince Edward Public Health
Hastings Prince Edward Public Health’s service area is Hastings County (including Bancroft) and Prince Edward County.
The health unit provides reports from Monday to Friday, excluding statutory holidays.
Confirmed positive: 81 (no change)
Active cases: 6 (decrease of 1)
Deaths: 5 (no change)
Hospitalized (total to date): 7 (no change)
Hospitalized and in ICU (total to date): 2 (no change)
Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator (total to date): 2 (no change)
Resolved: 70 (increase of 1)
Total tests completed: 46,791 (no change)
Institutional outbreaks: None (no change)
Province of Ontario
Confirmed positive: 78,705 (increase of 1,050)
Resolved: 67,244 (increase of 837, 85.4% of all cases)
Hospitalized: 357 (increase of 29)*
Hospitalized and in ICU: 73 (decrease of 2)
Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 47 (increase of 2)
Deaths: 3,166 (increase of 14)
Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 2,024 (increase of 8)
Total tests completed: 5,200,247 (increase of 25,279)
Tests under investigation: 20,758 (increase of 5,361)
*This increase is from data reported on November 2, which did not include numbers from 40 hospitals. The number of hospitalizations reported on November 1 was 350.
For more information about COVID-19 in Ontario, visit covid-19.ontario.ca.
This story has been updated with today’s numbers from Peterborough Public Health.
