Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.
After 15 straight days of new daily COVID-19 cases in the low thousands, Premier Doug Ford announced on Friday (November 20) that Peel and Toronto will be moved into lockdown effective 12:01 a.m. on Monday (November 23).
“I know these past few months have been extremely difficult,” Ford said. “COVID fatigue is setting in on all of us, but I’ve seen the strength of our people. It’s up to each and every one of us to determine our future, to write the next chapter of our history. And we all have a part to play. We must all rally around our businesses and our neighbours right now. We must support them. Our government will be there to do our part.”
In addition to Peel and Toronto moving into lockdown, health minister Christine Elliott also announced other public health unit regions moving into more restrictive levels in Ontario’s colour-coding system — including Peterborough Public Health, which is moving into the yellow-protect level 12:01 a.m. on Monday (November 23). The two other health units in the Kawarthas — Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit and Hastings and Prince Edward Counties Public Health — remain in the green-protect level.
According to a media release issued by Peterborough Public Health after the announcement, the decision to move the Peterborough region into yellow-protect was based on a number of indicators showing the rate of community spread is increasing — even after excluding the cases related to the outbreak at Fairhaven long-term care home.
“The most concerning one for me has been the increased proportion of cases with no link to either travel or contact with a case,” states Peterborough medical officer of health Dr. Rosana Salvaterra. “I’m hoping the new measures now required for our region will enable us to be more effective in preventing new cases.”
Health unit staff will be ensuring local business operators have what they need to develop the COVID-19 workplace safety plans required in the yellow-protect level. Additional public health measures in the yellow-protect level include a maximum of 6 people seated together in a bar or restaurant and restrictions on how long such establishments can be open and when liquor can be sold.
For a list of all the additional public health measures required in yellow-protect, visit peterboroughpublichealth.ca/novel-coronavirus-covid-19/covid-19-framework-response/.
The announcement followed today’s report of 1,418 new COVID-19 cases in Ontario, with the average number of daily cases over the past seven days increasing slightly to 1,373.
Most of today’s new cases are in Peel (400), Toronto (393), and York (168), with smaller increases in Ottawa (77), Durham (46), Windsor-Essex (45), Middlesex-London (37), Hamilton (36), Simcoe Muskoka (33), Waterloo (28), Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (26), Grey Bruce (21), Niagara (21), Thunder Bay (6), and Huron Perth (6).
The remaining 19 health units are reporting 5 or fewer new cases, with 6 health units reporting no new cases at all.
Of today’s cases, 53% are among people under 40 years of age, with the highest number of cases (524) among people ages 20 to 39. With 1,415 more cases resolved since yesterday, the percentage of resolved cases has increased by 0.3% to 84.1%. The average positivity rate across Ontario has decreased by 0.5% to 3.6%, meaning that 36 out of every 1,000 tests performed were positive for COVID-19 on November 19.
A total of 8 new deaths were reported today, including 4 in long-term care facilities. Hospitalizations have decreased by 8 to 518, with 4 fewer patients with COVID-19 in ICUs and 4 additional patients on ventilators.
A total of 48,173 tests were completed yesterday, and the backlog of tests under investigation has increased by 2,116 to 46,609.
There are 87 new cases in Ontario schools, an decrease of 4 from yesterday, with 60 student cases, 27 staff cases, and no cases among unidentified individuals. There are 14 cases in licensed child care settings, an increase of 4 from yesterday, with 4 cases among children and 10 cases among staff.
In the greater Kawartha region, there are 7 new cases to report today, including 3 in Peterborough, 2 in Northumberland, 1 in Haliburton, and 1 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties. There are no new cases to report in Kawartha Lakes.
None of the reported new cases in Ontario schools and child care settings are in the greater Kawarthas region.
An additional 7 cases have been resolved in Peterborough, 3 in Northumberland, and 3 in in Hastings and Prince Edward counties.
There are currently 45 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, including 21 in Peterborough, 15 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties, 4 in Northumberland, 3 in Kawartha Lakes, and 2 in Haliburton.
Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 188 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (163 resolved with 4 deaths), 191 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (169 resolved with 32 deaths), 63 in Northumberland County (58 resolved with 1 death), 24 in Haliburton County (22 resolved with no deaths), and 101 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (81 resolved with 5 deaths). The most recent death was reported in Peterborough on November 12.
Province-wide, there have been 100,790 confirmed cases, an increase of 1,418 from yesterday, with 84,716 cases resolved (84.1% of all cases), an increase of 1,415 from yesterday. There have been 3,451 deaths, an increase of 8 from yesterday, with 2,193 deaths in long-term care homes, an increase of 4 from yesterday. The number of hospitalizations has decreased by 8 to 518, with 4 fewer patients with COVID-19 in ICUs, and 4 additional patients on ventilators. A total of 5,827,192 tests have been completed, an increase of 48,173 from yesterday, with 46,609 tests under investigation, an increase of 2,116 from yesterday.
The provincial data in this report is pulled from Ontario’s integrated Public Health Information System (iPHIS) at 4 p.m. the previous day. Data from local health units is more current and is usually reflected in the provincial data the following day.
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: 188 (increase of 3)
Active cases: 21 (decrease of 4)
Close contacts: 53 (increase of 4)
Deaths: 4 (no change)
Resolved: 163 (increase of 7)
Hospitalizations (total to date): 10 (no change)
Total tests completed: Over 35,950 (increase of 150)
Institutional outbreaks: Fairhaven (no change)
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: 278, including 191 in Kawartha Lakes, 63 in Northumberland, 24 in Haliburton (increase of 3, including 2 in Northumberland and 1 in Haliburton)
Active cases: 9, including 3 in Kawartha Lakes, 4 in Northumberland, and 2 in Haliburton (no net change)
Probable cases: 0 (no change)
High-risk contacts: 29, including 15 in Kawartha Lakes and 14 in Northumberland (net increase of 1)
Hospitalizations (total to date): 16, including 11 in Kawartha Lakes, 4 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton (no change)
Deaths: 33 (no change)
Resolved: 249, including 169 in Kawartha Lakes, 58 in Northumberland, 22 in Haliburton (increase of 3, in Northumberland)
Institutional outbreaks: None (decrease of 1)*
*The outbreak at Northumberland Hills Hospital in Cobourg was declared over on November 19.
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: 101 (increase of 1)
Active cases: 15 (decrease of 2)
Deaths: 5 (no change)
Hospitalized (total to date): 8 (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: 81 (increase of 3)
Total swabs completed: 7,079 (no change)
Institutional outbreaks: None (no change)
Province of Ontario
Confirmed positive: 100,790 (increase of 1,418)
Resolved: 84,716 (increase of 1,415, 84.1% of all cases)
Hospitalized: 518 (decrease of 8)
Hospitalized and in ICU: 142 (decrease of 4)
Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 92 (increase of 4)
Deaths: 3,451 (increase of 8)
Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 2,193 (increase of 4)
Total tests completed: 5,827,192 (increase of 48,173)
Tests under investigation: 46,609 (increase of 2,116)
For more information about COVID-19 in Ontario, visit covid-19.ontario.ca.
