The COVID-19 omicron variant has arrived in the Peterborough area, with two confirmed cases being reported by Peterborough Public Health.

During a health unit briefing held Tuesday (December 14), medical officer of health Dr. Thomas Piggott said the two omicron cases aren’t linked to one another, but one is linked to another known omicron case.

“My advice to the public is behave as though omicron is here and is spreading in the community — I do anticipate we will see many more cases in the coming days,” said Dr. Piggott, adding “This is something we are keeping a close eye on but remain extremely concerned by.”

“We’ve always said that COVID-19 is ever changing and the past couple of weeks have once again reminded us of that. This is something we knew was coming, so it’s not surprising. Omicron has become the dominant strain in Ontario.”

“We know that it is so transmissible that up to eight times as many people may be infected as compared to the previous strains. There is lots of conversation as to whether omicron is less severe than previous strains. It is too early to know for sure, because severe illness, hospitalizations, and deaths tend to lag behind and tend to affect more vulnerable populations.”

“Even if omicron ends up being half as severe as other strains, it could still have four times the burden of any previous wave on our public health and heath care systems.”

Now more than ever, said Dr. Piggott, vaccination “remains our most important tool,” adding a third dose booster show “is very effective against omicron.”

“We are pivoting and we are focusing all of the effort that we can mobilize to scale up our vaccine clinic capacity and vaccinate as many people with third dose boosters as we can,” said Dr. Piggott.

“I have told our team, and given our community an ambitious target, of a five-fold increase in the number of vaccinations over the coming weeks compared to what we were originally planning. Today we are launching 5,500 additional appointments. If you’ve been trying to get an appointment for your third dose booster and have not been able to, please keep checking back.”

“We are redeploying all of the (public health) staff that we can to aid in this effort but we’re also turning to the community and seeking help from volunteers as well as people that can serve as vaccinators. This an all hands on deck effort.”

If you’re interested in volunteering at a mass immunization clinic, you can apply online.

To date, 7.9 per cent of eligible residents aged 18 and up have rolled up their sleeve for a third time. That number jumps to 23.2 per cent for the more vulnerable aged 70 and up age group. 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.

In addition, yesterday Dr. Piggott issued two enforceable letters of instruction for enhanced public health measures — one covering workplaces and the other for food premises — in a bid to slow down the expected continued rise in new cases due to the emergence of the omicron variant.

Effective Wednesday (December 15), local workplaces are required to shift all non-essential employees to remote work arrangements, except where an onsite presence is required. Essential staff that must remain on site must keep two metres’ physical distance from one another and stagger lunch times to avoid crowded eating areas. If a workspace does not allow for physical distancing, workers must wear tightly fitting masks.

Also effective Wednesday, food premises must ensure the following:

• That the maximum number of patrons seated at each table does not exceed 10 people.
• That patrons seated at separate tables are distanced by at least two metres or separated by an impermeable barrier.
• That patrons to consume food and/or beverages only while seated.
• The modification of buffet-style food service to permit only one table at the buffet at a time and ensure patrons wear masks at all times when accessing the buffet.
• That all serving staff are provided with, and wear, appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) when in close proximity to patrons.
• That patrons be directed to wear tightly fitting face masks when they are not actively eating or drinking.

More details concerning both letters of instruction can be found on the Peterborough Public Health website at peterboroughpublichealth.ca/public-health-orders/

“While we continue to focus on vaccination, we are also strengthening local public health measures,” said Dr. Piggott. “The time to get off the train tracks is when we see the train approaching, not after it has hit us.”

Asked how worried he is about what we may see locally post-holiday season, Dr. Piggott said “It’s my job to lose sleep and I think the current situation is deeply concerning, but it’s also my job and our job in public health to try and get out in front of this.”

“The most important protection we have is vaccination. You should not be gathering with individuals who have not been vaccinated. We know the risk (of transmission) is even more significant with omicron.”

Dr. Piggott added that if you have symptoms (even mild), stay home, noting even those double vaccinated can carry the virus.

As of Tuesday afternoon, there were 49 active cases in the region with 238 close contacts of cases being monitored. To date this week, 10 new local cases have been detected. This follows a week that saw 41 new cases emerge. While encouraging on the surface, it is early in the week and it’s expected the number of new local cases will rise.

Meanwhile, the total number of local COVID-related deaths reported has risen to 27 as result of three deaths reported since December 6, the latest being that of an unvaccinated male in his 40s.

The vaccination picture continues to show modest increases across the board.

Vaccination numbers will be updated this Thursday morning but, as of December 8, 82.8 per cent of eligible residents aged five and up have received one dose while 79.1 per cent have received two doses.

Meanwhile, first dose vaccination of local children aged five to 11 has seen an uptake of 19.5 per cent. 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.

With the emerging threat posed by the COVID-19 omicron variant, the Ontario government announced on Tuesday (December 14) additional public health measures affecting long-term care and retirement homes.

“While there is still some uncertainty around the virulence of omicron, we have good evidence that it is more transmissible than the delta variant, and it is spreading among fully vaccinated individuals,” said Dr. Kieran Moore, Ontario’s chief medical officer of health, at a media conference on Tuesday afternoon.

Even though COVID-19 cases in long-term care homes have fallen steadily over the past few months due to “vigilant policies” and a high vaccination rate — with 99 per cent of long-term care staff, students, and volunteers fully vaccinated and more than 86 per cent of eligible residents having received three doses of the vaccine — the government is adjusting its COVID-19 policies in long-term care homes as part of a “cautious approach” because of the omicron variant.

“Data suggests that each omicron case is infecting four to eight times more individuals than the delta variant, and it is rapidly becoming the dominant strain in Ontario,” Dr. Moore said.

He added that even if omicron results in less severe COVID-19 illness than delta, which evidence so far suggests is the case, there may be significant demands on the health care system with so many people infected.

“This also means that we must take steps to protect our most vulnerable, including putting in place enhanced measures to limit the spread of COVID-19 and protect long-term care residents, staff, and caregivers,” he said.

Effective immediately, all general visitors to a long-term care home will need to be fully vaccinated to enter a home.

As of Friday (December 17), the following additional measures will go into effect at long-term care homes:

• Testing of all staff, students, volunteers, and caregivers — regardless of their vaccination status — at least twice a week prior to entry into the home, as part of enhanced active screening practices.
• Requiring a negative test upon entry to a long-term care home for all visitors and support workers who provide essential services to a resident or to the facility, unless they had a negative test the day before.
• Requiring caregivers to be fully vaccinated, unless they have a valid medical exemption or are attending to a resident in a palliative end-of-life situation. Caregivers will be required to have a first dose by December 20, and all required doses to be considered fully vaccinated by February 21, 2022. In the interim, designated caregivers who are not fully vaccinated would need to restrict their visit to the resident’s room.
• Limiting indoor visits to a maximum of two people per resident at a time and outdoor visits, where feasible, to a maximum total of four people per resident at a time.
• Cohorting of residents for higher-risk activities, such as singing and dancing, and discouraging large social activities. This is in addition to the cohorting of residents during meal times, which is currently occurring.
• Limiting social day trips to only residents who are fully vaccinated and requiring those residents who leave the home for social reasons to be actively screened upon their return to the home and if they had a known exposure to a case, isolated and tested using a PCR test. All residents, regardless of vaccination status, can continue to leave the home for essential reasons, such as medical appointments.
• Suspending overnight absences for social purposes regardless of residents’ vaccination status. Residents who wish to leave the home overnight for social purposes or due to COVID-19 may be temporarily discharged and need to follow the re-admission protocol to return at a later date.

As of Wednesday, December 22th, the following additional measures will go into effect at retirement homes:

• Requiring rapid antigen testing for staff, volunteers, contractors and essential caregivers, regardless of vaccination status, two times per week prior to entry into the home as part of enhanced active screening practices.
• Requiring rapid antigen testing for general visitors and support workers entering a retirement home, regardless of vaccination status.
• Strongly encouraging retirement homes to restrict general visitors to only those who are fully vaccinated and implementing additional requirements for essential visitors and general visitors who are not fully vaccinated when entering a retirement home.
• Limiting the number of visitors and group sizes for social activities and events.
• Implementing additional testing and isolation requirements for residents when they return from an overnight absence.
• Instructing retirement homes to increase infection prevention and control (IPAC) audits.

The government also announced it has asked all primary care providers and their teams in Ontario to make the administration of first, second, and booster doses as quickly as possible, while maintaining essential and critical clinical services.

This could include the “careful deferral” of non-essential clinical services to further support local vaccination efforts over the coming weeks.

A 64-year-old Haliburton man is dead following a multi-vehicle collision on Highway 35 north of Lindsay on Tuesday morning (December 14).

At around 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Kawartha Lakes OPP and emergency services responded to a collision on Highway 35 just north of Thunder Bridge Road involving a dump truck, a sport utility vehicle, and a pickup truck.

Robert Clark, 64, of Haliburton was pronounced dead at the scene.

Two other people involved in the collision were transported to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Highway 35 will remain closed in the area while police investigate and document the scene. Detours are set up at Thunder Bridge Road and Peniel Road/Kenrei Road.

A black cube van was observed at the scene and police are asking that the driver of that vehicle to reach out to reach out to Kawartha Lakes OPP to provide a statement.

Any witnesses who have not yet spoken to police are asked to contact Kawartha Lakes OPP at 1-888-310-1122.

Lindsay’s Academy Theatre for the Performing Arts has been renamed FLATO Academy Theatre Lindsay in recognition of a $1.375 million sponsorship agreement with FLATO Developments Inc.

The funds will be distributed over the next 15 years, according to an announcement on Monday (December 13).

Launched in 2005 and based in Markham, FLATO Developments Inc. develops housing projects across southern Ontario, including in Lindsay and Cameron within Kawartha Lakes. The company has made donations to Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay and Kawartha Lakes Food Source, among others.

“At FLATO, we believe in investing in the communities we serve,” says FLATO president Shakir Rehmatullah in a media release. “We look for opportunities to make the community better for everyone. In creating this partnership, we are proud to support Lindsay’s arts community and invest in this iconic theatre that is an integral thread in the fabric of the area and is central to making Lindsay such a wonderful place to live, work, and visit.”

An initial investment will be used to fund priority capital improvements to the theatre, while the annual funding commitment will help maintain and enhance theatre operations, programming, and marketing.

FLATO Academy Theatre Lindsay will continue to be owned by Academy Theatre Foundation and will continue to operate as a non-profit organization governed by a board of directors. FLATO Developments Inc. will not be involved in the management of the theatre.

“This investment marks a new chapter for this special community hub, and we’re excited to see it thrive in the years ahead,” says board chair Mike Piggot.

With the sponsorship agreement, the logo of the theatre has changed and the marquee on the front entrance of the theatre be redesigned to include the new name in 2020. In addition to the new signage, FLATO has been given rights to advertise within various areas of the theatre and to be identified in the theatre’s social media and marketing materials.

In a similar sponsorship agreement, FLATO Developments Inc. also acquired the naming rights for the Markham Theatre.

The announcement of the funding agreement comes after the theatre, which has relied on rental income and community donations, recovers from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Prior to the pandemic, the Academy Theatre for Performing Arts hosted close to 100 performances annually with 20,000 visitors.

Peterborough police arrested a 10-year-old boy early Saturday morning (December 11) in connection with a vehicle that was stolen the previous night.

At around 7:30 p.m. on Friday, a delivery driver reported their minivan had been stolen from the area of Water Street and Charlotte Street in Peterborough. Officers arrived and canvassed and searched the area, but there was no sign of the vehicle.

Just after midnight on Saturday, officers noticed the vehicle in the Lansdowne Street and Brealey Drive area and activated their emergency lights, but the vehicle failed to stop, driving at high speeds and weaving through traffic. Police called off a short pursuit in the interest of public safety.

Shortly after, officers received a call that the vehicle had stopped in the area of Edwards Street and Lansdowne Street. Upon arrival, they learned that vehicle had crashed into a stonewall and that the driver was a 10-year-old boy.

The boy was taken to Peterborough Regional Health Centre for medical treatment but did not suffer any major injuries.

While the boy was arrested, due to his age police could not lay charges. The age of criminal responsibility in Canada is 12.

A boil water advisory has been issued for residents of Norland, according to a media release from the City of Kawarthas Lakes issued late Sunday afternoon (December 12).

Due to a power outage at the water treatment plant in Norland, municipal water is temporarily unavailable for residents on the drinking water system.

Residents without an alternative water source can pick up bottled water at the water treatment plant at 3474 Monck Road, according to the media release.

Once power has been restored to the plant, a boil water advisory will be in effect for Norland residents using municipal water.

The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit will lift the boil water advisory once acceptable samples have been received.

“Please note that this could take a few days”, the media release states.

Under a boil water advisory, all water used for human consumption should be boiled for at least one minute at a full, roiling boil. This includes water used for drinking, making baby food, mixing formula or fruit juices, ice, washing fruits and vegetables, or teeth brushing.

Adults may shower with untreated water, as long as no water is swallowed. Adults or young children should sponge-bathe instead of using tub baths.

Peterborough police laid more than dozen charges under the Highway Traffic Act following an illegal parade that took place on George Street in Peterborough on Saturday evening (December 11).

The parade was organized by a group of people who object to pandemic-related public health measures, including lockdowns, face masks, and vaccine passports. Organizers distributed flyers in the days leading up to the event, promoting what they called “Miracle on George St.” and described as a “Christmas parade”.

Organizers objected to the cancellation of Peterborough’s official annual Santa Claus parade. Usually organized by the Kinsmen Club Of Peterborough, the parade was cancelled for the second year in a row due to the pandemic.

Earlier this fall, the provincial government gave permission for parades to take place and many other communities in the greater Kawarthas region went ahead with Santa Claus parades.

Saturday’s parade began at 5 p.m. in the parking lot at the former Peterborough Collegiate and Vocational School (PCVS). Vehicles in the parade, which included decorated flatbed trucks and people handing out treats, blocked traffic as they proceeded down George Street and then crossed Lansdowne Street to Roger Neilson Way.

While organized by a group that protests COVID-19 public health measures, the parade itself did not include any protest signs or messages.

“There were no reported injuries as a result of this event,” reads a release from Peterborough police issue on Sunday. “Officers, in coordination with City of Peterborough by-law investigators, worked tirelessly and professionally to ensure public and participant safety.”

It’s a Christmas miracle, but sad.

What’s worse is I do believe they tried their best#cdnpoli #antivaxxers #Peterborough pic.twitter.com/zYS9Cd6VfK

— Caryma Sa'd – Lawyer + Cartoon Creator (@CarymaRules) December 11, 2021

Organizers did not seek a permit in advance of the parade, required under city by-laws. During the parade, police blocked side streets while allowing the parade to proceed.

“A police response is not an endorsement, but a commitment to public safety,” the media release reads, adding that “unsanctioned events such as this have a high probability for personal injury and property damage.”

Following the parade, police say they laid more than a dozen charges under the Highway Traffic Act (HTA), including commercial motor vehicle violations.

“Further HTA charges are under investigation and pending, and it’s expected more will be laid,” the police media release states. “Peterborough police are also investigating some criminal offences as a result of the event and will report further if charges are laid.”