A protest of COVID-19 restrictions planned for this Saturday (April 24) in Confederation Park across from Peterborough City Hall is casting a dark shadow over some encouraging news in terms of active case counts in the Peterborough region, but police say they don’t have the authority to stop the protest from taking place.
During a Peterborough Public Health briefing held Friday (April 23), local politicians representing all three levels of government urged those planning to protest to stay home, citing concern that the gathering will turn into a virus super-spreader event.
“There is a high likelihood that they (protesters) will be bringing COVID-19 here with them and there is a high likelihood that there will be a spread of COVID-19 as a result,” said Peterborough-Kawartha MPP Dave Smith, referencing the earlier outbreak at the Severn Court Student Residence that resulted in close to 60 positive cases and one death.
“You have the right to protest. You have the right to object. You do not have the right to harm someone else and that is what you will be doing. You are entitled to your opinion but you are not entitled to make up facts. Social distancing works. Masking works. Vaccination works. All you have to do is look at Israel.”
MPP Smith saved his harshest comments for anti-lockdown advocate Randy Hillier, Ontario independent MPP for Lanark-Frontenac-Kingston, who — along with Maxime Bernier, former MP and leader of the federal People’s Party of Canada — is scheduled to come to Peterborough to speak at the protest.
“Stay home, I don’t want you here,” MPP Smith said. “Go away. You don’t belong here.”
On social media, both Hillier and Bernier have encouraged their followers — many of whom are not from the Peterborough area — to attend the protest, as has the Facebook page No More Lockdowns Canada.
Peterborough-Kawartha MP Maryam Monsef and Peterborough County Warden J. Murray Jones echoed MPP Smith’s comments regarding the planned protest. While unable to attend the briefing, Peterborough Mayor Diane Therrien made a similar plea earlier this week via a joint statement issued by all four politicians. Mayor Therrien also issued a tweet on Thursday asking Hillier and Bernier to “Stay TF home.”
Hey @randyhillier @MaximeBernier I know you boys are bored but pic.twitter.com/4T2pxyZBX1
— Diane Therrien (@DianeNTherrien) April 22, 2021
For his part, Peterborough Police Services Chief Scott Gilbert made it clear that people have a right to protest and, as such, police cannot prevent that from happening. However, his comments made it clear he does not support people gathering in large numbers to protest.
“This group is going to come and stand on the cenotaph, using the monument that the city and county has dedicated all those men and women that went off to war and fought,” Chief Gilbert noted. “They’re going to stand on that monument and risk infecting the elderly in our community whose names are reflected on that monument. That’s a shame.”
“I wish they would stay home and not come here and endanger our community, but the reality is the power doesn’t exist right now to prevent people from coming here,” he added. “The law does not allow us to be pre-emptive. It’s not like somebody is about to commit an armed robbery and you can arrest them in advance in the planning stage. That legal authority doesn’t exist in relation to the stay-at-home order.”
Noting there will be a strong police presence at the protest, Chief Gilbert wouldn’t elaborate on the planned police response, saying “There’s a reason we have plans and we like to keep those to ourselves. We’ll see how things unfold tomorrow. We don’t have the ability or the authority to kettle an entire crowd and funnel them to one point and give them all a ticket.”
Saturday’s protest will occur during a time when the active COVID-19 case count in the Peterborough region is showing some improvement. As of Thursday afternoon, active cases stood at 102 in Peterborough city and county, Curve Lake and Hiawatha — down 21 from two days earlier. To date this week, 36 new cases have emerged, a stark contrast to last week’s record 112 new cases.
More telling of positive news is the reported 55 active cases per 100,000 residents reported for the Peterborough region, down from 70 cases per 100,000 people just last week. By contrast, Durham Region is reporting 300 cases per 100,000 people.
Still, the number of close contacts of positive cases being monitored by public health staff has risen by 14 since Tuesday to 320 and there has been another COVID-related death, bringing that total to 13 during the course of pandemic.
Medical officer of health Dr. Rosanna Salvaterra confirmed the death is not related to any one of the five ongoing outbreaks in the region, all of which she reported as being “stable.”
“Every day that has fewer cases than the day before is reason to be optimistic and be encouraged,” she said, adding “Certainly the last few days have been a bit of a relief.”
Nonetheless, Dr. Salvaterra stressed the lower case count number shouldn’t be a sign to people that we’re out of the woods. Quite the contrary, she said.
“As more and more people are receiving their first dose (of vaccine), the question we’re hearing often is ‘Now what? Can I go back to my pre-pandemic ways? Can I kiss my grandchildren?’ The short answer is no.”
“We all need to follow public health measures even if we’ve had a first dose. One dose does not mean you’re fully immunized. It does not bestow on you any special superpowers.”
Dr. Salvaterra also provided an update of local vaccination numbers. To date, 45,917 people have received at least their first dose — about 5,000 more over the past week. Of these, 43,602 are Peterborough residents. As for those who have received a second dose, the majority of which are long-term care and retirement home residents, that number stands at 2,481.
In addition, Dr. Salvaterra noted, per a new provincial directive, vaccine eligibility has been extended to include to those who are pregnant, who have been re-classified as at high risk. Those who pregnant are “encouraged” to consult with their health care provider about the benefits and risks of vaccination.
