Peterborough Public Health is hosting kid-friendly immunization clinics for children aged five to 11 on the January 8th weekend and is encouraging families to get their children vaccinated.

First and second doses are available at the two clinics, which take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday (January 8 and 9) at the Healthy Planet Arena at 911 Monaghan Road in Peterborough.

Appointments can be booked online at covid19.ontariohealth.ca or by phone at 1-833-943-3900.

According to the health unit, 55 per cent of children aged five to 11 in the Peterborough area have yet to receive a first dose of the Pfizer-BioNtech pediatric COVID-19 vaccine.

“I urge families to get their children vaccinated as quickly as possible to protect them and help in the community-wide effort to slow the spread of omicron,” says medical officer of health Dr. Thomas Piggott in a media release announcing the clinics.

“We are pulling out all the stops to make vaccinations as accessible as we can, and there are currently 3,200 appointments available for those aged five to 11, including over 1,000 this weekend alone.”

Only children who are five to 11 years old at the time of their appointment, based on their date of birth, are eligible to receive a paediatric dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

While the National Advisory Committee on Immunization recommends that children receive their second dose eight weeks after their first dose, parents and guardians who consent can get a second dose for their child only three weeks (21 days) after the first dose.

Parents must call 1-833-943-3900 and provide informed consent to make an appointment for an accelerated second dose; accelerated appointments cannot be booked online.

Peterborough Public Health says it will be adding more clinics for children aged five to 11 over the coming weeks, and reminds parents it takes two weeks after the second dose for full immunity.

Seven-year-old Callan Perks of Lakefield brought talk-show host Ellen DeGeneres to tears when he appeared on her show on Wednesday (January 5).

The enthusiastic young hockey fan rose to fame after he delivered a rousing speech to the Peterborough Petes before their November 28th game against the Ottawa 67’s. Callan had been selected to act as head coach as part of the OHL Team’s “Next Gen” promotion where kids five to 12 were invited to audition to shadow various roles with the organization.

“Legends are made every day and you could be one of the greats,” Callan said during his minute-long speech. “We’re going to do whatever it takes to get the W.”

The Petes went on to win the game and, after the organization shared a video of “Coach Cal” giving the speech on social media, it went viral.

The speech was broadcast on Sportsnet and TSN, and Coach Cal quickly became a media darling, appearing on CBC, CTV, Global, and ABC.

Callan and his family were flown to Los Angeles to appear on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, which was recorded on Tuesday.

VIDEO: Kid Motivational Speaker ‘Coach Cal’ Brings Ellen to Tears with Pep Talk

“First of all, do I call you Callan or Coach Cal?” Ellen asks.

“It really doesn’t matter, but Coach Cal has a really good ring to it and coaches are like a leader and they coach hockey teams and a lot of sports … so Coach Cal’s good,” Callan replies, to laughter and applause from the audience.

After commenting on his energetic hand gestures while speaking, Ellen asks Callan if he has always been so optimistic and positive.

“I always want to think positive, so even if you’re having a bad day just go out there and get the W, no matter what comes,” he says.

After calling him “absolutely adorable,” Ellen then tells Callan she understands he has a motivational speech for her, which he proceeds to give.

“For 19 seasons you have given your all on this stage,” he begins, before concluding with “When it’s time to say goodbye and turn out the lights, just remember that you Ellen will always get the W because you have given whatever it takes to be you.”

“Just keep working hard and staying positive and making people laugh, ’cause you are a legend. So let’s get fired up and go out there and get the W, today and every day. Let’s go Ellen!”

VIDEO: Callan Perks’ pre-game speech to the Peterborough Petes

The audience erupts with applause, cheers, and a standing ovation, and a teary-eyed Ellen then gives Callan a big hug.

“I know a lot of fancy people and what you just said to me means more to me than what I can possibly convey to you,” she tells him. “I don’t even know you, but you are just a special little being with such a big heart and I thank you for that. That was the sweetest thing.”

Ellen then presents Callan with a personalized “Coach Cal” tracksuit, clipboard, and megaphone.

“I think you’re going to go on to do big, big things,” Ellen says.

Peterborough resident Wendy Bianco is starting the new year over $46,000 richer after winning the Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) Foundation’s 50/50 lottery.

Bianco won the December grand prize of $44,252 when her ticket number C-1374879 was drawn on Thursday (December 30). Bianco also had the choice of a bonus prize of either a $2,500 Resorts of Ontario gift certificate or an additional $2,000 in cash. She chose the cash bonus prize, making her total winnings $46,252.

“I have been buying PRHC Foundation 50/50 Lottery tickets to support our hospital,” Bianco says in a media release. “My husband needed the PRHC Cardiac Cath Lab last summer and we were so grateful to not have to travel out of town for his procedure. With our winnings my husband and I plan to take our honeymoon in Sicily, and share some of the money with our sons.”

There were also four early bird winners during the December lottery, each taking home $500 cash: Margaret Pettie, Ian Armstrong, Margaret McLean, and Jackie Taylor.

Tickets for the first lottery of 2022 are now on sale at prhcfoundation5050.com, where you can buy 10 tickets for $10, 40 tickets for $20, 160 tickets for $40, or 400 tickets for $75. The more tickets you buy, the greater your odds of winning.

The first lottery of 2022 runs until Wednesday, February 16th with the grand prize winner drawn the following day. The grand prize consists of the jackpot, which grows every time more tickets are purchased, plus a bonus prize of a $2,500 Resorts of Ontario gift certificate or $2,000 cash.

Five early bird draws will also be held on “WINter Wednesdays”. In three of the draws, three winners will each receive $500 cash and, in the other two draws, 10 winners will each receive a $50 Shoppers Drug Mart gift card.

Ticket buyers must be 18 years of age or older and in the province of Ontario to play.

Half of all the ticket sales in the 50/50 lottery go the PRHC Foundation to support equipment and technology at the hospital that the government doesn’t fund. For more information about the PRHC Foundation, visit prhcfoundation.ca.

On the eve of new public health restrictions taking effect across Ontario in an attempt to reduce the spread of the omicron variant, at least 3,400 active cases of COVID-19 are being reported across the greater Kawarthas region, with around 28 people currently in hospital due to the disease.

As of Tuesday (January 4), Hastings Prince Edward Public Health is reporting 1,323 active cases; Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge Health Unit is reporting 1,041 active cases; and Peterborough Public Health is reporting 1,035 active cases.

However, due to changes in eligibility for PCR tests that went into effect on Friday, all regional health units are cautioning these numbers are underestimates of actual cases.

In Hastings Prince Edward, there are 540 active cases in Belleville, 364 in Quinte West, 158 in Prince Edward County, 136 in Central Hastings, 78 in North Hastings, 32 in Tyendinaga & Deseronto, and 14 in Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory. There are 10 active outbreaks, including six at long-term care and retirement homes, three in congregate living facilities, and one at Quinte Health Care Belleville General Hospital. A total of 18 people are hospitalized due to COVID-19, with five patients in intensive care.

In Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge, there are 370 active cases in Kawartha Lakes, 593 in Northumberland, and 76 in Haliburton. There are 13 active outbreaks, including six at long-term care and retirement homes, five in congregate living facilities, one at a elementary school, and one at Northumberland Hills Hospital. Five people are currently hospitalized because of COVID-19, with three patients in intensive care.

In Peterborough, 424 new cases have been confirmed since the health unit’s last report on Friday, increasing the number of active cases to 1,035. There are eight active outbreaks, including five at long-term care and retirement homes, two in congregate living facilities, two at elementary schools, and one at Peterborough Regional Health Centre. There are at least five people hospitalized due to COVID-19. Peterborough is reporting its 30th COVID-related death, the sixth death in the last month.

Provincially, Ontario is reporting 11,352 new cases confirmed by PCR testing. However, Ontario’s COVID-19 science advisory table is estimating the daily number of cases at 19,854, with a test positivity rate of 32.4 per cent — meaning around 32 out of every 100 people tested are positive for COVID-19.

According to the provincial government, around one out of every 100 people infected by the omicron variant will end up in hospital. As of Tuesday, there are at least 1,290 Ontarians hospitalized with COVID-19, with 266 patients in intensive care due to a COVID-related critical illness.

Effective January 5, Ontario will be limiting social gatherings to five people indoors and 10 outdoors, closing indoor dining at restaurants and bars, closing gyms, and closing indoor concert venues, theatres, cinemas, museums, galleries, and more.

The measures will remain in effect for at least three weeks, in an attempt to limit the spread of the omicron variant and preserve hospital capacity until more people receive their booster shots of vaccine.

The province is also delaying the return of students to in-person learning by at least two weeks until January 17, moving schools online, and instructing hospitals to pause all non-emergent and non-urgent surgeries and procedures.

Two days after Ontario reported a record-high 18,445 new COVID-19 cases and with more than 1,200 infected people being treated in hospitals, the provincial government has announced additional public health measures in an attempt to reduce the rapid spread of the omicron variant and reduce its impact on the health care system.

Effective January 5, Ontario will be limiting social gatherings to five people indoors and 10 outdoors, closing indoor dining at restaurants and bars, closing gyms, and closing indoor concert venues, theatres, cinemas, museums, galleries, and more. The measures will remain in effect for at least three weeks.

The province is also delaying the return of students to in-person learning by at least two weeks until January 17, moving schools online, and instructing hospitals to pause all non-emergent and non-urgent surgeries and procedures.

The government is describing the restrictions as a “modified” version of the province’s Step Two of the Roadmap to Reopen, which was in effect in June and July last year.

“We face a tsunami of new cases in the days and weeks ahead and, as we do, virtually everyone in this province will know someone who has been exposed to this virus,” said Premier Doug Ford at Queen’s Park on Monday (January 3), during his first media conference since December 17.

“Now, we’re bracing for impact. Based on our real-world experience here in Ontario, the evidence tells us that about one per cent of people who get omicron will end up in the hospital. That may not seem a lot and, under past waves, it might have been something we could withstand. But omicron isn’t like the other variants — it’s much, much more transmissible, so the math isn’t on our side.”

“Based on the current trends, our public health experts tell us we could see hundreds of thousands of cases every single day,” Ford said. “One per cent of hundreds of thousands is too many new patients for our hospitals to handle. Over the past few days, we’ve started to see an alarming number of new hospital admissions now, with triple-digit admissions into hospitals every single day.

Ford added that people infected with omicron who are admitted to hospital are leaving soon after, “sometimes only staying for a couple of days,” as opposed to weeks in intensive care units with previous variants.

“But even so, with omicron surging across Ontario at the current rate, Ontario health modelling tells us we could be thousands of beds short in the coming weeks,” Ford said. “We can’t let that happen. This data is a clear call for further action. We must do everything in our powers to protect our hospitals and to ensure our frontline workers aren’t overwhelmed.”

Ford said that, while the province has been adding new hospital beds over the past months and will continue to do so, “added capacity alone isn’t enough — we need to implement measures that further reduce contacts and mobility.”

Effective at 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday, January 5th, the following public health restrictions go into effect:

• Reducing social gathering limits to five people indoors and 10 people outdoors.
• Limiting capacity at organized public events to five people indoors.
• Requiring businesses and organizations to ensure employees work remotely, unless the nature of their work requires them to be onsite.
• Limiting capacity at indoor weddings, funerals, and religious services, rites and ceremonies to 50 per cent capacity of the particular room. Outdoor services are limited to the number of people that can maintain two metres of physical distance. Social gatherings associated with these services must adhere to the social gathering limits.
• Limiting capacity at retail settings, including shopping malls, to 50 per cent capacity. For shopping malls, physical distancing is required in line-ups, loitering is not permitted, and food courts are required to close.
• Limiting personal care services to 50 per cent capacity, along with other restrictions. Saunas, steam rooms, and oxygen bars must close.
• Closing indoor meeting and event spaces with limited exceptions, but permitting outdoor spaces to remain open with restrictions.
• Limiting public libraries to 50 per cent capacity.
• Closing indoor dining at restaurants, bars, and other food or drink establishments. Outdoor dining with restrictions, takeout, drive through, and delivery is permitted.
• Restricting the sale of alcohol after 10 p.m. and the consumption of alcohol on-premise in businesses or settings after 11 p.m., with delivery and takeout, grocery and convenience stores, and other liquor stores exempted.
• Closing indoor concert venues, theatres, cinemas, with rehearsals and recorded performances permitted with restrictions.
• Closing museums, galleries, zoos, science centres, landmarks, historic sites, botanical gardens and similar attractions, amusement parks and waterparks, tour and guide services and fairs, rural exhibitions, and festivals. Outdoor establishments are permitted to open with restrictions and with spectator occupancy, where applicable, limited to 50 per cent capacity.
• Closing indoor horse racing tracks, car racing tracks, and other similar venues. Outdoor establishments are permitted to open, with restrictions and with spectator occupancy limited to 50 per cent capacity. Boat tour are permitted at 50 per cent capacity.
• Closing indoor sport and recreational fitness facilities, including gyms, except for athletes training for the Olympics and Paralympics and select professional and elite amateur sport leagues. Outdoor facilities are permitted to operate, but with the number of spectators not to exceed 50 per cent occupancy and other requirements.

For a full list of public health measures, visit covid-19.ontario.ca/public-health-measures. The measures will remain in effect for at least 21 days (until January 26).

In addition, the province is delaying the return of students to in-person learning at all publicly funded and private schools until at least Monday, January 17th. All schools will move to remote learning beginning Wednesday, January 5th.

School buildings will be allowed to remain open for child care operations (including emergency child care), to provide in-person instruction for students with special education needs who cannot be accommodated remotely, and for staff who are unable to deliver quality instruction from home.

During the remote learning period, the government will provide free emergency child care for school-aged children of health care and other eligible frontline workers.

Also on January 5, the Chief Medical Officer of Health will reinstate “Directive 2” for hospitals and regulated health professionals, instructing hospitals to pause all non-emergent and non-urgent surgeries and procedures to preserve critical care and human resource capacity in the health care system.

As for supports for businesses affected by the new measures, Ford said the government would be expanding its new Ontario Business Costs Rebate Program, originally announced on December 22. Under that program, eligible businesses required to close or reduce capacity will receive rebate payments for a portion of the property tax and energy costs they incur while subject to the measures.

Under the original announcement of the program, eligible businesses required to reduce capacity to 50 per cent, such as smaller retail stores, will receive a rebate payment equivalent to 50 per cent of their costs. The program has now been expanded to include businesses required to close for indoor activities (such as restaurants and gyms), which wiill receive a rebate payment equivalent to 100 per cent of their costs.

A full list of eligible business types will be made available when applications for the program open later in January.

Peterborough veterinarian Kristy Hiltz was looking forward to a quiet New Year’s Eve at home with her family.

But when Stacey MacPherson, a registered veterinary technician (RVT) at Dr. Hiltz’s Sherbrooke Heights Animal Hospital, messaged her that the Kawartha Veterinary Emergency Clinic (KVEC) was overwhelmed with patients and had to close its doors to catch up, that plan abruptly was put aside.

“She posted a screenshot of a Facebook post that KVEC had made and asked ‘What should we do? If it’s closed, our clients won’t be able to access care.’,” Dr. Hiltz recalls.

“But it wasn’t just our clients who were unable to access care,” Dr. Hiltz explains. “If the emergency clinic is closed, nobody is getting care. I called KVEC and asked what they needed from us. ‘Do you want us to just man the phones? Do you want us to take non-critical cases until you’re back on your feet? Basically, how can we help?'”

Located at 1840 Lansdowne Street West, KVEC is an accredited emergency veterinary clinic with veterinarians, RVTs, and support staff experienced in emergency medicine and surgery. The full-service after-hours clinic services veterinarians and their clients in Peterborough, Kawarthas Lakes, and Northumberland. In 2021, KVEC treated almost 11,000 small animals needing emergency care and treatment.

What Dr. Hiltz learned during her call with KVEC was that the clinic already had 16 patients in its care on December 31 when a large number of emergency cases started to arrive around 9 a.m. By 3 p.m., the clinic had reached full capacity and was forced to close its doors to new incoming patients.

“We put a notice on our Facebook page that we had to shut down,” says KVEC office manager and RVT Joanne Pidgeon, noting that — at the height of the crisis — more than 30 animals, both admissions and outpatients, were in the clinic’s care.

“That was a difficult message to put out but we had to,” she says. “We didn’t have a choice.”

With Dr. Hiltz’s offer to help, along with another offer of assistance from Dr. Leslie Scott at the Norwood Veterinary Hospital, KVEC was able to refer incoming patients.

“We were thrilled with the offers of help,” Pidgeon says. “It made our day that they did that. They’re very compassionate people.”

At the Sherbrooke Heights Animal Hospital, Dr. Hiltz had swung into action by 5:30 p.m., assisted by MacPherson. Joining them was a second vet-RVT pairing of Dr. Sara Tratch and Jill Vander Eyken.

“We had five emergencies in four hours,” notes Dr. Hiltz. “That doesn’t sound like a lot, but when you’re having to do blood work, x-rays, and anaesthesia surgery, it was busy. One was a real concern. The others weren’t life threatening, but there was a lot of suffering.”

By 9 p.m. on New Year’s Eve, the capacity crisis at KVEC had passed and the emergency clinic was one again able to accept new patients.

“We all thought we had the day off,” Dr Hiltz says. “Everybody had plans — we missed some important family time. Stacey and I left after 9 p.m. The other team left about 10 p.m. We have so little family time these days, but it was important that the animals were seen.”

While the final day of 2021 was hectic for the veterinarians and RVTs involved, Dr. Hiltz says it’s a microcosm of a bigger problem.

“Prior to COVID, we were experiencing a shortage of veterinarians Canada wide,” she explains. “Then COVID hit, and that really precipitated an enormous crisis in terms of our ability to provide services, and also in terms of mental health and burnout amongst veterinarians.”

“When the first lockdown happened, there was this gut-wrenching, soul-sucking anguish. I didn’t know if we were going to be completely locked down. We didn’t know if we were going to be declared an essential service. All I could think about were the animals and the people who are going to watch their animals die, with no access to care and no access to pain management. I almost went out of my mind with worry during those first few weeks of the pandemic.”

Not helping the veterinarian shortage challenge was the fact that more people were acquiring animals to keep them company during the isolation of lockdown. In addition, people were paying more attention to their pets as they spent more time with them, prompting them to seek veterinary care in increasing numbers.

“It’s not a shortage that’s going to be over any time soon,” says Dr. Hiltz. “In the meantime, those on the front lines (of veterinary care) are running with no gas in their tanks and consistently being pushed beyond their limits.”

“Mental health has become a big issue in our profession. There’s now an organization called Not One More Vet to deal with this. Veterinarian suicide is rampant.”

A U.S. non-profit organization, Not One More Vet was founded in 2014 by Dr. Nicole McArthur following the suicide of world-renowned veterinarian and author Dr. Sophia Yin. The membership of Not One More Vet’s private Facebook group exceeds 28,000 veterinary professionals worldwide.

According to Not One More Vet, one in 10 veterinarians and one in five veterinary technicians have contemplated suicide. Statistics from the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association state that one in five Canadian veterinarians and technologists have reported suicidal thoughts. Research from the Ontario Veterinary College published in early 2020 reported 26.2 per cent of Canadian veterinarians had contemplated suicide in the previous 12 months.

For Dr. Hiltz, what transpired on New Year’s Eve was her “nightmare coming to fruition.”

“I’m incredibly proud of my staff,” she says. “I’m a veterinarian but I’m also the boss. To put a message out on Facebook and have three of my already overworked staff, each of whom were looking forward to a break, step up is heartening. Not just us, but the Norwood Veterinary Hospital as well.”

“But as proud as I am, I also know how close to the edge everybody is,” Dr. Hiltz adds. “You have to be really careful about what you’re asking. In all honesty, it’s probably more than I should have asked of my staff.”

The capacity crisis at KVEC, Dr. Hiltz says, is an example of how close to the breaking point veterinary medicine is.

“It worked out this time but it’s not the big solution we need,” she says. “We don’t have anymore to give. We’re doing everything we can with what we have.”

Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay has welcomed the first baby born at the hospital in 2022.

Olivia Walker, daughter to Cheyanne and Colton Walker, arrived at 11:34 a.m. on New Year’s Day.

“She gave us a run for our money, but definitely worth every second of it,” Cheyanne says in a media release from the hospital, referring to the 24 hours she spent in labour.

Olivia weighed in at 7 pounds and 6 ounces and is the first child for the Lindsay couple.

“We’re very excited,” they say. “We can’t wait for her to meet the rest of her crazy family.”

Olivia was delivered by Dr. Yehuda Habaz.

“Ross Memorial sends our congratulations and best wishes to the entire Walker family,” reads the media release.