Local participation in the truck convoy making its way to Ottawa to protest the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for truckers was raised at a Peterborough Public Health media briefing held Thursday (January 27).

Local organizers who support the truck convoy have said on social media they intend to gather in vehicles in the parking lot at Crestwood Secondary School in Peterborough early Saturday morning (January 29), before heading off to join the convoy as it makes its way along Highway 401 to Ottawa. In response, the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board has denied use of its property for that purpose.

“We’re aware of the situation where people may gather at a location where those vehicles may be,” said Inspector John Lyons of the Peterborough Police Service at the media briefing. “We are working with the school board. We’re monitoring any information that comes to our attention. If there’s a presence required, we’ll be there.”

“They (the school board) can make a request of us to act as agent on their behalf,” he added. “I can tell you we’ll be working closely with them (school board officials) moving forward. We’ll be prepared to deal with any issues as they come up. If there’s a presence there, we’ll be positioned to deal with it, again working in relation with the school board.”

The truck convoy issue was raised late in the media briefing, which began with Peterborough’s medical officer of health encouraging residents to remain vigilant in their adherence to personal infection control measures even after the easing of provincially mandated restrictions on Monday (January 31), which he sees as a positive step.

“It makes sense to ease restrictions that have had a negative impact,” Dr. Thomas Piggott said. “But it doesn’t make sense to ease off on things that each of us can do in our day-to-day lives, such as continue use of a tightly fitting mask. Such as making sure we’re ventilating our spaces. Such as staying home if you are sick. These are things that I implore the public to continue to do.”

“Throughout the pandemic, it’s been a balance between the measures that can have a negative impact, and trying to ease those as possible while continuing the measures we know have very little (negative) impact but are still helpful.”

Meanwhile, just more than two years since the first COVID case in Canada was confirmed at Toronto’s Sunnybrook Hospital, a recent downward trend in local active COVID-19 cases continues.

As of late Wednesday afternoon (January 26), 336 confirmed active COVID cases in the Peterborough region were reported. That’s down significantly from 548 active cases reported at last week’s health unit media briefing.

However, the number of local COVID-related deaths has again risen and now stands at 48 — an increase of seven over the past week. There have been 20 deaths from COVID since just before Christmas, involving both vaccinated and unvaccinated people.

“We have seen this number increase because, unlike previous waves where Peterborough managed to have a far lower rate of infection, we have matched the Ontario average in a bad way with omicron, and we have seen the proportionate deaths increase accordingly,” said Dr. Piggott.

Despite noting that the two most recent people who died were both fully vaccinated with three doses each, Dr. Piggott said people’s faith in vaccines’ effectiveness shouldn’t be shaken. He drew on an analogy in making that point, comparing the risk of death for people who drink and drive to the risk of death for people who are unvaccinated.

“We actually see more motor vehicle collisions and deaths among people who have not had a drop of alcohol. That’s because the vast majority — nearly all of the people on the road — do not drink and drive. But when you do drink and drive, the risks are dramatically higher of having a collision and dying.”

“Ninety per cent of our community is vaccinated, so even if a smaller proportion of that population gets sick, gets severe disease and dies, the (death) numbers are actually bigger because it’s 90 per cent of the population,” he added.

Dr. Piggott also pointed to the vulnerability of the local population, comprised of an above-average number of senior residents.

To date this week since Monday, 82 new COVID cases have been confirmed locally. That’s well down from a pandemic-high weekly new case count of 770 recorded for the week of December 27, and 288 recorded just last week. (Editor’s note: because of restrictions on the availability of PCR testing, the number of actual new cases is likely higher than reported.)

Meanwhile, there are 16 active outbreaks. Six outbreaks are ongoing at congregate living facilities while Extendicare Lakefield, Riverview Manor, Fairhaven Long-term Care, St. Joseph’s at Fleming, Rubidge Retirement Residence, Sherbrooke Heights Retirement Residence, Kawartha Heights Retirement Living, Peterborough Retirement Residence, Centennial Place (Millbrook) and the Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) are also in outbreak, with the latter currently caring for 21 COVID in-patients.

The local vaccination picture shows that as of late Wednesday afternoon, 87 per cent of those 18 and older eligible for a vaccine had received two doses and 58 per cent in that same group have received three doses. Meanwhile, 51 per cent of children aged five to 11 have received one dose. As for booster shot uptake, 50.5 per cent of all residents eligible aged five and up have rolled up their sleeve for a third time.

“We’re almost two per cent higher in third dose coverage compared to last week,” said Dr. Piggott, but adding there is “lots of room for improvement” in vaccination of the five to 11 age group.

Walk-in vaccination is now available for those age 12 and up (for first and second doses), those 18 years old and up (for booster shots) and those aged five to 11 (for first doses). Visit peterboroughpublichealth.ca/vaccineclinics for more information regarding clinic locations and hours.

During the media briefing, Dr. Piggott also took the time to express his appreciation for the Facebook messages of support he has received, and continues to receive, in the aftermath of last week’s anti-vaxxer protest at his home in East City — an unsettling experience for him and his family that resulted in the arrests of two people under the provisions of newly minted Bill C-3.

The Facebook group Nogojiwanong Peterborough Stands With Dr. Piggott drew 1,400 members over two days after it was formed by a small group led by kawarthaNOW publisher Jeannine Taylor.

Dr. Piggott said he has been particularly touched by the drawings done by children and posted on the group page, including one that depicts him as a superhero.

“That’s very kind and humbling but I assure you there is no superhero costume underneath this,” Dr. Piggott said. “I just went to school for a long time to become a public health doctor. But we do have lots of superheroes, not only our Peterborough Public Health team but people all around the community that are doing their part — frontline workers, health care workers, people in our grocery stores, people in our pharmacies, people in our essential services and our utilities … a whole range of people have been our heroes.”

“It (the support) makes me blush a lot but I really appreciate it,” he added. “It’s the true Peterborough that I knew I moved to.”

Also on the briefing call were Peterborough-Kawartha MPP Dave Smith, Peterborough Mayor Diane Therrien, Peterborough County Warden J. Murray Jones, and Selwyn mayor and Board of Health chair Andy Mitchell.

In addition, Professor Christopher Kyle of the Trent University DNA Centre provided a thorough explanation of how wastewater analysis provides an accurate snapshot of the level of COVID at any given location.

Peterborough-Kawartha MP Michelle Ferreri, who has not attended any of the 10 Peterborough Public Health media briefings held since she was sworn in last fall, had a representative of her office on the call to take questions and then relay them to her.

An online petition calling on Trent University to pull back from its plan to return to in-person learning exclusively on January 31 is gaining traction in a hurry.

The petition, titled “Keep Winter Semester Online At Trent University” and posted at change.org/p/keep-winter-semester-online-at-trent-university/, had garnered over 2,300 signatures as of late Thursday morning (January 27).

Trent students were informed January 24 that they will be required to return to class on Monday (January 31), at which point seminars and lectures will not be recorded or posted online. The original date for that to occur was January 17 but, due to the uncertainty caused by the ongoing fourth wave of the pandemic with its highly transmissible omicron variant, Trent opted to hold off.

In a statement on the matter, Trent University makes it clear the pending return to in-person learning shouldn’t come as a surprise to both faculty and students.

“Our decision to temporarily delay the start of in-person classes in early January, made in consultation with the Province and public health, was clearly communicated with our plan to return to in-person learning January 31,” reads the statement.

“Provincial guidelines indicate that post-secondary institutions (including residences) are not currently considered ‘highest-risk settings.’ Trent is following the requirements established by the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities around classrooms and instructional spaces.”

Trent University’s return to in-person learning plan is posted at on the university’s website at trentu.ca/coronavirus/.

While Trent states it is “strongly encouraging all students to get their booster before coming back to campus” and reminding that “everyone is required to wear masks at all times,” the online petition preamble says “many students have expressed concerns over the return to in-person (learning)” for the winter semester, citing “the lack of distancing in many classrooms, difficulty finding housing for 3 months, rising cases, long commutes to campus due to going back home and safety concerns among others.”

“This puts students who are uncomfortable with being on campus in an undesirable position,” the petition reads, adding “Many students have expressed wanting to just finish the semester online rather than the back and forth for only 3 months. Please support the students’ safety and other valid concerns and let us just finish the semester online.”

The petition has caught the attention of Trent University president Dr. Leo Groarke. In a guest column published Wednesday (January 26) in the Peterborough Examiner, Dr. Groarke assured the university will “maintain our vigilant approach to safety as we return to in-person teaching, learning and research.”

“Some have asked me why we are returning to in-person classes,” he writes. “Many more have asked me to assure them that we are. It goes without saying that we are doing what we are doing because we believe, after extensive consultations with scientists, Public Health, and the government, that our campuses are safe and not high-risk environments.”

While reassuring, Dr. Groarke’s words have done little to ease the concerns of petition signees.

“The complete lack of physical distancing in lecture halls is already distressing but crowded designated eating areas are worse,” writes one student in a comment on the petition. “We can’t eat outside anymore, so it’s be hungry or risk COVID.”

Another notes “I commute about 45 minutes to campus and it’s not going to be easy for me to continue going back and forth. Plus we started the semester online, so going back after a month is going to mess everything up.”

“If the students aren’t comfortable returning to in-class, then they should stay virtual,” remarks another. “Safety is the priority … feeling unsafe in the classroom will affect their performance.”

On the same day Dr. Groarke’s guest column was published in the Examiner, an article headlined Back To Normal? Trent Says ‘Yes’ Whether You Like It Or Not was posted on the website of Arthur, Trent University’s independent student press.

In it, writer Evan Robins details students’ frustration and, in some cases, outright anger over the imminent return to in-person learning. Robins notes beyond the on-campus concerns, there’s another red flag.

“Many students are expressing apprehension about returning to the communal spaces that might put them at a higher risk of contracting COVID-19, which would force them to isolate in a cramped dorm room away from friends and family,” she writes.

“Rather than being helpful to students, the lack of disclosure surrounding cases at Trent University leaves students effectively in the dark, unable to make informed decisions and risk assessments.”

Trent University is also hearing concerns from the Ontario Federation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA). On Monday (January 24), it issued a statement titled “Faculty And Academic Librarian Voices Ignored As Universities Rush Return To In-Person Learning.”

According to OCUFA president Sue Wurtele, a Trent University geography professor, “Faculty and academic librarians are tired of having their health and safety taken for granted and ignored.”

“COVID-19 represents a real and substantial threat to those working and studying at Ontario’s universities,” she adds.

“Faculty and academic librarians are tired of having their health and safety taken for granted and ignored,” Wurtele states. “They are tired of shortsighted government and university plans that ignore the reality of this pandemic. The constant pivoting is exhausting.”

“As much as faculty, staff, and students might like to return to normal, this pandemic is not over. University administrations must work with faculty and other campus unions to plot a cautious and safe path forward. This path should be based on facts and science and, where reasonable, exceed local public health guidelines.”

In his guest column for the Peterborough Examiner, Dr. Groarke writes Trent University has been down the return to in-person learning road before and handled it well, ensuring that a number of protocols and measures were in place, and monitored and regulated.

“Our successful fall term did not happen by accident,” he writes. “Rather, it was the product of the many precautions the University has taken to ensure the safety of our campuses. They included vaccine mandates (97% of our students, staff and employees are fully vaccinated); masking, distancing, cleaning and air purifying protocols; special accommodations, where possible, for individuals who have needed them; and the constant monitoring of our buildings and campuses.”

“We plan to maintain our vigilant approach to safety as we return to in-person teaching, learning, and research,” he adds. “Our protocols will include wastewater testing by our scientists, an extra layer of protection which has proved to be an invaluable instrument as we track signs of COVID on our campuses and colleges.”

Did you see the light pillars above Peterborough on Wednesday night (January 26)?

Peterborough resident Jim Webster shared some photos of light pillars he captured on his iPhone 13, looking south at 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday.

Although they look like something out of a sci-fi movie, light pillars have a natural explanation.

“Light pillars are a result of light reflecting off ice particles high in our atmosphere,” Webster tells kawarthaNOW, adding that in one of his photos you can see the Orion constellation above the light pillars, as well as the star Sirius down to the left.

According to Wikipedia, a light pillar is an atmospheric optical phenomenon in which a vertical beam of light appears to extend above or below a light source, or both.

The effect is created by the reflection of light from tiny ice crystals suspended in the atmosphere, or that comprise high-altitude clouds such as cirrostratus or cirrus clouds). The appearance of light pillars as vertical lines is an optical illusion, resulting from the collective reflection off the ice crystals.

While relatively rare, light pillars have been captured by various photographers in the Peterborough area during past winters.

The Peterborough Humane Society and the Ontario SPCA and Humane Society have received a $260,000 grant from PetSmart Charities of Canada for the new Peterborough Animal Care Centre.

Currently under construction at 1999 Technology Drive in southeast Peterborough, the 24,000-square-foot facility will house the Peterborough Humane Society’s adoption and education centre and regional high-volume spay and neuter clinic, as well as the Ontario SPCA’s provincial dog rehabilitation centre — the first of its kind in Canada.

The Peterborough Humane Society will use most of the grant to purchase medical equipment required for the regional high-volume spay and neuter clinic. The clinic, which will serve the public as well as other animal rescue organizations, will provide up to 25 surgeries a day, helping 5,000 pets and their families each year.

“PetSmart Charities of Canada has been a phenomenal partner on this journey to the new centre,” says Shawn Morey, executive director of the Peterborough Humane Society, in a media release. “Their support brings us that much closer to being able to raise the bar in animal care in our community and beyond.”

Another $75,000 of the grant will go towards the Ontario SPCA provincial dog rehabilitation centre, which will help dogs who need more support and care than a regular shelter can provide. It will contain several unique features, including hydrotherapy equipment, indoor and outdoor off-leash areas, flexible training rooms, specialized training courses, and a real family living room to help dogs practice living in a home environment.

“We are grateful to receive this grant from PetSmart Charities of Canada to help bring the provincial dog rehabilitation centre to reality,” says Dr. Stephanie Black, chief veterinary officer with the Ontario SPCA and Humane Society. “Once complete, this centre will fill a critical and significant gap in current services by addressing the individualized needs of dogs most difficult to adopt.”

PetSmart Charities of Canada, a registered Canadian charity independent from the PetSmart pet store chain in Canada, has granted more than $14 million for animal welfare activities. To date, the charity has contributed over $421,000 towards the Peterborough Animal Care Centre.

“We recognize the need for accessible health and wellness services for pets, which is why we are excited that the new animal care centre will help bring those services to the Peterborough community,” says Dani LaGiglia, senior community grants manager at PetSmart Charities of Canada. “Not only will the centre help more pets find homes, but it will help more pets receive the care they need to support their health and well-being.”

Construction of the centre is slated to be completed at the end of 2022. For more information or to donate, visit www.ourpetproject.ca and ontariospca.ca/dogrehab.

On the one-year anniversary of the first COVID-19 vaccine dose administered in the Peterborough area, Peterborough Public Health is expanding walk-in clinic opportunities to some eligible residents.

On January 26, 2021, Elizabeth Campbell — a 106-year-old resident at Fairhaven long-term care home — was the first person in the Peterborough are to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. A dose of the Moderna vaccine was administered by Lori Rowsell, infection prevention and control practitioner at Fairhaven.

On that date, there were confirmed 42 active cases in the Peterborough area and three outbreaks; one year later, there are 328 known active cases (the number of active cases is likely higher due to reduced PCR testing) and 16 outbreaks.

“In one year, all vaccination partners in our region have been able to administer 321,186 doses of COVID-19 vaccines,” says Dr. Thomas Piggott, Peterborough’s medical officer of health, in a media release. “I want to thank our vaccinators, administrative support, volunteers, and every partner organization that have supported COVID-19 vaccine efforts across the region.”

To increase access to the COVID-19 vaccine, Peterborough Public Health is expanding walk-in clinic opportunities to some eligible residents effective Wednesday (January 26):

• Residents 12 years of age or older who require a first or second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine can walk-in to vaccine clinics designated for residents 12 years of age or older.
• Residents 18 years of age or older who require a booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine can walk-in to vaccine clinics designated for residents 12 years of age or older.
• Residents five to 11 years of age who require a first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine can walk-in to vaccine clinics designated for residents five to 11 years of age.

At this time, residents five to 11 years of age who require a second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine are asked to book an appointment at available COVID-19 vaccine clinics.

“We are aiming to reduce the barriers to receiving a COVID-19 vaccine by expanding walk-in opportunities for many residents,” Dr. Piggott says. “Peterborough Public Health will continue to host vaccine clinics in the City of Peterborough and throughout Peterborough County to increase access to the vaccine.”

Available COVID-19 vaccine clinics can be found at peterboroughpublichealth.ca/vaccineclinics.

Appointments are still available for most COVID-19 vaccine clinics and can be booked through the provincial booking system online at ontario.ca/covidvaccine or by calling 1-833-943-3900.

Campbellford Memorial Hospital in Trent Hills has temporarily converted its day surgery recovery area into acute care beds as a result of a surge of patients due to the COVID-19 omicron variant.

According to a media release issued Wednesday morning (January 26), the hospital has seen sustained patient volumes above 100 per cent of the its bed capacity, peaking at 140 per cent over capacity.

If the surge in patients continues to grow, the hospital is planning to convert its ambulatory care clinic into acute care beds as well.

Despite increasing bed capacity, the hospital is also facing staffing challenges due to the number of staff required to self-isolate at home because of the omicron variant.

“Our staff have been at this for nearly two years,” states Eric Hanna, the hospital’s interim president and CEO, in the media release. “They are exhausted and they continue to give it their all day in and day out. Our part-time and casual workers are putting in full-time hours. Our full time staff are coming in on their off days. It’s truly been an all-hands-on-deck effort.”

The hospital is reminding residents that omicron is “still very active” in the community and to follow public health guidance including washing hands frequently, wearing a mask, and getting vaccinated.

“Although we are seeing fully vaccinated patients presenting with COVID-19, I will note that the vast majority of severe COVID-19 cases that require admission to the hospital are in people who are not vaccinated,” Hanna points out. “That’s why vaccination is so important: not only to protect you and your loved ones, but also to preserve hospital capacity.”

The hospital states residents can expect to slightly longer than normal wait times in the emergency department, and encourages those requiring non-urgent care to seek out alternative options such as their family doctor, telehealth, or virtual care clinics.