Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.
Ontario is reporting 1,780 new COVID-19 cases today, with the average number of daily cases over the past seven days decreasing by 10 to 1,759. Hospitalizations and ICU admissions of patients with COVID-19 continue to rise.
There are 15 new cases to report in the greater Kawarthas region, with the total number of active cases in the region decreasing by 3 to 99. Today, the Ontario government announced the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit region — which includes Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland, and Haliburton — will be moving into the more restrictive “Yellow-Protect” level effecting 12:01 a.m. on Monday (December 7).
“We are seeing more COVID-19 activity in our region, so the move into Yellow is not a surprise,” says Dr. Lynn Noseworthy, medical officer of health with Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit. “The new measures in the Yellow level are not much different than what we currently have in place but will enhance our ability to slow the spread of COVID-19 in our communities.”
Most of the increased COVID-19 activity in the health unit region has been in Northumberland County, with cases increasing by more than double in the past month. When deciding to move a health unit into another level, the province reviews factors such as case counts, outbreaks, percent positivity of tests, and capacity of local hospitals and health units.
VIDEO: Dr. Lynn Noseworthy explains impact of move into “Yellow-Protect” level
With the addition of Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit, all three health units in the greater Kawarthas region are now in the “Yellow-Protect” level.
Health units stay in their level for a minimum of 28 days, or two COVID-19 incubation periods, at which time the province assesses the impact of public health measures to determine if the health unit should stay where they are or be moved to less restrictive or more restrictive level.
For more information on how the “Yellow-Protect” level will affect residents and businesses in Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland, and Haliburton, visit hkpr.on.ca/2020/12/04/current-colour-code-for-local-covid-19-restrictions-2/
Most of the new cases reported today in Ontario are in Toronto (633), Peel (433), and York (152). There are double-digit increases in Durham (94), Windsor-Essex (68), Halton (51), Hamilton (43), Simcoe Muskoka (41), Waterloo (40), Middlesex-London (39), Ottawa (36), Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (25), Niagara (21), Southwestern Public Health (20), Thunder Bay (13), Brant County (11), Huron Perth (10), with smaller increases in Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington (7), Grey Bruce (7), and Hastings and Prince Edward (6).
The remaining 14 health units are reporting 5 or fewer new cases, with only 3 health units (all in northern Ontario) 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 (687) among people ages 20 to 39 followed by 546 cases among people ages 40 to 59. With 1,553 more cases resolved since yesterday, the percentage of resolved cases remains unchanged at 84.8%. The average positivity rate across Ontario has decreased by 0.8% to 3.6%, meaning that 36 out of every 1,000 tests performed were positive for COVID-19 on December 3.
Ontario is reporting 25 new COVID-19 deaths today, including 15 in long-term care facilities. Hospitalizations have increased by 6 to 674, with 12 additional patients with COVID-19 admitted to ICUs and 9 additional patients on ventilators.
A total of 56,001 tests were completed yesterday, and the backlog of tests under investigation has increased by 4,083 to 62,403.
There are 129 new cases in Ontario schools today, an increase of 7 from yesterday, with 102 student cases and 27 staff cases. There are 20 new cases in licensed child care settings, an increase of 3 from yesterday, with 10 cases among children and 10 cases among staff.
In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 15 new cases to report, including 8 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (most in Belleville), 4 in Peterborough, and 3 in Northumberland. There are no new cases to report in Kawartha Lakes or in Haliburton.
An additional 8 cases have been resolved in Northumberland, 5 in Hastings and Prince Edward, and 1 in Peterborough. A duplicate case in Kawartha Lakes has been identified and removed.
None of today’s reported new cases in Ontario schools and child care settings are in the greater Kawarthas region.
There are currently 96 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, including 39 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties, 26 in Peterborough, 23 in Northumberland, 7 in Kawartha Lakes, and 1 in Haliburton.
Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 225 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (194 resolved with 5 deaths), 202 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (176 resolved with 32 deaths), 104 in Northumberland County (80 resolved with 1 death), 27 in Haliburton County (26 resolved with no deaths), and 166 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (119 resolved with 5 deaths). The most recent death was reported in Peterborough on November 23.
Province-wide, there have been 123,526 confirmed cases, an increase of 1,780 from yesterday, with 103,239 resolved cases (84.8% of all cases), an increase of 1,553 from yesterday. There have been 3,737 deaths, an increase of 25 from yesterday, with 2,357 deaths in long-term care homes, an increase of 15 from yesterday. The number of hospitalizations has increased by 10 to 674, with 12 additional patients with COVID-19 admitted to ICUs and 9 additional patient on ventilators. A total of 6,462,656 tests have been completed, an increase of 56,001 from yesterday, with 62,403 tests under investigation, an increase of 4,083 from yesterday.
The provincial data in this report is pulled from Ontario’s integrated Public Health Information System (iPHIS) at 12 p.m. the previous day. Data from local health units is more current and is usually reflected in the provincial data the following day. There may be discrepancies between the Ontario data reported today (which is from yesterday) and the local health unit data reported today (which is from today).
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: 225 (increase of 4)
Active cases: 26 (increase of 3)
Close contacts: 44 (decrease of 2)
Deaths: 5 (no change)
Resolved: 194 (increase of 1)
Hospitalizations (total to date): 10 (no change)*
Total tests completed: Over 37,100 (increase of 100)
Institutional outbreaks: Fairhaven (no change)
*The health unit is no longer reporting the total number of hospitalizations.
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: 333, including 202 in Kawartha Lakes, 104 in Northumberland, 27 in Haliburton (net increase of 2, including 3 in Northumberland)*
Active cases: 31, including 7 in Kawartha Lakes, 23 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton (decrease of 6)
Probable cases: 0 (no change)
High-risk contacts: 178, including 26 in Kawartha Lakes, 148 in Northumberland, and 4 in Haliburton (net increase of 22)
Hospitalizations (total to date): 16, including 11 in Kawartha Lakes, 4 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton (no change)
Deaths: 33 (no change)
Resolved: 282, including 176 in Kawartha Lakes, 80 in Northumberland, 26 in Haliburton (increase of 8, in Northumberland)
Institutional outbreaks: None (no change)
*One duplicate case in Kawartha Lakes has been identified and removed.
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: 166 (increase of 8)
Active cases: 39 (decrease of 5)
Deaths: 5 (no change)
Currently hospitalized: 0 (no change)
Currently hospitalized and in ICU: 0 (no change)
Currently hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator (total to date): 0 (no change)
Resolved: 119 (increase of 5)
New swabs completed: 70 (decrease of 4,966)
Institutional outbreaks: None (no change)
Province of Ontario
Confirmed positive: 123,526 (increase of 1,780)
Resolved: 104,792 (increase of 1,553, 84.8% of all cases)
Hospitalized: 674 (increase of 8)
Hospitalized and in ICU: 207 (increase of 12)
Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 116 (increase of 9)
Deaths: 3,737 (increase of 25)
Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 2,357 (increase of 15)
Total tests completed: 6,462,656 (increase of 56,001)
Tests under investigation: 62,403 (increase of 4,083)
For more information about COVID-19 in Ontario, visit covid-19.ontario.ca.
