As Christmas Eve nears and with the number of new local COVID-19 infections rising in unprecedented fashion, Peterborough’s medical officer of health is urging a night more silent than anything we’ve experienced.

During a Peterborough Public Health media briefing held Thursday (December 23), Dr. Thomas Piggott said it’s more than important now than ever before that residents follow local and provincial guidance, including limiting indoor gatherings to 10 or less people (25 or less outdoors), confirming family members and guests are vaccinated, screening for symptoms, and ensuring that the gathering space is well ventilated and all are wearing tightly fitting masks as much as possible.

“If you’re looking to use rapid antigen tests to make a holiday gathering that already fits within the guidance safer, be sure to do testing immediately before the gathering because test results can change quickly,” advised Dr. Piggott, noting test results should not be considered valid for any longer than the day of the gathering.

“Rapid antigen testing is only one layer of protection. Just like we have to layer up to go outside in the cold winter, we need to layer up in our response to COVID. If you don’t have access to rapid antigen testing, the other layers are just as, or more, important.”

Dr. Piggott’s guidance for gatherings comes as number of active cases of COVID-19 in the Peterborough region hit a pandemic high, with 208 reported as of late Wednesday afternoon. Provincially, Ontario has also reported a pandemic high of 5,790 daily cases on Thursday.

Fuelling the number of active cases locally is a high daily new case count, with 23 new cases confirmed on both December 19 and 20, 51 reported on December 21, and 38 new cases recorded December 22. This week to date, 112 new cases have emerged, just one shy of last week’s pandemic-high weekly new case count of 113.

That number will rise dramatically today (Thursday), with Dr. Piggott noting that 91 new cases have been confirmed since Wednesday’s tally was provided.

“That is far beyond anything we’ve experienced to date in the Peterborough region,” Dr. Piggott said.

“What we’re seeing is probably the tip of the iceberg. Because of delays and challenges accessing testing and because of the fact that many people may be asymptomatic, and may not think they need testing because they have just one or two symptoms and they’re protected by the vaccine, I suspect transmission is much more rampant than we’re aware of.”

Meanwhile, the number of local COVID-related deaths has risen to 28, with Dr. Piggott confirming the death of an individual in their 40s who was vaccinated with two doses but had a complicating medical condition.

There are two outbreaks locally, both reported Wednesday: one associated with Crestwood Secondary School and the other at Extendicare Lakefield.

Speaking to local vaccination efforts, Dr. Piggott said a new approach has just been adopted due to “significant” issues with the Pfizer vaccine supply in Ontario. To counter that, all residents over the age of 30 will receive the Moderna vaccine for their third dose.

“We have to save supply of the Pfizer vaccine for people under the age of 30 — there is a NACI (National Advisory Committee on Immunization) recommendation of preferentially using the Pfizer vaccine for that population due to a lower risk of myocarditis and pericarditis,” said Dr. Piggott, adding “There’s emerging evidence that the Moderna booster is slightly more effective against the omicron variant. It’s a great vaccine.”

To date, 23.9 per cent of eligible local residents aged 18 and up have received a third booster shot. Those seeking a third shot can book an appointment online at covid19.ontariohealth.ca or by phone at 1-833-943-3900. Walk-ins will not be accommodated. Some local pharmacies are also offering booster shots.

“In the past week, we’ve seen a nearly six-fold increase in the number of vaccine appointments we are able to offer residents in an effort to accelerate rollout of the booster,” said Dr. Piggott. “Up until the middle of January, we have 6,300 appointments available at last check.”

As of late Wednesday afternoon (December 22), 84.5 per cent of eligible residents aged five and up have received one dose while 79.6 per cent have received two doses. Meanwhile, first dose vaccination of local children aged 5 to 11 has again seen a huge uptake this past week, now at 40 percent. With no walk-ins being taken, parents and guardians must book a vaccination appointment. Visit peterboroughpublichealth.ca/clinics for a listing of locations and times of clinics.

Based on the number of residents who have received a booster shot in a relatively short time, as well as the growing demand for that extra protection, Dr. Piggott is heartened.

“People are starting to realize that this (the omicron variant) is here,” he said. “I’m very heartened to see all the individuals coming forward for the third dose, and to see the wonderful support and compliance we’re getting from the public, and also our businesses.”

“Everyone is collaborating. Everyone wants to get through this. I think we will, but we’re not through the thick of it yet. We have a lot of work to do.”

As for daily case counts and active cases over the next week, Peterborough Public Health will be updating its daily COVID-19 dashboard found at localcovidtracker.ca once more this week, at noon on Friday (December 24), before returning to daily updates again next Wednesday (December 29).

Also participating in Thursday’s media briefing were Peterborough mayor Diane Therrien, county warden J. Murray Jones, Hiawatha First Nation chief Laurie Carr, and Selwyn mayor and Board of Health chair Andy Mitchell.

All expressed their thanks to public health staff and vaccine clinic volunteers for the long hours and unrelenting effort to keep local residents both safe and informed.

Effective Thursday (December 23), both Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) and Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay have introduced more restrictive visitor policies to help protect the health and safety of patients and staff in the face of surging COVID-19 cases due to the omicron variant.

At PRHC, patients belonging to specific groups may have two designated essential caregivers registered to them. In most cases, only one designated caregiver will be permitted in the patient’s room at one time.

An essential caregiver or care partner is a person who provides support to a patient with limited capacity, an urgent medical condition, age-related issues, a disability. or chronic health concerns. Caregivers may be family, friends, or neighbours, and there is no age requirement to provide care.

Designated essential caregivers will be permitted at PRHC for the following patient groups only:

• Patients who are near end-of-life.
• Patients who are under 18 years of age (supported by parents or legal guardians).
• Patients who require a support person in the emergency department, at the discretion of the care team.
• Patients who are giving birth at the hospital (supported by birthing partner).
• Patients who clinically require a support person to safely attend their appointment or support inpatient care. This includes patients with physical, cognitive and developmental disabilities, and who have challenges with communication and mobility.
• Patients who require a support person when receiving a life-altering diagnosis or experiencing a mental health crisis. In the Emergency Department, this will be at the discretion of the care team due to capacity limitations and infection control protocols.
• Other critical or urgent circumstances requiring family presence, including visits to the ICU.

Visiting hours for designated essential caregivers will continue to be 12 p.m. to 8 p.m., subject to additional restrictions as detailed on PRHC’s website. For more information, visit
prhc.on.ca/about-us/covid-19-novel-coronavirus/visiting-prhc-during-covid-19/

Designated essential caregivers coming to the hospital will continue to be screened at both public entrances and will be required to check in with their name and phone number at the hospital’s main information desk. They will be asked to wear a mask at all times when in the hospital, including in the patient/bed area, and to clean their hands well and frequently while at the hospital.

At Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay, each admitted patient is now allowed only two designated visitors for the duration of their hospitalization (visitors must be at least 16 years of age) and only one can visit each day.

Exceptions apply for end-of-life, critically ill, childbirth, and vulnerable patients. For a full list of exceptions, visit rmh.org/covid-19 and see the “Visiting Restrictions and Protocols” section.

All visitors must be double vaccinated except visitors who fall under specific exceptions, who will be required to submit to a rapid antigen test upon entering the hospital. All visitors will be screened for COVID-19 symptoms, and those who fail screening will be denied entry.

Visitors must wear a hospital-issued mask at all times and maintain at least two metres distance between patients and members of the care team at all times. Cloth masks or any other face-covering brought from home will not be accepted.

Both PRHC and Ross Memorial Hospital offer virtual visits through video calls or telephone calls.

Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and New Year’s Day are all statutory holidays in Ontario that fall on the weekend this year. All liquor and beer stores are closed, except for a selected few that will be open on Boxing Day. Government offices and services, which are normally closed on weekends, will observe the statutory holidays on the next business day, with many municipal offices closed for the entirety of Boxing Week. Most businesses — including malls, box stores, and grocery stores — are closed on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day but are open on Boxing Day. Many businesses close early in the afternoon on both Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.

For your convenience, we provide this list of holiday hours for 271 selected businesses and services across the Kawarthas. This information comes from their websites and social media accounts, which may or may not be up to date, so please always call them first to confirm their hours (we’ve included phone numbers), especially when you are travelling any distance. Where you see “Call” or “Call to confirm”, that means we either couldn’t find any information or we don’t have a lot of confidence the hours listed on a business’s website are up to date. If your business or organization is listed and the hours are incorrect, please let us know by using our content feedback form. We do not list restaurants as there are too many to include.

Search by business name, location, or keyword:

Beer & Liquor Stores

Drug Stores, Pharmacies & Health Services

Government Services

Grocery Stores

Malls & Box Stores

Other Stores

Recreation & Leisure

Veterinary Clinics

When tossing around ideas to end 2021 and ring in the New Year, GreenUP staff combined two of their most favourite things: sustainable solutions and our vibrant community. The result? A topic that is hopeful, intriguing, and celebratory, and that taps into the local community to share hope and positivity in the face of challenge.

For the next three weeks, we’ll fill your minds (and hearts) with responses from local visionaries — community leaders, cultural leaders, and thought leaders — to the question, “What is your green wish for our community for 2022?”

The answers we got are diverse and thought-provoking, but they all have one thing in common: they express their love for the greater Peterborough region!

Below are green wishes from our local political and business leaders.

Happy holidays from the team at GreenUP!

Andy Mitchell, Peterborough County Deputy Warden and Mayor of Selwyn Township

My green wish for Selwyn Township is to reduce the amount of waste created during the holiday season.

When wrapping gifts, think of using reusable materials or recyclable products. Ribbon, bows, and tissue paper may be festive, but they are not recyclable.

Instead of throwing them away, reuse them next year or opt for more sustainable options like boxes and bags.

You can even use newspaper as wrapping paper and cut old holiday cards for gift tags!

Jeannine Taylor, Publisher and Founder of kawarthaNOW

My green wish for 2022 is that we recognize, as a community, that we need to protect and preserve the waterways that we live on.

I have been fortunate to live in East City since 1992. We often visit Rogers Cove, Beavermead, and Ecology Park, which are all ecological gems in our neighbourhood. Historically, our community was established on and around Jackson Creek, Otonabee River, and Little Lake and these waterways are, in fact, the reason for the community being here.

Twenty months of pandemic overuse are readily visible on their shorelines. My green wish includes that we prioritize the well-being of our waterways and ensure that these ecosystems will be protected.

“Little Lake is a distinct resource in the heart of the city’s urban area. Few cities have a resource like Little Lake that supports a wide variety of uses, both on the water and in the parks and open spaces at the water’s edge.” – The City of Peterborough Little Lake Master Plan, 2009

Michelle Ferreri, Member of Parliament for Peterborough-Kawartha

My green wish for 2022 is for the people of Peterborough-Kawartha to get out and enjoy what our incredible community has to offer.

We have the most pristine lakes, beautiful nature trails, and conservation areas all around us.

By getting out and enjoying these areas, it helps to understand why we need to sustain this environment.

Rhonda Keenan, President and CEO of Peterborough & The Kawarthas Economic Development (PKED)

PKED is the lead regional economic development agency for the City and County of Peterborough and is committed to fostering economic growth through sustainability and innovation.

Knowing how difficult these past two years have been on business and the regional economy, it is my green wish for 2022 that we attract a new, innovative, clean technology company to Cleantech Commons at Trent University, one that will drive cleantech research, and create new cleantech jobs for this region.

Stuart Harrison, President and CEO of the Greater Peterborough Chamber of Commerce

As we navigate our way through the global pandemic, I’m reflecting on what got us through it, and I’m not thinking of Zoom…

I’m thinking that our most valuable tools were also the simplest: food, family, fresh air, and a good walk.

My green wish for 2022 is that these simple pursuits continue to work their magic on our physical and mental health.

GreenUP reached out to many people to invite them to share their green wishes for 2022. This is a busy time, and so we wanted to express our gratitude to those who were able to participate and acknowledge those who were unable to find the time: your work is important to the vibrancy and health of our community.

In particular, we want to appreciate Dr. Thomas Piggott, our new medical officer of health at Peterborough Public Health. Understandably, Dr. Piggott and his incredible team were unable to share their green wishes with us at this time.

They have, however, expressed many wishes (and requirements and instructions) for how we can all continue to do our part to keep our community safe and healthy during the ongoing pandemic. Please visit peterboroughpublichealth.ca for the latest guidance and updates.

Finally, while we’ve asked local leaders to share their green wish for our community for 2022, we want to hear from everyone! Please share your wish with us on social media @PtboGreenUP or by visiting greenup.on.ca/green-wish.

We will be back next week with green wishes from local environmental and social justice leaders.

The emergency department at Campbellford Memorial Hospital will be closed over Christmas Eve due to staff shortages.

According to a media release from the hospital issued on Wednesday evening (December 22), the emergency department will close at 5 p.m. on Christmas Eve (Friday, December 24) and will reopen at 7:30 a.m. on Christmas Day (Saturday, December 25).

The hospital made the decision to temporarily close the emergency department “due to difficulties in staffing this essential service having considered the quality of care requirements of our community.”

Before making the decision, the hospital reached out to other health care partners in the region for staffing assistance. According to the hospital, partners were “incredibly supportive” but unable to help because of their own human resource challenges dealing with the pandemic.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has certainly highlighted the implications of the shortage of health human resources throughout the province,” says Eric Hanna, the hospital’s president and CEO. “CMH is continuously re-evaluating our strategies to recruit and retain members of our team during these challenging times.”

The hospital has implemented a contingency plan for the temporary closure, including advising EMS and other emergency services of the closure.

Any area residents requiring emergency health care treatment during the closure should call 911. During the hours of the closure, ambulances will take patients directly to the closest area hospital that offers emergency medical services.

During the closure, area residents requiring urgent but non-emergency health care treatment should go directly to one of the following hospitals in the region: Northumberland Hills Hospital at 1000 DePalma Drive in Cobourg, Trenton Memorial Hospital at 242 King Street in Trenton, Belleville General Hospital at 265 Dundas Street East in Belleville, Peterborough Regional Health Centre at 1 Hospital Drive in Peterborough.

On Wednesday (December 22), the federal government announced it is expanding eligibility for COVID-19 support programs to include businesses and workers affected by capacity limits arising from the spread of the omicron variant. Prior to the federal announcement, the Ontario government announced a new property tax and energy rebate program for businesses along with a six-month deferral period for most provincial taxes.

The federal government is temporarily expanding its definition of a lockdown to include public health orders in provinces and territories that reduce capacity limits by at least 50 per cent. Previously, the definition only included public health orders that required a business to close its doors to the public for at least two weeks.

“Today, through regulatory authorities that were approved with the passage of Bill C-2, we are announcing our decision to temporarily expand the definition of a lockdown, so that these wage and rent support programs can support workers and businesses that see capacity restricted by 50 per cent or more,” said federal finance minister Chrystia Freeland during a virtual media conference on Wednesday afternoon.

The expanded definition, which includes provincial and territorial orders involving capacity restrictions of 50 per cent or more, is retroactive to December 19 and also reduces the minimum number of days a lockdown order needs to be in place to meet the new definition from 14 consecutive days to seven consecutive days.

Under the new definition, the Local Lockdown Program will include employers subject to capacity-limiting restrictions of 50 per cent or more, and the current-month revenue decline threshold requirement will be reduced to 25 per cent. Eligible employers will receive wage and rent subsidies from 25 per cent up to 75 per cent, depending on how much revenue they have lost loss.

“If you are an employer who has to reduce the capacity of your main business by 50 per cent or more, you will be eligible for wage and rent subsidy support through the Local Lockdown Program,” Freeland said. “Your organization only needs to demonstrate revenue loss during the current month, compared with 2019. Employers will be able to apply for these expanded support programs after the end of each program period, in exactly the same way that they received wage and rent subsidy support when those programs were launched last year.”

For workers, the expanded definition means the Canada Worker Lockdown Benefit will include workers in regions where provincial or territorial governments have introduced capacity-limiting restrictions of 50 per cent or more.

“This benefit will put $300 a week in your pocket to supplement your lost wages,” Freeland said.

The Canada Worker Lockdown Benefit is available to workers who have lost 50 per cent or more of their income, including workers who are ineligible for Employment Insurance (EI) as well as those who are eligible for EI, as long as they are not paid benefits through EI for the same period.

Both the Local Lockdown Program and the Canada Worker Lockdown Benefit are available retroactively from October 24 to May 7, 2022, although the expanded lockdown definition is only retroactive to December 19.

The expanded lockdown definition will remain in place until February 12, after which it will revert to the original definition of a lockdown to mean the closure of non-essential commercial activities or services for at least 14 consecutive days.

“Public companies receiving the wage subsidy through these support programs that increase their top executive compensation in 2022 compared to 2019 will have this wage subsidy support clawed back,” Freeland added. “These companies will also become ineligible if they pay dividends while receiving the wage subsidy.”

Prior to the federal announcement, the Ontario government announced a new Ontario Business Costs Rebate Program and a six-month interest- and penalty-free period to make payments for most provincially administered taxes.

Through the new Ontario Business Costs Rebate Program, eligible businesses will receive rebate payments equivalent to 50 per cent of the property tax and energy costs they incur while subject to the current capacity limits. Examples of eligible businesses include restaurants, smaller retail stores, and gyms.

A full list of eligible business types will be made available in mid-January 2022, when online applications for the program will open. Payments to eligible businesses will be provided retroactive to December 19. Businesses will be required to submit property tax and energy bills as part of the application process.

The province is providing an optional six-month interest- and penalty-free period for businesses to make payments for most provincially administered taxes, including the employer health tax, taxes on beer, wine, and spirits, tobacco tax, insurance premium tax, fuel tax, international fuel tax agreement, gas tax, retail sales tax on insurance contracts and benefit plans, mining tax, and race tracks tax.

The six-month period will begin on January 1 and end on July 1, 2022.

The demand for COVID-19 testing continues to be extremely high in the Peterborough area. Within hours of a three-day pop-up testing clinic being announced, all available appointments were booked.

At around 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday afternoon (December 21), Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) announced a pop-up testing clinic would be held at St. Peter Catholic Secondary School (730 Medical Drive) from December 22 to 24. By 5:30 p.m., all available appointments had been booked.

The increased demand for testing comes as the omicron variant continues to spread across Ontario, with a significant increase in confirmed cases locally.

As of Tuesday afternoon, there are 156 active cases of COVID-19 in the Peterborough area, with most being reported over the past week.

Residents are also seeking testing in advance of holiday gatherings. Long line-ups have been reported for earlier distributions of rapid antigen testing kits in Peterborough, with many people not being able to obtain a kit. Rapid antigen tests are used to determine whether a person requires a PCR test to confirm a COVID-19 infection.

While PRHC continues to offer testing services at the hospital’s COVID-19 Assessment Centre, “demand continues to be extremely high” according to a media release from PRHC. More information about booking a test through the COVID-19 Assessment Centre can be found at prhc.on.ca/about-us/covid-19-novel-coronavirus/getting-tested-for-covid19/

“At the risk of sounding arrogant, I’m pretty much the most important thing on the planet. Without me, life could not exist.”

So begins a holiday donation appeal by Kawartha Land Trust, written from the perspective of what the Anishinaabe people — the original inhabitants of the Kawarthas region — call Nibi or Nibiish.

“When you protect vital lands such as watersheds and wetlands, you help protect me (Water) and all living things.”

Kawartha Land Trust is a non-government charitable organization working to protect land in the Kawarthas. It currently protects 22 properties, comprising more than 4,500 acres of important and diverse types of land — including watersheds and wetlands.

In the Kawarthas, the loss of natural drainage systems is vast. In southern Ontario, more than 70 per cent of wetlands have already been destroyed by development.

Paved surfaces like roads, parking lots, and buildings change how water moves about the landscape, leading to increased risk of flooding and higher rates of erosion. Water can pick up pollutants such as pesticides, sediments, and fertilizers from farms and lawns, as well as salt, oil, and gas from parking lots and roads.

Wetlands help protect us from flooding by storing surface water and decreasing its flow over land. They help control shoreline erosion. They purify water by filtering out pesticides and harmful contaminants from human development, while also reducing the load on water treatment plants. Wetlands help replenish aquifers, essential to the groundwater that 30 per cent of Canadians rely on for their drinking water.

And wetlands do not only benefit people. Hundreds of wildlife species rely on wetlands, including birds, turtles, snakes, frogs, and fish. Perhaps most importantly, wetlands are immensely valuable for climate resilience, by trapping and sequestering carbon.

Kawartha Land Trust is asking for donor support so it can continue its important work of protecting water-related ecosystems in the Kawarthas. The organization is currently protecting 27 kilometres of natural shorelines and more than 1,060 acres of provincially significant wetland.

Through its Partners in Conservation project, Kawartha Land Trust is protecting water quality in the Fleetwood Creek Watershed, situated between Pontypool and Omemee along Ski Hill Road through Bethany. Since 2018, the project has worked with 20 private landowners to enable the stewardship of 2,400 acres of land.

In addition, Kawartha Land Trust is already protecting several properties that have important water conservation values. Here are some of them:

van Nostrand property

The van Nostrand property is located 15 kilometres southeast of Peterborough, on the shoreline of Rice Lake at the mouth of the Indian River, one of the three major river systems in the Otonabee Region watershed. The majority of this property is coastal wetland dominated by cattail marsh which hosts a diversity of species.

The property lies within the provincially significant wetland of Indian River Mouth. It also contains a portion of the regionally significant Indian River Marsh Life Science (ANSI). Containing more than 2.6 kilometres of shoreline along Rice Lake and the Indian River, it is an important corridor of connectivity along the shoreline of Rice Lake and the Indian River.

Christie Bentham Wetland

In 2020, Kawartha Land Trust purchased a 137-acre property south of Burleigh Falls, named after long-time Stony Lake community member Christie Bentham. Thanks to community support, this was the first time the organization purchased a property to protect, as all other protected properties have been donated by landowners.

Featuring more than 366 metres of natural and undisturbed waterfront on Clear Lake, a provincially significant wetland on the property contributes to the water quality of surrounding Bays and Clear Lake. It also provides vital habitat for breeding fish, birds, and species at risk.

Keppler Nature Sanctuary

Located in the Chandos Lake area north of Apsley, the Keppler Nature Sanctuary contains a large wetland. It also has a mixed canopy forest, permanent streams, and vernal pools. Adjacent to 600 acres of Crown land, this 296-acre property protects a wetland network that is part of the Crowe River Watershed.

Wetlands on the property include graminoid meadow marshes and forested swamps. Around 566 metres of permanent streams flow through the northwestern corner of the property, feeding into the surrounding seasonally flooded meadow marshes. A large recently dewatered beaver pond occupies the northeastern corner of the property. These significant features provide critical habitat for many species at risk.

Big (Boyd/Chiminis) Island

Big (Boyd/Chiminis) Island, located in Pigeon Lake west of Buckhorn, is the largest undeveloped island in the Kawarthas.

The property is an area of natural and scientific interest, and home to wetlands, diverse forests, and a wide variety of plant and wildlife species.

Fell Wetland

Relatively untouched by human activity and home to a forested wetland and cattail marsh, the 50-acre Fell Wetland property contains a portion of a provincially significant wetland that provides an excellent habitat to a biodiversity of flora and fauna.

Mitchell Creek runs through the property and leads to Cameron Lake, a part of the Trent Severn Waterway. This wetland system contributes significantly to the connectivity throughout the agricultural landscape, and is a major biodiversity hot spot in an otherwise highly disturbed area. The wetland and forests on this property serve as an important corridor for wildlife movement in the area.

Nogies Creek and Balsam Lake

Kawartha Conservation donated Kawartha Land Trust’s latest protected properties in 2021. The two wetland properties, one on Nogies Creek and one on Balsam Lake, both contain significant ecological features and provide potential natural corridors to provincially protected areas.

The 100-acre Nogies Creek property includes significant ecological features, including mature forest stands and wetlands, and is a potential corridor between the Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park and the Queen Elizabeth Wildlands Provincial Park.

The 72-acre Balsam Lake property sits within a provincially significant wetland and provides excellent habitat for rare and at-risk species. Featuring 450 metres of natural shoreline along Balsam Lake, the property is a patchwork of shallow slow-moving watercourses and temporary water bodies that weave through three different types of wetland ecosystems, including a cattail marsh.

This holiday season, you can give a gift that lasts for generations. By making a donation, you can help Kawartha Land Trust manage the critical lands they already protect and help secure even more lands in need of protection.

For more information and to make a one-time or monthly donation, visit kawarthalandtrust.org/you-can-help/giving-options/.

This story was created in partnership with Kawartha Land Trust.

Hours after Ontario Premier Doug Ford received his COVID-19 booster shot, Ontario’s chief medical officer of health delivered a dose of both bad and good news during his weekly COVID-19 update at Queen’s Park in Toronto on Tuesday afternoon (December 21), projecting the rapid growth of omicron will increase hospitalizations but remaining optimistic that students will be returning to in-person learning in the new year.

“Our provincial weekly case incidence rate is 112 cases per 100,000 people,” Dr. Kieran Moore said. “This represents exponential growth of cases in the province, and we are currently tracking to have more cases per day than we have ever had during the entire pandemic.”

Dr. Moore said Ontario’s per cent positivity has been steadily increasing as well, and is currently 7.3 per cent for the week of December 12th to 18th. Hospitalizations have increased by nine per cent, but ICU admissions have been stable.

However, Dr. Moore added he expects to see an increase in hospitalizations and ICU admissions as a result of the spread of the omicron variant, since it is four to eight times more transmissible than the delta variant and is now the dominant strain of the virus in Ontario.

He announced the government would be focusing on protecting the most vulnerable Ontarians by providing case and contact management to the highest-risk settings, including hospitals, long-term care facilities, retirement homes, and other vulnerable congregate settings such as shelters.

“We are prioritizing screening testing, with rapid antigen testing, in these settings to protect the most vulnerable and to maintain critical health care worker capacity to ensure our health care and other critical infrastructure workers can go to work and stay at work safely,” he said.

The government’s intention is to prioritize rapid antigen testing among health care and other essential workers to keep them working, by providing asymptomatic workers with daily testing after a high-risk contact so they can continue working instead of isolating at home.

Dr. Moore pointed out the government administered more than 206,000 doses of vaccine yesterday, and half of Ontarians over 70 have already received their booster doses.

“If we can maintain this momentum of over 200,000 doses a day, that’s a million additional Ontarians a week that would be provided their booster doses,” he said. “I think if you compare us to any other jurisdiction in Canada, we are ahead of all jurisdictions.”

Dr. Moore said that, while it’s still too early to make any conclusions, there is increasing evidence that omicron may not be as virulent as initially feared.

“I’m not seeing a significant severity signal today in terms of ICU use or hospitalization in England,” he said. “We’ve looked at the 4,600 Ontarians that have been confirmed to have omicron … only 15 were admitted to hospital, so that’s a .15 per cent admission rate.”

“Now admittedly, that’s in a much younger population that’s gotten omicron. They’ve gotten it through social activities. They’re in the 20 to 30 age range, which has a low risk for adverse events associated with COVID in general.”

However, Ontario is still preparing for the possibility that hospitalizations and ICU admission will increase as a result of omicron’s exponential spread.

“But even if it’s much less virulent, its attack rate could mean that it spreads so rapidly that it will have an effect on our hospital sector,” Dr. Moore said. “We’re preparing for an increase in hospitalization and ICU utilization, just because of the sheer rapid spread of the virus.”

As to the question whether students will return to in-person learning after the holiday break, Dr. Moore was optimistic that schools will remain open.

“We’re not seeing any significant impact on children’s health,” he said. “We have no children in our pediatric ICUs in Ontario today. So that is very reassuring that this virus doesn’t have severe outcomes in that population. Together with our children from five to 11 — 38.3 per cent have been immunized with their first doses in that age group to date, which I think is brilliant. We’ll continue with first and second dose strategy with that population to further protect them against all strains of COVID-19, including protection against omicron.”

“Together, with all the measures that we have put in place to protect our schools and keep them safe, that’s a very good combination when you have low severity of the illness in children, good protection with vaccination, very good protocols in place to safeguard our schools with ventilation, masking, and we’re actually looking at additional layers of protection for the workers as well as students. We’ve very committed to keeping our schools open.”

While Dr. Moore said it’s ultimately the government’s decision, he has consulted with experts on whether school openings in should be delayed in January and they have said they don’t see a reason to do it right now.

“Certainly we’ll be prudent and cautious, but (there are) very good signals to date,” he said.

In response to a reporter’s question about how long it takes for the booster dose to increase immunity against the virus, Dr. Moore noted that it only takes five to seven days — in comparison to the 14 days after first and second doses.

Dr. Moore acknowledged that Ontarians have pandemic fatigue, but said “omicron is not taking a holiday.”

“In addition to getting vaccinated, please follow the public health measures we know have worked so well to protect us over the last 20 months. They all together provide additional layers of protection against this virus. Remember to keep the size of your gatherings over the holidays small, and attend or organize further gatherings to reduce your total number of contacts.”

Meanwhile, Ontario Premier Doug Ford encouraged all Ontarians to get their booster dose after he received his at an Etobicoke pharmacy on Tuesday morning.

“We have well over 200,000 appointments booked just on the provincial portal, and not mentioning the pharmacy portals and the primary care docs,” he said. “So folks, we’re really gearing up to hit anywhere from 200 to 300,000 every single day, and again I just want to thank everyone who is getting their shots, and everyone who is delivering the shots. It’s the real Ontario spirit, Team Ontario, let’s keep going.”

“Once again, because of the great work these folks do, we will be the world leaders once again, so thank you and God bless everyone, and I want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and Happy Holidays.”

A Trent University student has won the final $500 early bird draw in the Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area’s Holiday Shopping Passport program.

Jonah Udovc’s winning passport was drawn last Wednesday (December 15) at the Peterborough DBIA’s offices.

For ever $10 people spend at any of more than 150 participating downtown business, they receive a stamp in their holiday shopping passport. When a passport is filled with 20 stamps (representing $200 in spending), the completed passport is entered into a draw for three $500 early bird prizes and a $1,500 grand prize.

Udovc completed a single passport after purchasing a new house plant from Plant Goals at 387 Water Street, where he got his passport, and a coat from Wild Rock Outfitters at 169 Charlotte Street. In a media release, he says he plans to use his $500 Boro gift card to explore more of the downtown core.

“Supporting local directly impacts the livelihood of our local shop owners which feels far more impactful than shopping at a big box store,” Udovc says. “I love the downtown and couldn’t imagine shopping for the holidays anywhere else.”

Udovc is the final winner of one of three $500 early bird prizes drawn on Wednesdays in December. Derek Banville was the December 1st winner and Gabi Hintelmann was the December 8th winner. The $1,500 grand prize winner will be drawn on Wednesday, January 12th.

You can still get a holiday shopping passport at any of the participating shops, boutiques, salons, restaurants, and cafes in downtown Peterborough. Visit theboro.ca/holiday-shopping-passport/ for a list of all the participating businesses.

To start off your holiday shopping passport with no purchase necessary, you can get complimentary stamps at the Peterborough Public Library (345 Aylmer St. N.), the Peterborough & the Kawarthas Visitors Centre (270 George St. N.), and the Boro Holiday Hub (373 George St. N.).