Test results by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency have identified possible listeria monocytogenes contamination in Eat Smart brand Asian Sesame Chopped Salad Kit with August 24, 2021 dates. (Photo: Canadian Food Inspection Agency)
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has announced a recall for Eat Smart brand Asian Sesame Chopped Salad Kit, sold across Ontario.
Curation Foods is recalling the product from the marketplace due to possible listeria monocytogenes contamination.
The recalled product is sold in 350 g bags and has UPC code 7 09351 30169 8, with date codes AUG 24 2021, 2021 AU 24, and 2 0 A 221.
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If you have the recalled product in your home, it should be thrown out or returned to the store where you purchased it.
Food contaminated with listeria monocytogenes may not look or smell spoiled, but it can still make you sick. Symptoms can include vomiting, nausea, persistent fever, muscle aches, severe headache and neck stiffness. Pregnant women, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems are particularly at risk
There have been no reported illnesses associated with the consumption of this product. The recall was triggered by test results by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, which is conducting a food safety investigation.
Do not consume Eat Smart brand Asian Sesame Chopped Salad Kit, sold in 350 g bags with UPC code 7 09351 30169 and date codes AUG 24 2021, 2021 AU 24, and 2 0 A 221. (Photos: Canadian Food Inspection Agency)
Kawartha Land Trust, a non-government charitable organization committed to protecting land in the Kawarthas, is seeking $300,000 in donations to create a 14-kilometre trail route stretching from Stony Lake to Lakefield. The proposed trail route is situated on a stretch of land chosen for its appealing natural features for visitors to enjoy. It is also a vulnerable and important stretch of land in the Kawarthas that is still naturalized. (Photo courtesy of Kawartha Land Trust)
Kawartha Land Trust, a non-government charitable organization committed to protecting land in the Kawarthas, is raising funds to create a 14-kilometre trail route stretching from Stony Lake to Lakefield.
The trail route project is inspired by Kawartha Land Trust’s successful 2020 campaign to raise money for to purchase the Christie Bentham Wetland, a provincially significant wetland property just south of Burleigh falls.
Previously known as the Clear Lake North Wetland, the property was renamed after Christie Bentham in honour of a donation she left to Kawartha Land Trust in her will. A part of that donation was used as the leading gift towards the purchase and protection of the land and inspired hundreds of other donors, who collectively raised $750,000 for Kawartha Land Trust to cover the purchase price of the property, as well as other costs associated with the sale and the ongoing stewardship needs of the property.
The proposed trails network would create a contiguous corridor of protected land from Stony Lake to Lakefield, conserving important wetland habitats that are populated by wildlife including Ontario’s threatened turtle species. (Photo courtesy of Kawartha Land Trust)
Kawartha Land Trust’s executive director John Kinatre says the vision for the proposed trail route from Stony Lake to Lakefield, which would become Kawartha Land Trust’s longest trail network, is to spark a “conservation boom” in the region, with new trails, conservation easements, and new donated land.
“This project is coming from the community and the notion that we wanted to protect the trails and trail network on the Christie Bentham Wetland property,” Kinatre explains. “As the project and campaign took off, the desire from the community and donors came to say, ‘Can we make it bigger? Can we keep going with it?'”
The proposed trail route will incorporate trails already situated on the Christie Bentham Wetlands property, which Kinatre says will open for public use this fall.
Wildflowers are common along the proposed trail network, such as the eastern purple coneflower (echinacea purpurea), a native species of flowering plant in the sunflower family. (Photo courtesy of Kawartha Land Trust)
Additional existing properties protected by Kawartha Land Trust in the area include the McWilliams property adjacent to the Christie Bentham Wetland and the Ayotte’s Point Woods property, located north of Young’s Point. While there won’t be trails through all of these properties, they are part of the natural corridor the trails network will help protect.
The organization is also developing an agreement with Otonabee Region Conservation Authority to incorporate two of its properties into the trail route: the Heber Rogers Wildlife Area south of Burleigh Falls and the Young’s Point and Leidra Lands Conservation Areas.
The rest of the properties the potential trail network would traverse are held by private landowners. Kawartha Land Trust will need to work with these owners, showing them how the trail could move through their land and getting their agreement.
Some landowners may agree to allow a trail over their land and put it on their land title or put a conservation easement including the trail on their land title, while others might want to add a simple trail management agreement to allow the trail.
“We’re hoping that landowners in this area will share our vision and participate in it,” Kinatre says.
To move ahead with the project, Kawartha Land Trust requires community donations. Not only could donations fund the potential protection of new properties, but they can also fund the trail development and securement phase — a process that will take some time.
The proposed trails network would run through forests, wetlands, and fields, all of which would be protected from development by Kawartha Land Trust. (Photo courtesy of Kawartha Land Trust)
“We’re looking for donors in the community who can support us financially,” Kinatre points out. “It will take a good couple years of planning and conversations and relationship building at all levels — landowners, municipalities, and hopefully with First Nations as well — to make this trail network and natural corridor everything it can be.”
Kinatre says the project particularly needs the support of Selwyn Township, since road allowances could also form part of the route, and the township could help solve access and parking issues that might arise.
To donate to the trail project, you can visit the Kawartha Land Trust website at kawarthalandtrust.org/trailsproject/. The organization’s goal is to raise $300,000 to make the new trail route a reality.
The white oak can grow to be more than 35 metres tall and can live for several hundred years. Birds, squirrels, and other animals eat acorns from the white oak. Wood from the white oak is waterproof, so it’s used to make barrels for storing liquids. The Vikings also used the white oak for their ships due to its strength. (Photo courtesy of Kawartha Land Trust)
While their most pressing need for the project is for funds, you can also support the trail route project by spreading the word and voicing your support. Kinatre says municipalities are more likely to assist with the project if they see it has community support.
As the project moves forward, Kawartha Land Trust will also need volunteers for a regional stewardship team to build and mark the trails. To express your interest in volunteering, you can email your resume to Patricia Wilson, Community Conservation Coordinator, at pwilson@kawarthalandtrust.org.
The proposed network of trails is a next step for Kawartha Land Trust in their mission to expand the amount of protected land in the Kawarthas. Kinatre notes the trails route project provides a means for facilitating discussions with landowners, many of whom have never considered how to conserve their properties but may be interested in doing so.
More than 20 per cent of Ontario’s species at risk rely on wetlands for survival. Southern Ontario has lost more than 70 per cent of its wetlands, with losses increasing to 85 per cent in southwestern Ontario, Niagara, Toronto and parts of eastern Ontario. (Photo courtesy of Kawartha Land Trust)
“The trail network itself is a connector piece to give us a reason for landowners to speak to us,” Kinatre explains. “It allows us to get out and have conversations with landowners and offer them information guides to hold onto, so they’ll have a better understanding of the ecological value of conserving their land.”
The proposed trail route is situated on a stretch of land chosen for its appealing natural features for visitors to enjoy. It is also a vulnerable and important stretch of land in the Kawarthas that is still naturalized.
Kinatre explains that preserving this naturalized corridor is vital for Ontario’s ecosystem.
The proposed trail route runs through The Land Between, an area of transition between the ecosystems of the Canadian Shield and the St. Lawrence Lowlands. It contains elements from the ecosystems it borders, including the ancient rock of the Canadian Shield and the fertile wetlands of the St. Lawrence Lowlands. (Photo courtesy of Kawartha Land Trust)
“Having these corridors of natural land is important for species migration, especially as we see the impacts of climate change,” Kinatre notes. “It’s always important to recognize, celebrate, and protect these corridors when we find them. It’s a lot easier to protect existing trees than it is to try to reforest an area by planting new ones.”
The proposed trail route runs through “The Land Between”, an area of transition known as an “ecotone” between the ecosystems of the Canadian Shield and the St. Lawrence Lowlands. It contains elements from the ecosystems it borders — including the ancient rock of the Canadian Shield and the fertile wetlands of the St. Lawrence Lowlands — as well as its own unique ecological treasures.
Hikers would pass under lush forest canopies and walk past endangered butternut trees while listening for the unmistakable call of the eastern wood-pewee, all the while knowing the trail is also preserving wetlands that clean the region’s drinking water and provide habitat for wildlife such as Ontario’s threatened turtle species including the Blanding’s turtle.
Along with helping to protect biodiversity, the proposed trail network would provide another way for people to experience the many proven benefits that arise from connecting with nature, including the mental health benefits of being surrounded by flora and fauna. (Photo courtesy of Kawartha Land Trust)
Along with helping to protect biodiversity, the proposed trail network would provide another way for people to experience the many proven benefits that arise from connecting with nature — from the mental health benefits of being surrounded by flora and fauna to the physiological and cognitive benefits of walking on a trail.
“Just from walking on a trail like that, our brains have to make all sorts of decisions about where to put your foot and where to put your weight,” Kinatre explains. “We’re not aware of it, but it keeps our brains nimble and young.”
During the pandemic, people developed a new appreciation of the value of public trails. Creating a new one, Kinatre says, provides another opportunity to get people back into nature.
On the proposed trail network, hikers would pass under lush forest canopies and walk past endangered butternut trees while listening for the unmistakable call of the eastern wood-pewee. (Photo courtesy of Kawartha Land Trust)
“It hopefully will help people develop a better understand of why nature’s important to our way of life and our well-being,” Kinatre explains. “When we can connect people with nature, it makes them better advocates for nature and greater supporters of our work.”
“Having a trail network developed — where we can show people the results of protection and show people the results of conservation — helps them to understand the importance of that work in other areas, as well.”
Kawartha Land Trust currently protects 22 properties in the Kawarthas, comprising more than 4,500 acres of important and diverse types of land. For more information about Kawartha Land Trust and to support the trail network campaign, visit kawarthalandtrust.org.
A view of Stony Lake from the Jeffrey-Cowan Forest Preserve. one of the 22 properties protected by the Kawartha Land Trust. The proposed trail network provides a way to connect protected properties and maintain a natural corridor of undeveloped land that’s important for species migration, especially during climate change. (Photo courtesy of Kawartha Land Trust)
This story was created in partnership with Kawartha Land Trust.
Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.
Ontario is reporting 486 new cases today, the lowest daily increase in the past 6 days. However, the seven-day average of daily cases has increased by 19 to 600.
Toronto is reporting a triple-digit increases of 129 cases. Of Ontario’s remaining 33 health units, 9 are reporting double-digit increases — Peel (82), Windsor-Essex (47), York (45), Hamilton (45), Halton (27), Simcoe Muskoka (16), Middlesex-London (15), Ottawa (12), and Niagara (11) — and 8 are reporting no new cases at all.
Of the new cases, 65% are people who have not been fully vaccinated (57% have not received any doses and 8% have received only one dose) and 23% are people who have been fully vaccinated with two doses, with the vaccination status unknown for 11% of the cases.
Hospitalizations have climbed by 91 to 295, but part of this increase is due to underreporting by more than 10% of hospitals over the weekend. This is the highest number of hospitalization since June 23, when 295 hospitalizations were also reported. However, on June 23 there were 305 ICU patients; today, there are 156 ICU patients, an increase of 4 from yesterday. The number of ICU patients on ventilators has increased by 3 to 85.
Ontario is reporting 18 deaths, but 16 of these deaths occurred more than 2 months ago and are being reported today as part of a data clean-up. The number of new COVID-related deaths since yesterday is 2.
Over 20.5 million vaccine doses have been administered, an increase of 36,655 from yesterday, with almost 9.8 million people fully vaccinated, an increase of 23,425 from yesterday, representing over 66% of Ontario’s total population.
COVID-19 cases in Ontario from July 24 – August 23, 2021. The red line is the number of new cases reported daily, and the dotted green line is a five-day rolling average of new cases. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)COVID-19 hospitalizations and ICU admissions in Ontario from July 24 – August 23, 2021. The red line is the daily number of COVID-19 hospitalizations, the dotted green line is a five-day rolling average of hospitalizations, and the purple line is the daily number of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)COVID-19 vaccinations in Ontario from July 24 – August 23, 2021. The red line is the cumulative number of daily doses administered and the green line is the cumulative number of people fully vaccinated with two doses of vaccine. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)
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In the greater Kawarthas region, there is 1 new case to report in Peterborough. Numbers are unavailable for Kawartha Lakes, Haliburton, Northumberland, and Hastings Prince Edward as the respective health units only issue reports on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Numbers for Tuesday will be included in Wednesday’s update.
An additional 3 cases have been resolved in Peterborough, with active cases decreasing by 2 to 13.
There are currently 78 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, a decrease of 2 from yesterday, including 38 in Hastings Prince Edward (23 in Belleville, 11 in Quinte West, 2 in North Hastings, 1 in Central Hastings, 1 in Prince Edward County, and 1 in Tyendinaga & Deseronto), 20 in Kawartha Lakes, 13 in Peterborough, 6 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton.
Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 1,667 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (1,632 resolved with 22 deaths), 1,225 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (1,160 resolved with 58 deaths), 967 in Northumberland County (944 resolved with 17 deaths), 127 in Haliburton County (125 resolved with 1 death), and 1,237 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (1,187 resolved with 12 deaths). The most recent death was reported in Hastings Prince Edward on July 28.
Environment Canada has extended its heat warning until at least Wednesday (August 25) and has expanded it to include northern Kawartha Lakes and northern Peterborough County.
The heat warning was first issued on Saturday for southern Peterborough County, southern Kawartha Lakes, and all of Northumberland.
The heat and humidity is expected to continue Tuesday and Wednesday, with daytime temperatures as high as 33°C and humidex values as high as 42°C.
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Temperatures overnight will be between 18°C. and 21°C.
In southern areas of the greater Kawarthas region, the heat and humidity may extended into Thursday.
With Peterborough Public Health also issuing a heat warning yesterday, One Roof Community Centre (99 Brock St., Peterborough) is extending its hours of service.
Usually open between 12 and 7 p.m., the centre will now be open from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. The centre is closed to drop-in service from noon to 3 p.m. for preparation and pickup of the to-go meal, which is available between 1 and 2 p.m.
Outdoor water bottle filling stations are available in Peterborough at Beavermead Park (2011 Ashburnham Dr.), Eastgate Park (2150 Ashburnham Dr.), and the Peterborough Marina (92 George St. N.). The Peterborough Public Library’s main branch at 345 Aylmer Street in downtown Peterborough also offers water bottle refilling when the library is open.
Emergency overnight shelters in Peterborough are available to people experiencing homelessness at YES Shelter for Youth and Families (196 Brock St.), Brock Mission Men’s Shelter (217 Murray St.), and Cameron House Women’s Shelter (738 Chemong Rd.). If shelters are full, people will be directed to the overflow shelter.
North Kawartha Mayor Carolyn Amyotte speaks with Peterborough County OPP staff sergeant Chris Galeazza in May 2021 about the three stretches of Highway 28 in North Kawartha that have the most collisions, the reasons why, and the intention to have the three stretches designated as community safety zones where speeding fines are doubled. (kawarthaNOW screenshot of Facebook video)
Police have identified the two people who were killed in a head-on crash on Highway 28 in North Kawartha Township on Saturday afternoon (August 21).
Claudio Benetti, 64, and Janice Benetti, 65, both of Stoney Creek, were pronounced dead at the scene after a collision involving two vehicles at around 4:30 p.m. on Saturday.
Another person, presumably the driver of the second vehicle, was transported to a Toronto-area hospital with life-threatening injuries. Police have provided no update on this person’s condition.
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Police continue to investigate the collision and are asking any witnesses, or anyone with dash camera footage of the incident, to call the Peterborough County OPP Detachment at 705-742-0401 or the non-emergency line at 1-888-310-1122. If you wish to provide information anonymously, contact Crime Stoppers Peterborough & Northumberland at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or online at stopcrimehere.ca.
The collision happened at Big Cedar, south of Woodview, on a stretch of Highway 28 known for its high volume of traffic, especially during the summer months, along with a high number of accidents.
This past May, North Kawartha Mayor Carolyn Amyotte spoke with Peterborough County OPP staff sergeant Chris Galeazza about collision “hot spots” on the highway, the top five reasons for collisions, and more.
It's Spring in North Kawartha and that means the return of many things: hummingbirds, blackflies and crazy traffic on Highway 28. Peterborough County OPP Staff Sargent Chris Galeazza joins me in my latest video update to talk about Highway 28 'Hot Spots', the top 5 reasons for accidents, and how North Kawartha Township's upcoming request for Community Safety Zones is an effective way to address our highway safety concerns.
“On this highway alone, there are three significant hot spots — the hamlet of Big Cedar, Woodview where we are today, and up the highway in Apsley,” Galeazza said, adding the top five reasons for collisions on the highway are animal strikes, speeding too fast for conditions, inattentive driving, following too closely, and driver fatigue.
Amyotte, who is also chair of the North Kawartha police services board, said the township will be requesting the provincial government designate the three stretches of Highway 28 as “community safety zones”.
Through a 1998 regulation under the Highway Traffic Act, municipalities can request areas on provincially maintained highways be designated as community safety zones. In the zones, which are identified through signage, many set penalties are doubled — including for speeding and careless driving.
Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.
Ontario is reporting 639 new cases today, with the seven-day average of daily cases increasing by 18 to 581.
Toronto is reporting a triple-digit increase of 124 cases. Of Ontario’s remaining 33 health units, 12 are reporting double-digit increases — Peel (97), Hamilton (64), Windsor-Essex (36), Middlesex-London (32), Durham (30), Ottawa (27), Simcoe Muskoka (19), Halton (18), Brant (15), Niagara (11), Waterloo (11), and Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (11) — and 4 (including 3 in northern Ontario) are reporting no new cases at all.
Of the new cases, 74% are people who have not been fully vaccinated (64% have not received any doses and 10% have received only one dose) and 19% are people who have been fully vaccinated with two doses, with the vaccination status unknown for 6% of the cases.
The number of hospitalizations has increased by 26 to 204, but (as is always the case on weekends) more than 10% of hospitals did not submit data to the daily bed census, so the number of actual hospitalizations is likely higher. The number of ICU patients has climbed by 10 to 151, and the number of ICU patients on ventilators has increased by 3 to 82.
Ontario is reporting no new COVID-related deaths.
Almost 20.5 million vaccine doses have been administered, an increase of 22,589 from yesterday, with over 9.7 million people fully vaccinated, an increase of 15,652 from yesterday, representing just over 66% of Ontario’s total population.
COVID-19 cases in Ontario from July 23 – August 22, 2021. The red line is the number of new cases reported daily, and the dotted green line is a five-day rolling average of new cases. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)COVID-19 hospitalizations and ICU admissions in Ontario from July 23 – August 22, 2021. The red line is the daily number of COVID-19 hospitalizations, the dotted green line is a five-day rolling average of hospitalizations, and the purple line is the daily number of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)COVID-19 vaccinations in Ontario from July 23 – August 22, 2021. The red line is the cumulative number of daily doses administered and the green line is the cumulative number of people fully vaccinated with two doses of vaccine. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com
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In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 35 new cases to report over the past 2 days, including 15 in Hastings Prince Edward, 11 in Kawartha Lakes. 5 in Peterborough, and 4 in Northumberland. There are no new cases in Haliburton.
An additional 26 cases have been resolved in the region including 16 in Hastings Prince Edward, 4 in Kawartha Lakes, 3 in Peterborough, and 3 in Northumberland.
The number of active cases has increased by 6 in Kawartha Lakes, by 2 in Peterborough, by 1 in Northumberland, has decreased by 2 in Hastings Prince Edward, and remains the same in Haliburton.
There are currently 80 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, an increase of 7 from August 20, including 38 in Hastings Prince Edward (23 in Belleville, 11 in Quinte West, 2 in North Hastings, 1 in Central Hastings, 1 in Prince Edward County, and 1 in Tyendinaga & Deseronto), 20 in Kawartha Lakes, 15 in Peterborough, 6 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton.
Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 1,666 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (1,629 resolved with 22 deaths), 1,225 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (1,160 resolved with 58 deaths), 967 in Northumberland County (944 resolved with 17 deaths), 127 in Haliburton County (125 resolved with 1 death), and 1,237 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (1,187 resolved with 12 deaths). The most recent death was reported in Hastings Prince Edward on July 28.
Firefighters battle a blaze on Station Street in downtown Bancroft on August 23, 2021. (Photo: Stuart Thomson)
Firefighters battled a blaze, reportedly preceded by an explosion, in the Town of Bancroft on Monday afternoon (August 23).
The explosion and fire happened at a multi-unit building on Station Street in downtown Bancroft.
Witnesses report hearing a loud explosion at around 12:30 p.m.
Residents watch from the park across the road as firefighters work to extinguish a blaze at a multi-unit building on August 23, 2021. (Photo: Stuart Thomson)
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Witnesses report hearing a loud explosion at around 12:30 p.m.
Around 20 occupants of the building have been displaced but there were only minor injuries, according to police.
Station Street was closed to traffic and residents of nearby buildings were evacuated while firefighters fought the blaze.
Clouds of smoke rise from a multi-unit building on Station Street as firefighters battle a blaze that was reportedly preceded by an explosion on August 23, 2021. (Photo: Stuart Thomson)
This story has been updated to remove incorrect information about the location of the fire.
Alt-country and indie pop singer-songwriter Lauryn Macfarlane is the Peterborough Folk Festival's 2021 Emerging Artist. (Photo from laurynmacfarlane.com)
The Peterborough Folk Festival has announced Lauryn Macfarlane as the festival’s 2021 Emerging Artist Award recipient.
Organizers made the announcement Saturday night (August 21) at the Rolling Grape Vineyard in Bailieboro — the final night of ‘We Can Do This’, a series of ticketed live music concerts in place of the festival’s traditional free weekend celebration at Nicholls Oval Park — where Macfarlane opened for Donovan Woods and Chantal Kreviazuk.
Raised in Peterborough, the alt-country and indie pop singer-songwriter moved to Montreal in the fall of 2019, where she’s working on her debut EP. She released her second single “Nowhere Town” earlier this year, following up her first single “Friendly” — both of which will be included on the EP.
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“I grew up going to the festival so to be named the emerging artist for this year feels like a very full circle moment,” Macfarlane writes on her Facebook page.
“Thank you to everyone that came out to Rolling Grape Vineyard, bought a ticket, braved the heat and listened,” she adds. “Such an attentive, supportive, beautiful audience, and a beautiful night. This was my first show back since February 2020 and I couldn’t have asked for a better return to live music.”
In the past, Mafarlane has performed at the Peterborough Folk Festival, has opened for JJ and The Pillars, Heaps (Formally The Kents), Kane Miller, and Nefe and, in February, recorded a performance for the virtual Hillside Festival in Guelph. She recently signed with Artist Group International agent Adam Countryman, whose client list has included Arkells, A Tribe Called Red, Half Moon Run, Lights, and more.
VIDEO: “Nowhere Town” – Lauryn Macfarlane
Mafarlane joins a long list of Peterborough-area musicians who have received the Emerging Artist Award, starting with Millbrook’s Serena Ryder in 2001. The recipient of the festival’s annual award, which recognizes emerging young local talent deserving of attention, is selected by a committee who assess applicants on skill, dedication, and artistic merit.
For more information about Macfarlane, visit her website at laurynmacfarlane.com..
Recipients of the award are given showcase spots at the festival and receive a trip to the Folk Music Ontario annual conference, where they have the opportunity to meet artistic directors, other musicians, agents, and funders.
Here’s the full list of recipients (no award was given in 2020 due to the pandemic):
Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.
Ontario is reporting 722 new cases today, with the seven-day average of daily cases increasing by 30 to 564.
Toronto and Hamilton are reporting triple-digit increases of 170 and 101 respectively. Of Ontario’s remaining 32 health units, 11 are reporting double-digit increases — Windsor-Essex (88), York (70), Peel (63), Durham (39), Middlesex-London (26), Simcoe Muskoka (25), Ottawa (23), Waterloo (23), Halton (22), Niagara (15), and Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (10) — and 5 are reporting no new cases at all.
Of the new cases, 68% are people who have not been fully vaccinated (61% have not received any doses and 11% have received only one dose) and 22% are people who have been fully vaccinated with two doses, with the vaccination status unknown for 6% of the cases.
The number of hospitalizations has dropped by 34 to 178, but (as is always the case on weekends) more than 10% of hospitals did not submit data to the daily bed census, so the number of actual hospitalizations is likely higher. The number of ICU patients has climbed by 11 to 141, and the number of ICU patients on ventilators has increased by 1 to 79.
Ontario is reporting 2 new COVID-related deaths, with none in long-term care homes. There have been no COVID-related deaths of residents in long-term care homes since August 3.
Over 20.4 million vaccine doses have been administered, an increase of 33,535 from yesterday, with more than 9.7 million people fully vaccinated, an increase of 22,811 from yesterday, representing almost 66% of Ontario’s total population.
COVID-19 cases in Ontario from July 22 – August 21, 2021. The red line is the number of new cases reported daily, and the dotted green line is a five-day rolling average of new cases. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)COVID-19 hospitalizations and ICU admissions in Ontario from July 22 – August 21, 2021. The red line is the daily number of COVID-19 hospitalizations, the dotted green line is a five-day rolling average of hospitalizations, and the purple line is the daily number of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)COVID-19 vaccinations in Ontario from July 22 – August 21, 2021. The red line is the cumulative number of daily doses administered and the green line is the cumulative number of people fully vaccinated with two doses of vaccine. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)
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Numbers are unavailable for Peterborough, Kawartha Lakes, Haliburton, Northumberland, and Hastings Prince Edward as the respective health units do not issue reports on weekends.
For Saturday, the Ontario data shows 6 new cases for Hastings Prince Edward Public Health, 2 new cases for Peterborough Public Health, and no new cases for Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit. Regional numbers for Saturday and Sunday will be confirmed in Monday’s update.
As of August 20, there were 73 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, including 40 in Hastings Prince Edward (19 in Belleville, 14 in Quinte West, 3 in Prince Edward County, 2 in North Hastings, 1 in Tyendinaga & Deseronto, and 1 in Central Hastings), 14 in Kawartha Lakes, 13 in Peterborough, 5 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton.
Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 1,661 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (1,626 resolved with 22 deaths), 1,208 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (1,153 resolved with 58 deaths), 962 in Northumberland County (938 resolved with 17 deaths), 130 in Haliburton County (127 resolved with 1 death), and 1,219 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (1,168 resolved with 12 deaths). The most recent death was reported in Hastings Prince Edward on July 28.
A road closure sign on Highway 28 near Woodview following a head-on collision in February 2019. (Photo courtesy of Geri-Lynn Cajindos)
A deadly stretch of Highway 28 has claimed more lives.
Two people are dead and one is seriously injured following a serious collision on Highway 28 near Big Cedar Lake Road, south of Woodview, on Saturday afternoon (August 21).
Peterborough County OPP report two vehicles were involved in a head-on collision at around 4:30 p.m. on Saturday.
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Two people were pronounced dead at the scene and one person has been transported to a Toronto-area hospital with life-threatening injuries.
Police are not releasing the names of the people who died until their next of kin have been notified.
Highway 28 remains closed while the OPP documents the scene. Detours are in place on Highway 28 at Northey’s Bay Road and County Road 36.
The closure will remain in place for several hours while police investigate.
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