Peterborough’s medical officer of health is urging area residents to reduce close contacts and reconsider social gatherings, with the health unit reporting a surge of 33 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday (December 18).
“This abrupt rise in cases is a clear indication that the omicron variant is circulating in our community,” says Dr. Thomas Piggott in a media release issued by Peterborough Public Health early Saturday evening. “I am strongly recommending that residents reduce their close contacts and reconsider holiday plans to keep themselves safe and reduce the high transmission we are seeing.”
There are now 78 active cases of COVID-19 in the Peterborough area. Provincially, 3,301 new COVID-19 cases were reported on Saturday, the largest single-day increase since May 6, following 3,124 new cases reported on Friday and 2,421 new cases reported on Thursday.
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Beginning at 12:01 a.m. on Sunday, the provincial government is imposing new public health restrictions, including a 50 per cent capacity limit on most indoor public settings (including all retail), a limit of 10 people per table at restaurants, and a limit of 10 people at indoor social gatherings and 25 people at outdoor social gatherings.
“Even with the new provincial capacity limits, we anticipate there will be a significant increase in cases in the coming days,” Dr. Piggott says. “We layer up to go outdoors in the winter to protect us from the cold and we need to layer up our prevention to protect us from COVID-19.”
Dr. Piggott is recommending five tips for preventing the spread of the virus during the holiday season:
Check local and provincial public health guidance before going to any gathering.
Get the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as it is available to you. Three doses ensure the best protection. Reduce your risk by only gathering with others outside your household if they are also vaccinated.
Stay home if you are feeling unwell and seek a COVID-19 PCR test to confirm a COVID-19 infection. If you have access to rapid antigen testing, use it to ensure you are negative before attending any gathering and consider reporting the result whether positive or negative to Peterborough Public Health.
Gather outdoors if possible. If not, remember to open windows to allow for proper air flow in small spaces.
If you gather with people from outside your household ensure the room is well ventilated by opening windows or doors (even a crack), and wear a tightly fitted medical mask or N95 respirator mask.
Effective Monday (December 20), Trent University is cancelling in-person exams at its Peterborough and Durham campuses. In-person exams scheduled for this weekend will go ahead.
“All students with scheduled in-person exams should check Blackboard or your Trent email for exam updates from your instructor,” reads a message from Trent president Leo Groarke on Friday night (December 17). “Scheduled online exams will continue.”
Many other Ontario universities, including the University of Toronto and York University, already cancelled in-person exams earlier this week due to a surge in COVID-19 cases. Queen’s University in Kingston, which now has the highest rate of COVID-19 cases in Canada, announced last Sunday it was cancelling in-person exams.
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In his message, Groarke says Trent campuses “continue to be safe places to be.”
“No COVID outbreaks have been declared at Trent. We continue to constantly monitor the situation, and thank everyone for following the COVID protocols that have kept us safe throughout the term. The decision to discontinue in-person exams starting Monday has been made out of an abundance of caution, in consultation with Public Health.”
Students writing in-person exams on December 18 and 19 must continue to wear a mask at all times, and must complete and pass Trent’s mandatory COVID-19 screening before coming to campus.
Groarke says Trent “is committed to an in-person winter term” and plans to open residences as scheduled on Saturday, January 8th, but will delay in-person classes by one week.
“In the interest of public health, the first week of classes, scheduled to begin Monday, January 10, will be delivered remotely and we will begin in-person classes on January 17,” Groarke says. “If circumstances require it, we will not hesitate to adapt our plans accordingly.”
Dr. Kieran Moore, Ontario's chief medical officer of health, announces additional public health restrictions to contain the spread of the COVID-19 omicron variant during a media conference on December 17, 2021. (kawarthaNOW screenshot of CPAC video)
With Ontario reporting 3,124 new cases on Friday (December 17), the provincial government has announced additional public health restrictions designed to reduce the spread of the highly contagious omicron variant.
The new restrictions, which take effect at 12:01 a.m. on Sunday (December 19), include a 50 per cent capacity limit in most indoor public settings, a limit of 10 people per table at restaurants, and a limit of 10 people at indoor social gatherings and 25 people at outdoor social gatherings.
“Sitting back playing defence is not an option,” Ontario Premier Doug Ford said in a media conference at Queen’s Park in Toronto late Friday afternoon. “We need to meet this variant head on. We need to do everything we can to push it back. Over the coming days and weeks, daily COVID cases will continue to accelerate with omicron being the most transmissible variant we’ve seen yet.”
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“But while our intensive care units remain stable, we expect the number of admissions to grow as more people catch COVID, particularly the unvaccinated,” Ford said. “The experts have been very clear: nothing will stop the spread of omicron — it’s just too transmissible.”
“What we can do, and what we’re doing, is slowing it as much as possible to allow more time for shots to get into arms. In order to give our vaccine blitz the time it needs, in order to protect our hospitals from being overwhelmed, we need to implement further public health measures.”
“The decision to limit people’s ability to gather, especially during holidays, is an extremely, extremely difficult one to make,” Ford added. “And I know these measures will have an impact on businesses during the important season. That’s why Ontario joins Quebec’s call for the federal government to expand supports for businesses and workers, and we’re prepared to do our part as well.”
Addressing parents, Ford said no decision has been made on whether to close schools in the new year.
“We’re simply not in the position to say,” he said. “The situation is evolving too quickly to know where we’ll be in early January,” adding the goal is to do “whatever is necessary” to protect students and staff.
The new 50 per cent capacity limit — which is in addition to the previously announced 50 per cent capacity limit on indoor areas of venues with a usual capacity of 1,000 or more — applies to the following indoor public settings:
Restaurants, bars and other food or drink establishments and strip clubs.
Personal care services.
Personal physical fitness trainers.
Retailers, including grocery stores and pharmacies.
Shopping malls.
Non-spectator areas of facilities used for sports and recreational fitness activities (e.g. gyms).
Indoor recreational amenities.
Indoor clubhouses at outdoor recreational amenities.
Tour and guide services.
Photography studios and services
Marinas and boating clubs.
The capacity limit does not apply to any portion of a business or place that is being used for a wedding, a funeral or a religious service, rite, or ceremony.
Businesses or facilities will also need to post a sign stating the capacity limits permitted in the establishment.
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In addition to the 50 per cent capacity limit, the government is also applying the following additional public health restrictions:
The number of patrons permitted to sit at a table will be limited to 10 people and patrons will be required to remain seated in restaurants, bars and other food or drink establishments, meeting and event spaces and strip clubs.
Bars and restaurants, meeting and event spaces and strip clubs will be required to close by 11 p.m. Take out and delivery will be permitted beyond 11 p.m.
Dancing will not be allowed except for workers or performers.
Food and/or drink services will be prohibited at sporting events, concert venues, theatres and cinemas, casinos, bingo halls and other gaming establishments, and horse racing tracks, car racing tracks and other similar venues.
The sale of alcohol will be restricted after 10 p.m. and consumption of alcohol in businesses or settings after 11 p.m.
To mitigate COVID-19 transmission that can occur at informal social gatherings, the government is also reducing social gathering limits to 10 people indoors and 25 people outdoors.
For health care workers, the personal protective equipment requirements outlined in Directive 5 have been updated with interim guidance to require N95s for health care workers providing direct care to (or interacting with) a suspected, probable, or confirmed case of COVID-19.
Environment Canada has issued a winter weather travel advisory for the southern Kawarthas region for Saturday (December 18).
The weather advisory is in effect for southern Peterborough County, southern Kawartha Lakes, and Northumberland County.
Snow is forecast to begin early Saturday morning over southwestern Ontario. The snow will then spread quickly eastward into the Toronto area and portions of eastern Ontario through the day.
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Total snowfall accumulations of 5 to 10 cm can be expected by the time the snow tapers off from west to east Saturday evening.
Accumulating snow on untreated roadways will impact travel and motorists are advised to exercise caution.
Motorists should expect hazardous winter driving conditions and adjust travel plans accordingly. Be prepared to adjust your driving with changing road conditions. Take extra care when walking or driving in affected areas.
The Peterborough Pop Ensemble is performing in person for the first time since the pandemic began with a Christmas concert on December 19, 2021 at Emmanuel United Church in Peterborough. "Christmas Is" is an hour-long concert featuring the ensemble singing selections of their favourite sacred and secular Christmas music, accompanied by a group of bell ringers called unBELLievable. (Photo courtesy of the Peterborough Pop Ensemble)
For Maureen Harris-Lowe, being a member of the Peterborough Pop Ensemble is a treasured addition to her many musical undertakings.
Since the Peterborough Pop Ensemble formed in 2000, Harris-Lowe has been a member. Now she’s taken on the role of co-director since the ensemble’s beloved leader and founder, Barbara Monahan, passed away in October 2019 at the age of 59 after a brief battle with cancer.
“While she was in the hospital in palliative care, she asked Arlene Gray and myself if we would take over,” Harris-Lowe recalls.
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Monahan’s passing was a devastating loss to the ensemble. But they were determined to continue singing and performing together, because that’s what Monahan wanted and they wanted to honour her memory through music and friendship.
In February 2020, the Pop Ensemble had just performed their first concert without Monahan when they were thrown another curveball. When COVID hit, the group did not rehearse together for over a year. During this time, the board of directors disbanded. When they finally reunited to sing together at the end of September 2021, Harris-Lowe says it was like reuniting with family.
They’re now rebuilding and preparing for their first in-person performance since the pandemic began, “Christmas Is”, on Sunday (December 19). Described as “A Celebration of Christmas Music,” the concert takes place at 7 p.m. at Emmanuel United Church in Peterborough.
VIDEO: “Have You Seen” excerpt – Peterborough Pop Ensemble
Admission is by donation at the door, with all donations over $20 receiving a free Pop Ensemble CD. Proof of vaccination and face masks are required.
The Peterborough Pop Ensemble was, and continues to be, the vision of the late Barbara Monahan. The exceptionally talented retired music teacher shaped the group’s sound and arranged and wrote the majority of their music. She often accompanied the singers on piano and, with her wonderful voice, sang with the group as well.
“She embodied kindness and acceptance,” Harris-Lowe says. “She had the biggest heart. She found ability in everybody. She managed to make everyone she met a little better.”
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The Pop Ensemble is a representation of that legacy. The group’s mission is to inspire and unite through music and community.
The group of singers initially formed in 2000 as The Peterborough Singers Pop Ensemble when Peterborough Singers director, Syd Birrell, asked Monahan to lead a small group to perform a few popular songs for a Valentine’s Day concert. After their performance at that Peterborough Singers concert, it was abundantly clear there was something special about the group.
The singers decided to continue practising and performing together until eventually branching off as their own choir, the Peterborough Pop Ensemble, in 2008.
Barbara Monahan (right) founded the Peterborough Pop Ensemble in 2000 as a one-time ensemble of members of Syd Birrell’s Peterborough Singers. Over the years, the choral group evolved and became the Peterborough Pop Ensemble in 2008. In this 2005 photo, the group was still known as the Peterborough Singers Pop Ensemble. (Photo courtesy of the Peterborough Pop Ensemble)
Monahan was initially asked to lead the ensemble because of her love and talent for “pop” music. The Pop Ensemble’s musical style is fun and eclectic. Through the years, they’ve sung music in the genres of pop, jazz, Broadway, classical, country, and rock. They’ve performed everything from Spice Girls to Gershwin and often sing a capella.
When Monahan passed, the group decided they needed to keep singing together — despite how difficult it would be to continue without her.
“We got together because we are such a close group and asked, do we still want to do this?” says Harris-Lowe. “But we know it is what Barbara wanted. It’s definitely what her family wants.”
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“We felt we are unique to the community,” she adds. “I can’t imagine not doing this.”
The Pop Ensemble hopes to keep Monahan’s spirit alive by continuing to perform, and the group also formed a scholarship in her name at Kenner Collegiate Vocational Institute, where Monohan taught music for most of her career. Both honouring Monahan and keeping her memory alive, the scholarship is awarded to a graduating student continuing in music.
While members have come and gone, the Pop Ensemble’s current 18 singers include some original members, including Harris-Lowe, who directed the Peterborough Children’s Chorus for 20 years, and Arlene Gray, the founding director of the Kawartha Lakes Singers. Both women are co-directors of the Pop Ensemble.
Maureen Harris-Lowe and Arlene Gray are musical co-directors of the Peterborough Pop Ensemble. Shortly before her passing, founder and musical director Barbara Monahan asked the pair to take over as the new leaders of the choral group. (Photos courtesy of the Peterborough Pop Ensemble)
The Pop Ensemble has another exciting addition in talent with their new piano accompanist, Justin Hiscox. The esteemed multi-instrumentalist and composer, well known locally for his work with 4th Line Theatre in Millbrook, is also singing with the group.
While the group is rebuilding after their board of directors disbanded during the pandemic, they are grateful for Monahan’s son Justin, who has remained treasurer through everything.
Along with dealing with organizational challenges, members of the Pop Ensemble are also still adjusting to Monahan’s absence.
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“There are certain songs that just remind us so much of Barb,” says Harris-Lowe. “We probably will sing them again, but it’s tough. It’s going to be emotional.”
The December 19th concert will feature the Pop Ensemble singing their favourite selections of sacred and secular Christmas music, accompanied by a group of bell ringers called unBELLievable.
“It’s an hour of uplifting music to get people in the Christmas spirit,” says Harris-Lowe.
The Peterborough Pop Ensemble’s “Christmas Is” concert takes place at 7 p.m. on December 19, 2021 at Emmanuel United Church in Peterborough. Admission is by donation, with donations over $20 receiving a free Pop Ensemble CD. (Graphic courtesy of the Peterborough Pop Ensemble)
Due to the pandemic, the group is being very cautious with its first foray back to in-person performance.
The show will be shorter than usual for a Pop Ensemble concert. Face masks are mandatory throughout the entire concert, including for the singers themselves. Volunteers will be checking for proof of vaccination receipts at the door and taking down information for contact tracing. Audience members will be physically distanced when seated, with only one family per pew. The performers will also take rapid antigen tests before the show.
Admission is by donation at the door. Anyone who donates over $20 will receive their choice of one of four Peterborough Pop Ensemble CDs: a Christmas CD, “A Sentimental Journey” (wartime songs), “Singing Again” (a selection of fun music), or “Pop Ensemble Live!”
Barbara Monahan pictured at the Rogers Centre in Toronto in September 2009, when the Peterborough Pop Ensemble performed the national anthem at a Toronto Blues Jay game. Monahan founded and led the group until she passed away in October 2019 at the age of 59 after a brief battle with cancer. (Photo courtesy of the Peterborough Pop Ensemble)
“The Pop Ensemble Live CD is special because we did that one when Barb was sick,” says Harris-Lowe. “She spent her entire last summer putting the CD together. We had the release party for that in September of 2019. Barbara was unable to attend because she was in palliative care at the time.”
“This will be our first Christmas concert without her,” Harris-Lowe adds. “It’s going to be emotional because she was the group. We don’t want to forget her. We want to keep her memory alive. We hope to honour her and make her proud of what we’re doing.”
Pandemic willing, “Christmas Is!” will be the first of many concerts the Pop Ensemble plans to perform. Since they missed their 20th anniversary during the pandemic, they have booked Market Hall for a belated 20th anniversary show in April.
“Then we plan to take that music and travel with it,” says Harris-Lowe.
The late Barbara Monahan (centre) and members of The Peterborough Pop Ensemble pose in their costumes before one of their ABBA-themed performances before the pandemic. The group plans to bring back some ABBA music at their belated 20th anniversary concert scheduled to take place at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre in downtown Peterborough in April 2022. (Photo courtesy of the Peterborough Pop Ensemble)
Despite not being able to rehearse during the pandemic and the disbanding of their board of directors, the Pop Ensemble has endured — a legacy of Monahan’s passion and leadership.
“Barb was the glue, but she was able to form such a great community that we went away and are willing to do this and stick together,” says Harris-Lowe. “There’s so much work to do, but the actual performance is so fulfilling. It’s really worth the work.”
As a semi-professional choir available for hire, the Pop Ensemble regularly performed at public events prior to the pandemic, including singing the Canadian and American national anthems at special events and sports games. They hope to start performing at events again soon, as well as giving back to the community by supporting local charities.
For more information about the Peterborough Pop Ensemble, visit www.popensemble.com.
Lansdowne Place Mall is located at 645 Lansdowne Street West in Peterborough. (Photo: Lansdowne Place Mall / Facebook)
Peterborough Public Health is advising patrons of the American Eagle store in Lansdowne Place Mall in Peterborough of a potential exposure to the omicron variant of COVID-19 that occurred at the store from Friday, December 10th to Saturday, December 11th, between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. on both days.
The health unit is asking anyone who visited this store during these times to monitor themselves for symptoms of COVID-19 for 14 days from the date of exposure. Peterborough Public Health has already identified all high-risk contacts and will provide them with further instructions.
COVID-19 symptoms include fever or chills, cough or difficulty breathing (shortness of breath), muscle aches, joint paint and tiredness, sore throat or difficulty swallowing, headache, runny nose or stuffy (congested nose), a new loss of taste or smell, or gastrointestinal symptoms (e.g., nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, diarrhea).
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If any symptoms develop, the health unit advises to get a PCR test immediately and isolate until you have received your results.
PCR testing is available at the PRHC COVID-19 Assessment Centre (visit www.prhc.on.ca for booking details) and some pharmacies.
Toronto roots musician Isaak Bonk performs at the Black Horse in downtown Peterborough on Saturday, December 18. (Photo: Isaak Bonk / Facebook)
Every Thursday, we publish live music events at pubs and restaurants in Peterborough and the greater Kawarthas region based on information that venues provide to us directly or post on their website or social media channels. Here are the listings for the week of Thursday, December 16 to Wednesday, December 22.
If you’re a pub or restaurant owner and want to be included in our weekly listings, please email our nightlifeNOW editor at nightlife@kawarthanow.com. For concerts and live music events at other venues, check out our Concerts & Live Music page.
A woman receives her first dose of the Pfizer vaccine at the mass vaccination clinic at the Evinrude Centre in Peterborough on May 26, 2021. (Photo: Bruce Head / kawarthaNOW)
Peterborough’s medical officer of health pulled no punches during a Peterborough Public Health media briefing held Thursday (December 16), warning that pandemic fatigue will lead to an unprecedented rise of COVID-19 cases over the coming weeks.
During a Peterborough Public Health media briefing on Thursday afternoon, a visibly emotional Dr. Thomas Piggott acknowledged that “people are tired of COVID” but warned that “this complacency, this fatigue, is coming at exactly at the wrong time.”
“It’s coming when we need people to be the most careful at the darkest moment of the pandemic to date,” said Dr. Piggott. “With no additional measures, we are about to see exponential growth in this province of omicron cases. With no additional measures, we will see up to 10,000 cases a day in Ontario by the end of the month, which may translate to hundreds of cases in our region.”
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“We know the measures and we know what to do, but the pieces that we can control at Peterborough Public Health are only so much,” he said. “The decisions that people will make coming into the holidays are really what will impact our trajectory over the next couple of months.”
“I am worried, and it takes a lot to worry me. I’ve worked in a conflict zone, I’ve worked in an emergency department, but I have not been as worried as I am right now with the omicron wave of COVID approaching. I’m concerned that people aren’t nearly concerned enough, and I’m concerned what that will mean for our community.”
An update on COVID-19 modelling projections issued Thursday morning by Ontario’s COVID-19 science advisory table backs up Dr. Piggott’s concern.
According to that update, omicron has overtaken delta as the dominant variant in the province. As well, despite what has been widely reported to the contrary, there is evidence that the omicron variant can indeed produce severe disease, prompting a warning that Ontario hospital ICU occupancy could reach “unsustainable” levels by early January.
With vaccines less effective again omicron, the focus is now on increasing the availability of booster shots for those who are eligible in combination with stronger public health measures.
Dr. Piggott reported that there are now four cases of the omicron variant in the region among the current 59 active cases — two first reported Tuesday and another two reported yesterday (Wednesday). To date this week, since Monday morning, 23 new local cases have been detected locally. Meanwhile, the number of local COVID-related deaths reported remains at 27.
There are currently active outbreaks at St. Catherine Catholic Elementary School on Glenforest Boulevard in Peterborough and at Millbrook/South Cavan Public School, while a third outbreak is associated with STC school bus route 627.
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“The most important thing that we can keep doing is vaccination — you need a third dose to now consider yourself protected,” said Dr. Piggott. “We have been scaling up our efforts, and diverting all our attention and resources, to vaccinating. Because we know, with what is coming, booster vaccinations will save lives. We have stopped nearly everything that we can in order to divert resources into this.”
Dr. Piggott said that effort has resulted in a six-fold increase in the number of clinic vaccination appointments that will be available next week. With the interval between the second and third shot now decreased to three months from six, it’s anticipated that appointments will be booked much quicker now.
“If you are able to get your third dose booster, I implore you — get it as soon as you can,” said Dr. Piggott. “I want the public to understand that this is a three-dose vaccine. You should not consider yourself fully protected with two doses.”
That said, Dr. Piggott emphasized vaccination alone isn’t the answer in itself, advising that other public health measures — proper masking, physical distancing, testing, and staying home from work if ill among them — must be continued with a new purpose.
The overall vaccination picture again shows modest increases across the board.
As of late Wednesday afternoon, 83.7 per cent of eligible residents aged five and up have received one dose while 79.3 per cent have received two doses and 11.3 per cent have received a third booster shot.
Meanwhile, first dose vaccination of local children aged five to 11 has seen a huge uptake this week, now at 29.5 per cent. With no walk-ins being taken, parents and guardians must book a vaccination appointment. Visit www.peterboroughpublichealth.ca/clinics for a listing of locations and times of clinics.
To date, 11.3 per cent of eligible local residents 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.
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Starting Monday, all Ontarians aged 18 and over can schedule their booster dose appointment, three months after their second dose. Those aged 50 and over who have already booked their booster dose for six months after their second dose can also rebook their appointments to the shortened three-month interval.
With the holiday season fast approaching, Dr. Piggott says the potential for a huge increase in cases is very real. That, he says, may result in more restrictive measures being put in place sooner than later.
“We’re trying to be as minimally impactful on the economy and on society as much as possible while protecting the public,” he said. “The areas where we’re seeing the most transmission is in certainly public businesses and gathering sites, especially where people are eating and drinking and not wearing masks, as well as in private gatherings.”
“There are parties and things happening where people are forgetting the reality of the situation,” Dr. Piggott added. “We are actively looking at measures that could be put in place to provide the protection that we need.”
Also participating in the briefing were Peterborough mayor Diane Therrien, county warden J. Murray Jones, and Selwyn mayor and Board of Health chair Andy Mitchell.
Adalsteinn Brown, co-chair of Ontario's science advisory table, presented the latest COVID-19 modelling projections based on the omicron variant during a media conference at Queen's Park in Toronto on December 16, 2021. (kawarthaNOW screenshot of CPAC video)
Omicron is now the dominant variant in Ontario and will likely result in the “hardest wave” of the pandemic in Ontario, according to modelling projections presented by Ontario’s COVID-19 science advisory table on Thursday (December 16).
Cases will dramatically increase and, if no additional public health measures are taken, could reach 10,000 per day by the new year. With additional public health measures, the number of new daily cases is projected to reach 5,000 by the beginning of the new year, with as many as 300 people in intensive care units.
“We’re still learning about this new variant,” said Adalsteinn Brown, co-chair of the science advisory table, at a media conference on Thursday morning. “It emerged only last month, but it’s important to talk about what we do know. First, it transmits incredibly fast. Doubling time for cases may be down to just over two days now, compared to four days or more with previous variants.”
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“The broad picture of being highly transmissible and serious is clear,” Brown said. “Modelling shows that cases will likely dramatically increase very soon.”
Referring to data from South Africa and Denmark, Brown said the omicron variant does cause serious disease and needs to be treated as seriously as the delta variant.
“Hospital rates have risen in South Africa where it first took hold,” Brown said. “It’s not just a case of the sniffles.”
According to Brown, the province can expect to see hospitalizations increase two to three weeks after cases increase. Even if omicron is 25 per cent less serious than delta, Ontario hospitals will still face “incredibly strong pressures,” he added.
“This will come at an already challenging time, when health care workers are fatigued or burned out from the preceding waves. If we want to blunt this wave — please note that I am saying blunt it, not flatten it — we will need to reduce contacts between people. I believe we can do this without closing schools or shutting down businesses that have suffered during previous waves, but it will take serious restrictions that reduce contact.”
“At the same time, we need to drive boosters up as high as possible to protect vulnerable individuals and vulnerable communities and we need to keep vaccinating kids,” Brown said. “But neither public health measures nor vaccinations will be enough on their own to blunt the omicron wave. Public health measures will slow the spread of omicron but they are not sustainable in the long run. Vaccination provides our exit plan from the pandemic, but it takes a while to take effect.”
Brown said that a “circuit breaker” with strong additional public health measures to reduce contacts between people by 50 per cent and at least 250,000 booster shots daily could blunt the omicron wave.
Those additional public health measures could include additional reductions in capacity limits and stronger enforcement of masking indoors, such as ensuring people wear masks properly.
“It’s not really any sort of new things that we haven’t seen before, it’s those core public health measures,” Brown said.
Wearing high-quality masks, physical distancing indoors, improved ventilation, and increased access to rapid testing will buy time for boosters to take effect, he said.
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“This will likely be the hardest wave of the pandemic,” Brown noted. “But if we can control it and drive vaccinations as hard as we can, we can make it to the exit. And there is an exit plan from the pandemic. We just need to push as hard as we can and control its immediate impact as much as we can tolerate.”
“There is still some uncertainty, but there is also an undeniable urgency,” he added. “Waiting to take action means waiting until it is too late to take action.”
Brown explained that data from Gauteng in South Africa, which appears to show omicron is less virulent than delta, is not transferable in Ontario. The median age in Guateng is 27, compared to 41 in Ontario, with older age being one of the most important factors in predicting serious illness.
In addition, the estimated percentage of highly immune adults in Gauteng, either through previous infections or through vaccinations or a combination of both, is estimated to be twice as higher as in Ontario (32 per cent Gauteng versus 15 per cent in Ontario).
A steep rise in omicron cases in South Africa has been followed by a steep rise in hospitalizations, Brown said, and early data from Denmark indicates the percentage of cases requiring hospital admission is not lower with omicron.
“Although this is an incredible threat, both to health and to our health system, we do have a tremendous amount on which to base hope, not the least of which are the vaccines,” Brown said. “But it must be hope built on action. Anything we can do now, whether as an individual or as a province, will help. Please, please get vaccinated as soon as you go.”
Mike Soehner and Paul Murphy from Crayola Canada present a cheque for $40,000 to Penny Barton Dyke, Shantal Ingram, and Emily Beall of the United Way for the City of Kawartha Lakes. (Photo courtesy United Way for CKL)
Crayola Canada has donated $40,000 to the United Way for the City of Kawartha Lakes.
In addition to the donation, employees of the Lindsay-based company raised $6,818.96 for the United Way through their workplace campaign.
Despite the pandemic, this is the highest amount raised in a Crayola workplace campaign to date.
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“We are dedicated to our commitment toward corporate social responsibility in the community,” says Paul Murphy, general manager of Crayola Canada, in a media release. “We know people in our community need help more than ever as we move through the pandemic and we are proud that we can continue to support the important efforts of the United Way for the City of Kawartha Lakes.”
Crayola Canada has been supported in the United Way for more than 30 years. Normally, the company hosts an annual sale of Crayola products to raise money for the United Way for the City of Kawartha Lakes. Due to the pandemic, the sale has been cancelled for the past two years in a row.
The company has provided 30,000 square feet of its land that the United Way and Fleming College staff developed into a fully operational community garden. Edwin Binney’s Community Garden provides fresh produce to people who need it in the City of Kawartha Lakes and Haliburton County through social service agencies, food banks, shelters, and children’s programming agencies.
“Crayola has always been outstanding in its support of our work and we have developed a deeper partnership through the Edwin Binney’s Community Garden,” says United Way executive director Penny Barton Dyke.
“The garden is a multi-pronged approach to issues of food security and supporting food programs and in addition it is an education centre. With the use of this land owned by Crayola, we have produced over 34,400 pounds of food to date that has been donated to agencies to help fight hunger in Kawartha Lakes and in Haliburton areas.”
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