The Town of Cobourg has announced it is extending the temporary closure of Cobourg Community Centre until January 11, 2021.
The town initially closed the facility at 750 D’Arcy Street on Friday (December 11) after users reported coming into close contact with a person who had tested positive for COVID-19.
Originally, the centre was going to be reopened on Monday after undergoing a thorough cleaning and sanitization, which was completed over the weekend.
However, after consulting with Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit, the town’s emergency control group decided to extend the closure until after the holidays to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19 within the community.
Effective immediately, all programming at Cobourg Community Centre has been cancelled.
The region served by the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit — which includes Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland, and Haliburton — was moved into the “Yellow-Protect” level on December 7th.
Since then, Northumberland County has experienced a significant rise in the number of COVID-19 cases, with 51 new cases reported over the last week. There are currently 47 active cases in Northumberland, although the health unit does not report the number of cases in individual municipalities.
“We are taking every necessary step to protect our community by stopping any potential spread of COVID-19, which is why we have decided to extend the closure of the community centre until after the holidays,” says Tracey Vaughan, Cobourg’s chief administrative officer.
The centre will be reopened at 8 a.m. on Monday, January 11th, pending the COVID-19 situation at that time.
“We will reassess in the new year based on the current numbers and where our public health region currently falls within the Province of Ontario’s COVID-19 Response Framework: Keeping Ontario Safe and Open.”
Anyone who used the facility between Sunday, December 6th through Friday, December 14th is encouraged to self-monitor for COVID-19 symptoms, which include:
- fever (feeling hot to the touch, a temperature of 37.8°C or higher)
- chills
- cough that’s new or worsening, barking cough, making a whistling noise when breathing
- shortness of breath, sore throat, difficulty swallowing
- runny, stuffy or congested nose
- lost sense of taste or smell
- pink eye
- headache that’s unusual or long lasting
- digestive issues
- muscle aches, extreme tiredness that is unusual
- falling down often.
Residents who have developed COVID-19 symptoms can be tested by appointment at the Northumberland Hills Hospital COVID-19 Assessment Centre (Northumberland Hills Hospital, 1000 DePalma Drive, Cobourg, 905-377-7783), Trent Hills COVID-19 Testing Centre (Campbellford Memorial Hospital, 146 Oliver Road, Campbellford, 705-395-1801), or the Canton COVID-19 Testing Centre (Port Hope Community Hub, 5325 County Road 10, 905-377-7783).
