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Ontario reports 3,670 new COVID-19 cases, including 78 in greater Kawarthas region

By kawarthaNOW -

Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.

Ontario is reporting 3,670 new cases today, with the seven-day average of daily cases increasing by 86 to a record high of 3,868. For the fourth day in a row, 10 public health units are reporting at least triple-digit increases.

The positivity rate has reached 10.3%, the highest positivity rate since April 2020. There are now 20,487 cases of the B.1.1.7 UK variant in Ontario, an increase of 3,947 from yesterday, with 3 more cases of the B.1.351 South Africa variant.

The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 has reached another record high, as has the number of patients in ICUs and those on ventilators.

In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 78 new cases to report and an additional 26 cases resolved, with the number of active cases increasing by 52 to 457. See below for detailed numbers from each regional health unit.

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Most of today’s new cases are in Toronto (1,063), Peel (613), York (519), Ottawa (214), Hamilton (161), Halton (157), Waterloo (121), Durham (106), Niagara (103), and Simcoe Muskoka (102).

There are double-digit increases today in Middlesex-London (83), Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (78), Sudbury (44), Windsor-Essex (42), Eastern Ontario (32), Southwestern (30), Brant (27), Leeds, Grenville & Lanark (19), Hastings Prince Edward (16), Renfrew (15), Northwestern (13), and Grey Bruce (12), with smaller increasess in Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge (8), Peterborough (7), Chatham-Kent (7), and Haldimand-Norfolk (6).

The remaining 8 health units are reporting 5 or fewer new cases, with only 1 health unit (Timiskaming) reporting no new cases at all.

Of today’s new cases, 56% are among people 39 and younger, with the highest number of cases (1,344) among people ages 20-39 followed by 1,075 cases among people ages 40-59 and 721 cases among people 19 and under.

With 2,573 more cases resolved since yesterday, the percentage of resolved cases has decreased by 0.2% to 89.0%. The average positivity rate across Ontario has increased by 0.8% to 10.3%, meaning that 103 out of every 1,000 tests performed were positive for COVID-19 on April 12.

Ontario is reporting 15 new COVID-19 deaths today, with no new deaths in long-term care homes. Ontario has averaged 18 new daily deaths over the past week, an increase of 1 from yesterday.

The number of hospitalizations increased by 176 to 1,822, with the number of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs increasing by 7 to 626, and the number of patients with COVID-19 on ventilators increasing by 14 to 422.

A total of 42,167 tests were completed yesterday, with the backlog of tests under investigation increasing by 10,883 to 35,679.

A total of 3,310,157 doses of vaccine have now been administered, an increase of 95,692 from yesterday, with 335,262 people fully vaccinated with both doses of vaccine, an increase of 1,843.

The number of fully vaccinated people represents 2.28% of Ontario’s population, an increase of 0.02% from yesterday, with fully and partially vaccinated people representing 22.47% of the population, an increase of 0.65% from yesterday. An estimated 70-90% of the population must be immunized to achieve herd immunity.

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In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 78 new cases to report, including 34 in Northumberland, 21 in Hastings Prince Edward, 20 in Peterborough, 2 in Kawartha Lakes, and 1 in Haliburton.

An outbreak at an unidentified congregate living facility in Belleville was declared on April 13.

Peterborough Regional Health Centre is reporting 19 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 and 40 patients transferred from other areas as a result of a provincial directive. There is 1 new ICU admission in Hastings Prince Edward.

There are 47 new regional cases of variants of concern, including 22 in Northumberland, 15 in Kawartha Lakes, 4 in Hastings Prince Edward, 3 in Peterborough, and 3 in Haliburton.

An additional 26 cases have been resolved, including 20 in Hastings Prince Edward, 3 in Northumberland, 2 in Peterborough, and 1 in Kawartha Lakes.

There are currently 457 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, an increase of 52 from yesterday, including 160 in Hastings Prince Edward (42 in Quinte West, 76 in Belleville, 5 in Tyendinaga & Deseronto, 1 in Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory, 18 in Prince Edward County, 15 in Central Hastings, and 3 in North Hastings), 132 in Northumberland, 120 in Peterborough, 35 in Kawartha Lakes, and 10 in Haliburton.

Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 1,029 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (897 resolved with 12 deaths), 634 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (557 resolved with 55 deaths), 668 in Northumberland County (524 resolved with 12 deaths), 81 in Haliburton County (70 resolved with 1 death), and 748 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (581 resolved with 7 deaths). The most recent death was reported in Hastings Prince Edward on April 10.

The provincial data in this report is pulled from Ontario’s integrated Public Health Information System (iPHIS) at 4 p.m. the previous day, as well as from systems in Toronto, Ottawa, and Middlesex-London at 2 p.m. the previous day. Data from local health units is more current and is usually reflected in the provincial data the following day. There may be discrepancies between the Ontario data reported today (which is from yesterday) and the local health unit data reported today (which is from today).

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Peterborough Public Health

Peterborough Public Health’s service area is the City and County of Peterborough and the Hiawatha and Curve Lake First Nations.

The health unit provides daily reports, including on weekends, excluding statutory holidays.

Confirmed positive: 1,029 (increase of 19)*
Total variants of concern cases: 310 (increase of 3)
Active cases: 120 (increase of 17)
Close contacts: 440 (increase of 67)
Deaths: 12 (no change)
Resolved: 897 (increase of 2)
Hospitalizations (total to date): 34 (increase of 2)**
Total tests completed: Over 48,000 (increase of 50)
Outbreaks: Empress Gardens retirement home in Peterborough, Unidentified workplace #2 in Peterborough, Unidentified workplace #3 in Peterborough, Champlain Annex at Trent University in Peterborough, Thomas A. Stewart Secondary School in Peterborough, Unidentified workplace #4 in Peterborough County, Unidentified congregate living facility #3 in Peterborough (no change)
Vaccine doses administered: 34,612 (increase of 4,179 as of April 8)

*The health unit is reporting 20 new cases in the last 24 hours. One case has been removed from a previous day, increasing the total case count by 19.

**As of April 13, Peterborough Regional Health Centre is reporting 19 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 (an increase of 5) and 40 patients transferred from other areas as a result of a provincial directive (an increase of 1).

 

Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit

The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit’s service area is the City of Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland County, and Haliburton County.

The health unit provides reports from Monday to Saturday, excluding Sundays and statutory holidays.

Confirmed positive: 1,383, including 634 in Kawartha Lakes, 668 in Northumberland, and 81 in Haliburton (increase of 37, including 2 in Kawartha Lakes, 34 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton)*
Cases with N501Y mutation: 188, including 59 in Kawartha Lakes, 124 in Northumberland, and 5 in Haliburton (increase of 40, including 15 in Kawartha Lakes, 22 in Northumberland, and 3 in Haliburton)**
Active cases: 177, including 35 in Kawartha Lakes, 132 in Northumberland, and 10 in Haliburton (increase of 35, including 33 in Northumberland and 2 in Haliburton)
Probable cases: 1 in Kawartha Lakes (decrease of 1 in Haliburton)
High-risk contacts: 416, including 73 in Kawartha Lakes, 256 in Northumberland, and 8 in Haliburton (net decrease of 6)***
Hospitalizations (total to date): 53, including 32 in Kawartha Lakes, 18 in Northumberland, and 3 in Haliburton (no change)****
Deaths (including among probable cases): 68, including 55 in Kawartha Lakes, 12 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton (no change)
Resolved: 1,151, including 557 in Kawartha Lakes, 524 in Northumberland, and 70 in Haliburton (increase of 4, including 1 in Kawartha Lakes and 3 in Northumberland)
Tests completed: 167,405 (no change)
Vaccine doses administered: 38,415 (increase of 8,007 as of April 12)
Number of people fully vaccinated: 3,047 (increase of 58 as of April 12)
Outbreaks: St. Mary Catholic Secondary School in Cobourg, Timber House Resort in Brighton, Swiss Chalet in Cobourg, Christian Horizons in Port Hope, Cobourg Collegiate Institute in Cobourg, Fenelon Court long-term care home in Fenelon Falls (no change)

*The health unit states that total counts and counts for individual counties may fluctuate from previously reported counts as cases are transferred to or from the health unit based on case investigation details and routine data cleaning.

**The N501Y mutation has been identified in variants of concern including the B.1.1.7 UK variant, the B.1.351 South Africa variant, and the P.1 Brazilian variant.

***This total includes an additional 79 high-risk contacts directly followed up through the Public Health Ontario contact tracing process that are missing the contacts’ county.

****As of April 13, Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay reports 5 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 (decrease of 1).

 

Hastings Prince Edward Public Health

Hastings Prince Edward Public Health’s service area is Hastings County (including Bancroft) and Prince Edward County.

The health unit provides daily reports, including on weekends, excluding statutory holidays.

Confirmed positive: 748 (increase of 21)
Confirmed variants of concern cases: 153 (increase of 4)
Active cases: 160 (no change)
Deaths: 7 (no change)
Currently hospitalized: 9 (decrease of 1)
Currently hospitalized and in ICU: 4 (increase of 1)
Currently hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator (total to date): 1 (no change)
Resolved: 581 (increase of 20)
Tests completed: 120,676 (increase of 37)
Vaccine doses administered: 43,318 (increase of 1,365)
Number of people fully vaccinated: 3,224 (increase of 8)
Outbreaks: Unidentified workplace in Trenton, Unidentified workplace in Belleville, Unidentified child care facility in Belleville, Unidentified congregate living facility in Quinte West, Tri-board Bus #499 in Belleville, Unidentified congregate living facility in Belleville (increase of 1)*

An outbreak at an unidentified congregate living facility in Belleville was declared on April 13.

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Province of Ontario

Confirmed positive: 394,679 (increase of 3,670)
COVID-19 variants of concern (VOC) cases: 20,487 of B.1.1.7 UK variant (increase of 3,947); 81 of B.1.351 South Africa variant (no change); 143 of P.1 Brazilian variant (increase of 3)*
VOC R(t): 1.23 (last updated April 2)**
7-day average of daily new cases: 3,868 (increase of 86)
Positivity rate: 10.3% (increase of 0.8%)
Resolved: 351,257 (increase of 2,573), 89.0% of all cases (decrease of 0.2%)
Hospitalizations: 1,822 (increase of 176)
Hospitalizations in ICU: 626 (increase of 7)
Hospitalizations in ICU on ventilator: 422 (increase of 14)
Deaths: 7,582 (increase of 15)
7-day average of daily new deaths: 18 (increase of 1)
Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 3,908 (no change)
Total tests completed: 13,238,455 (increase of 42,167)
Tests under investigation: 35,679 (increase of 10,883)
Vaccination doses administered: 3,310,157 (increase of 95,692), 22.47% of Ontario’s population (increase of 0.65%)***
People fully vaccinated (two doses): 335,262 (increase of 1,843), 2.28% of Ontario’s population (increase of 0.02%)***

*On April 8, the government changed the way it reports cases of the B.1.1.7 UK variant. Previously they were reported only when genetic sequencing confirmed they were of the B.1.1.7 lineage. Since genetic sequencing completed to date has determined 95% of specimens screening positive for the N501Y mutation have been found to be the B.1.1.7 UK variant, specimens with the N501Y mutation are now reported as cases of the B.1.1.7 UK variant.

**R(t) is a virus’s effective reproduction number, which is the average number of new infections caused by a single infected individual at a specific time (t) in a partially immunized population. To successfully eliminate a disease from a population, R(t) needs to be less than 1.

***An estimated 70-90% of the population must be immunized to achieve herd immunity.

COVID-19 cases in Ontario from March 13 - April 12, 2021. The red line is the number of new cases reported daily, and the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of new cases. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)
COVID-19 cases in Ontario from March 13 – April 12, 2021. The red line is the number of new cases reported daily, and the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of new cases. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)
COVID-19 tests completed in Ontario from March 13 - April 12, 2021. The red line is the daily number of tests completed, and the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of tests completed. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)
COVID-19 tests completed in Ontario from March 13 – April 12, 2021. The red line is the daily number of tests completed, and the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of tests completed. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)
COVID-19 hospitalizations and ICU admissions in Ontario from March 13 - April 12, 2021. The red line is the daily number of COVID-19 hospitalizations, the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of hospitalizations, the purple line is the daily number of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs, and the dotted orange line is a five-day moving average of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)
COVID-19 hospitalizations and ICU admissions in Ontario from March 13 – April 12, 2021. The red line is the daily number of COVID-19 hospitalizations, the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of hospitalizations, the purple line is the daily number of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs, and the dotted orange line is a five-day moving average of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)
COVID-19 deaths in Ontario from March 13 - April 12, 2021. The red line is the cumulative number of daily deaths, and the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of daily deaths. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)
COVID-19 deaths in Ontario from March 13 – April 12, 2021. The red line is the cumulative number of daily deaths, and the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of daily deaths. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)
COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in Ontario from March 13 - April 12, 2021. The red line is the cumulative number of daily doses administered, and the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of daily doses. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)
COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in Ontario from March 13 – April 12, 2021. The red line is the cumulative number of daily doses administered, and the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of daily doses. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)

 

For more information about COVID-19 in Ontario, visit covid-19.ontario.ca.

Peterborough’s medical officer of health urges residents 55 years or older to get AstraZeneca vaccine

By Paul Rellinger -
The AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine is available at more than 1,400 pharmacies across Ontario, with this number expected to reach approximately 1,500 by the end of April. (Photo: Wikipedia)

With the Peterborough region having now surpassed 1,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 since the pandemic began and with local infection numbers still rising, medical officer of health Dr. Rosanna Salvaterra is urging those aged 55 and up book a appointment at one of the local pharmacies offering the AstraZeneca vaccine.

“Given the limited supply of both the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines for the near future at least, I am recommending that residents aged 55 years old and up take advantage of the AstraZeneca vaccine now available in some of our pharmacies,” said Dr. Salvaterra during the Peterborough Public Health media briefing held Tuesday (April 13).

Four city pharmacies — Costco Pharmacy (485 The Parkway), High Street Guardian Pharmacy (815 High Street, Unit 9), Walmart Pharmacy (1002 Chemong Road), and Rexall (1154 Chemong Road) — are booking vaccination appointments for those aged 55 and up. Other Kawarthas-area pharmacies offering the vaccine are located in Lindsay, Bobcaygeon, Cobourg, Port Hope, Campbellford, and Brighton.

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The full list of Ontario pharmacies providing vaccinations is available at covid-19.ontario.ca/vaccine-locations where visitors can type in their postal code to find the pharmacy closest to home.

Dr. Salvaterra stressed those who do secure a pharmacy appointment, but had previously booked an appointment with a community clinic, need to cancel the clinic appointment so someone can take their spot and no vaccine is wasted.

While 22.1 per cent of area residents have now received at least their first dose of vaccine, Dr. Salvaterra cautioned the positive news is tempered by the fact that “a significant portion” of those vaccinated are health care employees, as well as long-term care and retirement home staff — close to 9,000 people by her estimate.

“While 22.1 per cent can be seen as an impressive number, it does mask some concerning trends about Peterborough’s real need for vaccine and the lack of a sufficient supply,” said Dr. Salvaterra.

“Community residents who are 60 years of age and older are at increased risk for severe disease, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19. We have a total of 47,222 adults who are 60 years of age and older in Peterborough city and county. That’s a conservative estimate of the size of our population that needs urgent access to immunization.”

“When the province opened bookings to persons aged 60 and over last week, 32 per cent of the 22,000 residents between the ages of 60 and 69 has already been immunized,” Dr. Salvaterra added. “But even with that head start, Peterborough has only enough vaccine at the moment to provide close to 11,000 appointments from now to the end of April. That falls short of the number needed to immunize everyone 60 years and over — it falls short by about 12,000 doses.”

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In concert with Peterborough Mayor Diane Therrien and Peterborough County Warden J. Murray Jones, Dr. Salvaterra has been lobbying for a “fair share” of available vaccine doses for the Peterborough region. Adding to her concern is the fact the region “has been hit hard by variants of concern … the risk of transmission has never been higher in our area.”

Infection-related numbers only serve to strengthen Dr. Salvatarra’s argument that more vaccine is needed soon and that those who are eligible for a pharmacy appointment book one as soon as possible. As of 4:30 p.m. on Monday (April 12), there were 103 local active cases in the Peterborough region — an increase of 61 cases over the five days previous -— with 55 of those cases having screened positive for a variant of concern.

The number of high-risk close contacts of positive cases being monitored has risen to 373 — 127 more than reported last week. Of particular concern is that several new positive cases have been associated with more than 20 high-risk close contacts.

To date in April, 135 new cases have been reported, putting the month on pace to eclipse the highest local monthly total of 225 new cases reported in March.

“The third wave is presenting higher weekly (positive case) counts than the previous waves,” said Dr. Salvaterra, noting last week’s 84 cases were most in any one week period since the pandemic began.

Also at an all-time high is the number of active outbreaks, which now stands at seven. Of particular concern is the ongoing outbreak at Empress Gardens Gardens Retirement Residence at 131 Charlotte Street in Peterborough where two residents have died as a resulting of contracting the virus, bringing the region’s total COVID death count to 12.

On the enforcement front, an update was provided on the recently ordered closure of the Who’s Next Barber Shop at 72 Hunter Street East in East City.

According to Julie Ingram, environmental health manager for Peterborough Public Health, in addition to the enforcement of a Section 22 order that immediately closed the barber shop, two charges were laid: one for failure to comply with the provisions of the Reopening Ontario Act and the other for “obstruction” in relation to the owner’s intention to continue to have customers.

The first charge comes with a fine of $750; the second with a fine of $1,000.

Also commenting during Thursday’s media briefing were Peterborough-Kawartha MP Maryam Monsef, Peterborough Mayor Diane Therrien, Peterborough County Warden J. Murray Jones, and Peterborough board of health chair and Selwyn mayor Andy Mitchell.

Peterborough’s SPARK Photo Festival expands reach with national coffee-themed photography competition

By Sarah McNeilly -
Peterborough's SPARK Photo Festival has partnered with Sparkplug Coffee and PhotoED Magazine for 'Focus on Coffee', a national competition seeking creative coffee-themed photography. The winner of the competition, open until April 25, 2021, will receive a year's worth of Sparkplug coffee and PhotoED Magazine, will have their photo featured on a special edition of Sparkplug Coffee and at the 2021 SPARK Photo Festival. (Supplied photo)

For the first time ever, Peterborough’s SPARK Photo Festival has launched an open call to photographers nation-wide. The festival has teamed up with Toronto-based gourmet coffee company Sparkplug Coffee and PhotoED Magazine to offer a fun, lockdown photography competition called ‘Focus on Coffee’.

The open call for submissions — which closes on April 25 — seeks unique, creative, and captivating “coffee at home” photographs from Canadian photographers at any stage of their career. From amateur smartphone photos to professional fine art creations, all submissions are welcome — but, to win, just don’t take a photo of your morning cup of coffee.

“What we’re really looking for are submissions that push creative boundaries,” says the competition’s co-founder Rita Godlevskis, editor and publisher of PhotoED, a Canadian photography magazine based in Toronto.

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“You can develop film with a particular coffee mixture, or maybe it’s someone using coffee to make a painting and then photograph it,” Godlevskis adds, “That’s part of what makes it accessible and part of what makes it interesting as well — there’s just so much that you can do with such a simple starting point.”

The winner of the competition, as determined by a jury of professional judges, will be rewarded with a year of Sparkplug coffee and a year of PhotoED Magazine delivered to their home.

The winning image will also be featured on the label for an upcoming special edition Sparkplug coffee called ‘Sparkplug X SPARK Photo Festival 2021 Coffee’, which will be available for purchase across Canada. Proceeds from sales of the special edition coffee blend will be donated to support SPARK Photo Festival.

Among other prizes, the winner of the 'Focus on Coffee' photography competition will receive a year's supply of Sparkplug Coffee, delivered monthly. (Photo: Sparkplug Coffee)
Among other prizes, the winner of the ‘Focus on Coffee’ photography competition will receive a year’s supply of Sparkplug Coffee, delivered monthly. (Photo: Sparkplug Coffee)

The winning ‘Focus on Coffee’ image will also be exhibited at the 2021 SPARK Photo Festival and shared widely on the social media channels of Sparkplug Coffee, PhotoED Magazine, and SPARK Photo Festival.

When SPARK Photo Festival festival director Jennifer MacKenzie started her new role in 2019, nothing could have prepared her for her first year.

“My first festival that I was planning for SPARK was supposed to be in April of 2020 — needless to say, it’s been a bit of a roller coaster,” laughs MacKenzie. “Traditionally, SPARK Photo Festival is held every April, but we saw the writing on the wall earlier this year and decided to postpone it again. We’re going to try again for September 2021.”

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The SPARK Photo Festival, which celebrates print photography from photographers at any skill level, is currently scheduled to begin on Wednesday, September 1st.

This year’s month-long festival will include postponed exhibits from 2020, including the themed juried exhibit ‘Motion’, as well as new exhibits from 2021, including the themed juried exhibit ‘Nourish: To Eat, To Drink, To Enjoy’.

“SPARK is all about in-person print photography that pops up in different places in Peterborough, Northumberland, and the Kawarthas — from galleries to other unexpected places — for an entire month,” explains MacKenzie, “That’s actually the origin of the festival — it started in 2012 because there weren’t enough places to showcase print photography.”

Among other prizes, the winner of the 'Focus on Coffee' photography competition will receive a year's wroth of PhotoED Magazine. Pictured is the spring/summer issue, featuring a photo by Blake Morrow of Canada's's Drag Race winner Priyanka. (Photo: PhotoED Magazine)
Among other prizes, the winner of the ‘Focus on Coffee’ photography competition will receive a year’s wroth of PhotoED Magazine. Pictured is the spring/summer issue, featuring a photo by Blake Morrow of Canada’s’s Drag Race winner Priyanka. (Photo: PhotoED Magazine)

Like many arts organizations, SPARK has focused on delivering virtual programming throughout the pandemic to help keep photographers connected with their audiences.

Although gathering to view print photography in person is ideal, there are some unexpected benefits of digital programming including new and exciting community collaborations.

That’s why MacKenzie formed a unique partnership with Rita Godlevskis of PhotoED Magazine and Kara Isert of Sparkplug Coffee to offer the ‘Focus on Coffee’ photography competition nation-wide.

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“The silver lining, so to speak, of this pandemic is that there’s new ways of forming community,” notes Rita Godlevskis of the powerhouse female-led collaboration. “Opening up the conversation to basically all of Canada is something that we can really be proud of.”

“Regardless of where you’re from, whether you’re in British Columbia or the East Coast or anywhere in-between, this is a great way to put the Peterborough creative community on your radar. I think the pandemic is making people more aware of their own country and what their own country has to offer artistically.”

The 'Focus on Coffee' photography competition is seeking creative submissions that go beyond just a photo of your morning cup of coffee. (Supplied photo)
The ‘Focus on Coffee’ photography competition is seeking creative submissions that go beyond just a photo of your morning cup of coffee. (Supplied photo)

“One of the nice things about online programming is that all our photographers are now getting a much broader audience,” adds MacKenzie of SPARK’s expanded reach by means of the “Focus on Coffee” competition.

“Since our festival is quite unique — in the way that our competitions aren’t just for pros, they’re open to photographers at any skill level — having a bigger digital audience means our photographers can share their work with a lot more people across the country.”

The deadline for submissions to the ‘Focus on Coffee’ national photography competition is Sunday, April 25th. To learn more about submission guidelines and to enter for a chance to win, visit sparkplugcoffee.com/focus-on-coffee-contest.

‘Porch Pirates for Good’ food drive in Peterborough collects record-breaking 50,000 pounds of food for Kawartha Food Share

By kawarthaNOW -
'Porch Pirates for Good' head pirate Megan Murphy (far right) and her volunteer crew Susan Dunkley (far left) and Lois Tuffin, along with Kawartha Food Share general manager Ashlee Aitken. Not pictured are all the volunteers who collected a record-breaking 50,000 pounds of food donations from businesses and residents in Peterborough on April 9 and 10, 2021. (Photo: Kawartha Food Share / Facebook)

The Peterborough community plundered their cupboards this past weekend to help those less fortunate, with the ‘Porch Pirates for Good’ food drive in the City of Peterborough collecting a record-breaking 50,000 pounds of food for Kawartha Food Share, according to organizers.

The food drive began with a business challenge on Friday (April 9) with participation from 40 businesses and organizations, including Peterborough City Hall and the Peterborough Police Service.

The business challenge was followed by Saturday’s community food drive, which saw volunteer ‘porch pirates’ drive around neighbourhoods in the City of Peterborough picking up donations from the porches of residents.

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“Many of our volunteer drivers had to make multiple trips to their designated neighbourhoods, as their cars were overflowing with bags decorated with pirate hats and hand-drawn pictures,” reads a media release from Megan Murphy, the food drive’s lead organizer.

Prior to the weekend food drive, the largest food drive in Kawartha Food Share history brought in 26,000 pounds of food, organizers say.

The 50,000 pounds of food collected on the weekend will help Kawartha Food Share keep their shelves stocked during the spring months, when donations are typically less frequent.

The Kawartha Food Share warehouse before and after the 'Porch Pirates for Good' weekend food drive in the City of Peterborough. (Photos: Kawartha Food Share / Facebook)
The Kawartha Food Share warehouse before and after the ‘Porch Pirates for Good’ weekend food drive in the City of Peterborough. (Photos: Kawartha Food Share / Facebook)

“The Porch Pirates for Good are immensely grateful to this incredibly generous community for stepping up in such a big way,” reads the media release. “During a time when many of us feel helpless and isolated, this is a reminder that we are not alone, that we can take care of one another and that being a good neighbour does make a difference — one canned good at a time!”

On average, 8,700 people are using food banks every month in the city and county of Peterborough. At times during the pandemic, there has been a 20 per cent increase of food bank use — including by precarious workers who have lost hours and are relying on food banks for support more frequently.

Peterborough pandemic puppy recreates famous art on her Instagram account

By Hannah Abrahamse -
Peterborough author and online bookstore owner Michelle Berry's pandemic puppy Maybe has been putting his posing skills to good use by mimicking famous paintings, such as "The Venus of Urbino" by Venetian artist Titian. (Photo courtesy of Michelle Berry)

When Peterborough writer and small business owner Michelle Berry first announced she would be taking home a new puppy, she alerted her Hunter Street Books Facebook following they would be seeing more “puppy and book photos”.

Now, a couple of months later, her three-month-old puppy named Maybe — an Australian shepherd, collie, and lab mix — has an Instagram account of her own, where Berry shares photos of the puppy resembling famous works of art.

The idea to pair Maybe’s photos with the works of art they resemble came about after Berry initially posted a portrait of Maybe on the store’s social media accounts, captioning it ‘Maybe, by Picasso’.

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“I got such a funny response from people because you can’t tell where her arms and legs are — she looks like a Picasso painting,” Berry recalls. “I didn’t put any connecting pictures on, like I did later on. I did a few more and then slowly started adding the pictures I was referencing to the posts.”

“I was doing it for my kids, really, especially my daughter Abby because she’s in art history,” she adds. “And then people responded so nicely through Instagram and Facebook.”

Although she still shares these photos on her bookstore’s social media accounts, Berry recently created an Instagram account @maybe21art dedicated to the Maybe photos.

After Michelle Berry posted this photo of her puppy Maybe on social media as a portrait by Picasso, she was inspired to start adding famous works of art to her photos of Maybe in different poses. (Photo courtesy of Michelle Berry)
After Michelle Berry posted this photo of her puppy Maybe on social media as a portrait by Picasso, she was inspired to start adding famous works of art to her photos of Maybe in different poses. (Photo courtesy of Michelle Berry)

The account bio, which says Maybe “loves art and books and has a good sense of humor,” highlights what makes the project special: the combination of Maybe’s cuteness and fun personality with Berry’s clever humour and artistic eye.

As the accomplished author of three books of short stories and six novels, Berry’s photos demonstrate her talent for storytelling.

“A lot of people were seeing me as an author with it and thinking they could become a kids’ book or something,” Berry explains. “It is a great way to introduce people to art. Even myself — I’m learning about new artists.”

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Maybe’s pictures are a natural extension of the fun, comedic content Berry typically shares on the Hunter Street Books social media platforms.

“I have a lot of customers who like following my Facebook page because it’s not just about books,” says Berry.

However, Berry shares that it has been challenging during COVID_19 to find content to share that hit the marks as funny, lighthearted, book or art-related, and non-divisive.

"The Persistence of Memory" by Spanish artist Salvador Dali and Maybe. (Photo courtesy of Michelle Berry)
“The Persistence of Memory” by Spanish artist Salvador Dali and Maybe. (Photo courtesy of Michelle Berry)

“I didn’t want to hurt anybody, and I knew some people were going through such a hard time,” Berry says. “Some things were just not funny anymore.”

By sharing photos of Maybe looking like art, Berry can again post content that will be a positive break on her follower’s social media feeds during a time when the internet can feel like a sad and controversial space.

“It is really important to see something that is funny and cute and makes you feel happy,” Berry notes. “People say to me, ‘I look forward to my Maybe picture every day.'”

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According to Berry, circulation of the photos has even helped acquire some new customers for her store. Hunter Street Books is now a fully online local bookstore, since Berry closed the retail location in March of 2020.

Through the online store at hunterstreetbooks.com, customers can place book orders that Michelle personally delivers in her electric car to Peterborough’s addresses free of charge. Customers can also pick up their orders at META4 Gallery on Hunter Street in downtown Peterborough, which offers curbside pickup during the existing provincial stay-at-home order.

Berry offers 10 per cent off on in-stock books — which now live on bookshelves in a room of Berry’s home.

A little over three months old, Michelle Berry's pup named Maybe is a female Australian shepherd, collie, and lab mix. (Photo courtesy of Michelle Berry)
A little over three months old, Michelle Berry’s pup named Maybe is a female Australian shepherd, collie, and lab mix. (Photo courtesy of Michelle Berry)

“There are about 900 books and about 10 bookshelves from the store, so I can deliver that stuff pretty quickly,” Berry says. “Or customers can order books they’ve heard about. I can order in and they have to wait for it (to arrive). With COVID, it’s hard to predict the timing, but it usually takes about a week, maybe 10 days at most.”

All orders must be pre-paid through the website, which offers VISA, MasterCard, and e-transfer as payment options.

While she has a blast doing it, matching Maybe’s photos with art is a time-consuming task for Berry, who is already busy running her bookstore entirely on her own.

Maybe with "Girl With a Pearl Earring" by Dutch artist Johannes Vermeer. (Photo courtesy of Michelle Berry)
Maybe with “Girl With a Pearl Earring” by Dutch artist Johannes Vermeer. (Photo courtesy of Michelle Berry)

“I don’t take the pictures of Maybe first,” says Berry. “I look through my pictures and then find the art that goes with it. Sometimes it takes about an hour.”

Berry’s time is well spent since viewers find comic relief in seeing Maybe’s human qualities brought out through the visual comparisons. For instance, one photo of Maybe bears a resemblance to Vermeer’s “Girl With a Pearl Earring”, since Maybe’s lips and mouth placement are identical to the woman in the painting.

From Berry’s description, it seems the photos are as much a snapshot of Maybe’s fun personality as they are of Berry’s creative and artistic one.

"The First Argument" by French artist Paul Seignac and Maybe, with a contribution from Max the cat. (Photo courtesy of Michelle Berry)
“The First Argument” by French artist Paul Seignac and Maybe, with a contribution from Max the cat. (Photo courtesy of Michelle Berry)

“She wins your heart in a second,” Berry laughs.

“She abuses our poor 19-year-old cat Max,” she add, jokingly. “She wants to play. She never bites him or anything like that. Max is trying to enjoy the rest of his life which might not be very long, and this puppy comes in and drives him crazy.”

Berry and her husband Stuart Baird decided to adopt Maybe after losing their first dog Buddy a few months prior.

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“I’d only had one dog in my life and it was Buddy, and I was never going to get another one,” Berry recalls, in explaining Maybe’s name. “I kept saying to Stu ‘Maybe we should get a dog.’ At one point, he looks at me and says, ‘Maybe!’ (as a name), which was perfect because we love Arrested Development.” (Maeby Fünke is the granddaughter of the Bluth family in the cult TV sitcom).

As for adding the care of a new puppy to her busy schedule, Berry notes she is glad to have her husband’s help and that she’s happy they’re not doing it during her busy season at Christmas.

“She is my box-opener,” says Berry. “I’ll undo a box and lay it flat, and she spends hours ripping apart the cardboard. She doesn’t eat the cardboard; she just throws it on the floor.”

Maybe assists Michelle Berry, who runs her online bookstore Hunter Street Books from her home, with the opening and disposal of cardboard boxes. (Photo courtesy of Michelle Berry)
Maybe assists Michelle Berry, who runs her online bookstore Hunter Street Books from her home, with the opening and disposal of cardboard boxes. (Photo courtesy of Michelle Berry)

Another project Berry has been working on while raising her new puppy is preparing to release her novel Everything Turns Away at the end of this summer. Berry wrote the novel in 2006, but Berry has spent the past few years editing it to prepare for publication.

Berry teases the novel as a literary thriller about two couples who get tangled in an incident right around September 11th, 2001. While the book is not about 9/11, Berry says it is, in a sense, about how individuals interpret the news.

“I had finished it (in 2006), and we’d tried to sell it with my agent,” Berry says, explaining the delay in publication. “Everyone liked it, but everyone kept saying that it was too close to 9/11. I put it away for 11 years and then pulled it out a couple of years ago and showed it to my editor. He said, ‘This is fantastic, let’s publish this.'”

This novel, like Berry’s past publications, will be sold anywhere that sells books —including, of course, Hunter Street Books.

"Figure at the Window" by Spanish artist Salvador Dali and Maybe. (Photo courtesy of Michelle Berry)
“Figure at the Window” by Spanish artist Salvador Dali and Maybe. (Photo courtesy of Michelle Berry)

To stay updated on Berry’s upcoming book and other Hunter Street Books content, you can follow Hunter Street Books on Facebook and Instagram.

Visit the Hunter Street Books website at hunterstreetbooks.com to learn more about the local online bookstore and to place an order.

Books orders can be picked up at META4 Gallery, located at 164 Hunter Street West in Peterborough.

To add Maybe looking like art to your Instagram feed, you can follow @maybe21art.

Ontario reports 4,401 COVID-19 cases, including 60 in greater Kawarthas region

By kawarthaNOW -

Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.

Today, with the provincial government announcing schools will remain closed after the spring break, Ontario is reporting 4,401 new cases, with 10 public health units reporting at least triple-digit increases for the third day in a row. The seven-day average of daily cases has increased by 209 to 3,782.

There are now 16,540 cases of the B.1.1.7 UK variant in Ontario, an increase of 2,153 from yesterday, with 3 more cases of the B.1.351 South Africa variant and 6 more cases of the B.1.351 South Africa variant. The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19, in ICUs, and on ventilators have reached record highs at 1,646, 619, and 408 respectively.

In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 60 new cases to report and an additional 39 cases resolved, with the number of active cases increasing by 20 to 405. See below for detailed numbers from each regional health unit.

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Most of today’s new cases are in Toronto (1,282), Peel (772), York (564), Ottawa (339), Durham (224), Halton (177), Niagara (147), Simcoe Muskoka (135), Hamilton (129), and Middlesex-London (112).

There are double-digit increases today in Waterloo (90), Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (78), Windsor-Essex (64), Eastern Ontario (38), Southwestern (33), Brant (30), Haldimand-Norfolk (26), Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington (22), Sudbury (21), Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge (20), Leeds, Grenville & Lanark (17), Lambton (17), Hastings Prince Edward (14), Peterborough (13), Thunder Bay (11), and Grey Bruce (11), with a smaller increases in Huron Perth (9).

The remaining 7 health units are reporting 5 or fewer new cases, with 2 health units (Porcupine and Renfrew) reporting no new cases at all.

Of today’s new cases, 56% are among people 39 and younger, with the highest number of cases (1,601) among people ages 20-39 followed by 1,303 cases among people ages 40-59 and 858 cases among people 19 and under.

With 2,445 more cases resolved since yesterday, the percentage of resolved cases has decreased by 0.4% to 89.2%. The average positivity rate across Ontario has increased by 1.8% to 9.5%, meaning that 95 out of every 1,000 tests performed were positive for COVID-19 on April 11.

Ontario is reporting 15 new COVID-19 deaths today, with 1 new death in a long-term care home. Ontario has averaged 17 new daily deaths over the past week, an increase of 1 from yesterday.

The number of hospitalizations increased by 133 from yesterday to 1,646, but this number does not include data from more than 10% of hospitals, so the actual number of hospitalized people may be higher. The number of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs has increased by 14 to 619, and the number of patients with COVID-19 on ventilators has increased by 26 to 408.

A total of 47,929 tests were completed yesterday, with the backlog of tests under investigation decreasing by 7,040 to 24,796.

A total of 3,214,465 doses of vaccine have now been administered, an increase of 74,722 from yesterday, with 333,419 people fully vaccinated with both doses of vaccine, an increase of 269.

The number of fully vaccinated people represents 2.26% of Ontario’s population (no change from yesterday), with fully and partially vaccinated people representing 21.82% of the population, an increase of 0.51% from yesterday. An estimated 70-90% of the population must be immunized to achieve herd immunity.

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In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 60 new cases to report, including 21 in Northumberland, 17 in Hastings Prince Edward, 11 in Kawartha Lakes, 9 in Peterborough, and 2 in Haliburton.

An outbreak at Fenelon Court long-term care home in Fenelon Falls was declared on April 11. There are 3 new hospitalizations in Hastings Prince Edward, including 1 new ICU admission.

There are 55 new regional cases of variants of concern, including 25 in Northumberland, 20 in Peterborough, 8 in Hastings Prince Edward, and 2 in Kawartha Lakes.

An additional 39 cases have been resolved, including 15 in Northumberland, 13 in Hastings Prince Edward, 9 in Peterborough, 1 in Kawartha Lakes, and 1 in Haliburton.

There are currently 405 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, an increase of 20 from yesterday, including 160 in Hastings Prince Edward (49 in Quinte West, 72 in Belleville, 5 in Tyendinaga & Deseronto, 2 in Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory, 13 in Prince Edward County, 17 in Central Hastings, and 1 in North Hastings), 103 in Peterborough, 99 in Northumberland, 35 in Kawartha Lakes, and 8 in Haliburton.

Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 1,010 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (895 resolved with 12 deaths), 633 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (556 resolved with 55 deaths), 632 in Northumberland County (521 resolved with 12 deaths), 79 in Haliburton County (70 resolved with 1 death), and 728 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (561 resolved with 7 deaths). The most recent death was reported in Hastings Prince Edward on April 10.

The provincial data in this report is pulled from Ontario’s integrated Public Health Information System (iPHIS) at 4 p.m. the previous day, as well as from systems in Toronto, Ottawa, and Middlesex-London at 2 p.m. the previous day. Data from local health units is more current and is usually reflected in the provincial data the following day. There may be discrepancies between the Ontario data reported today (which is from yesterday) and the local health unit data reported today (which is from today).

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Peterborough Public Health

Peterborough Public Health’s service area is the City and County of Peterborough and the Hiawatha and Curve Lake First Nations.

The health unit provides daily reports, including on weekends, excluding statutory holidays.

Confirmed positive: 1,010 (increase of 8)*
Total variants of concern cases: 307 (increase of 20)
Active cases: 103 (decrease of 1)
Close contacts: 373 (increase of 32)
Deaths: 12 (no change)
Resolved: 895 (increase of 9)
Hospitalizations (total to date): 32 (no change)**
Total tests completed: Over 47,950 (increase of 350)
Outbreaks: Empress Gardens retirement home in Peterborough, Unidentified workplace #2 in Peterborough, Unidentified workplace #3 in Peterborough, Champlain Annex at Trent University in Peterborough, Thomas A. Stewart Secondary School in Peterborough, Unidentified workplace #4 in Peterborough County, Unidentified congregate living facility #3 in Peterborough (no change)
Vaccine doses administered: 34,612 (increase of 4,179 as of April 8)

*The health unit is reporting 9 new cases in the last 24 hours. One case has been removed from a previous day, increasing the total case count by 8.

**As of April 12, Peterborough Regional Health Centre is reporting 14 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 (an increase of at least 4) and 39 patients transferred from other areas as a result of a provincial directive (an increase of 6).

 

Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit

The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit’s service area is the City of Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland County, and Haliburton County.

The health unit provides reports from Monday to Saturday, excluding Sundays and statutory holidays. These numbers include April 11 and 12.

Confirmed positive: 1,344, including 633 in Kawartha Lakes, 632 in Northumberland, and 79 in Haliburton (increase of 34, including 11 in Kawartha Lakes, 21 in Northumberland, and 2 in Haliburton)*
Cases with N501Y mutation: 148, including 44 in Kawartha Lakes, 102 in Northumberland, and 2 in Haliburton (increase of 27, including 2 in Kawartha Lakes and 25 in Northumberland)**
Active cases: 142, including 35 in Kawartha Lakes, 99 in Northumberland, and 8 in Haliburton (increase of 17, including 10 in Kawartha Lakes, 6 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton)
Probable cases: 2, including 1 in Haliburton and 1 in Kawartha Lakes (no net change)
High-risk contacts: 422, including 63 in Kawartha Lakes, 263 in Northumberland, and 11 in Haliburton (net increase of 11)***
Hospitalizations (total to date): 53, including 32 in Kawartha Lakes, 18 in Northumberland, and 3 in Haliburton (no change)****
Deaths (including among probable cases): 68, including 55 in Kawartha Lakes, 12 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton (no change)
Resolved: 1,147, including 556 in Kawartha Lakes, 521 in Northumberland, and 70 in Haliburton (increase of 17, including 1 in Kawartha Lakes, 15 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton)
Resolved: 1,130, including 555 in Kawartha Lakes, 506 in Northumberland, 69 in Haliburton (increase of 10, including 5 in Kawartha Lakes and 5 in Northumberland)
Tests completed: 167,408 (increase of 3)
Vaccine doses administered: 38,415 (increase of 8,007 as of April 12)
Number of people fully vaccinated: 3,047 (increase of 58 as of April 12)
Outbreaks: St. Mary Catholic Secondary School in Cobourg, Timber House Resort in Brighton, Swiss Chalet in Cobourg, Christian Horizons in Port Hope, Cobourg Collegiate Institute in Cobourg, Fenelon Court long-term care home in Fenelon Falls (increase of 1)*****

*The health unit states that total counts and counts for individual counties may fluctuate from previously reported counts as cases are transferred to or from the health unit based on case investigation details and routine data cleaning.

**The N501Y mutation has been identified in variants of concern including the B.1.1.7 UK variant, the B.1.351 South Africa variant, and the P.1 Brazilian variant.

***This total includes an additional 76 high-risk contacts directly followed up through the Public Health Ontario contact tracing process that are missing the contacts’ county.

****As of April 12, Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay reports 4 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 (decrease of 1).

*****An outbreak at Fenelon Court long-term care home in Fenelon Falls was declared on April 11.

 

Hastings Prince Edward Public Health

Hastings Prince Edward Public Health’s service area is Hastings County (including Bancroft) and Prince Edward County.

The health unit provides daily reports, including on weekends, excluding statutory holidays.

Confirmed positive: 728 (increase of 17)
Confirmed variants of concern cases: 149 (increase of 8)
Active cases: 160 (increase of 4)
Deaths: 7 (no change)
Currently hospitalized: 10 (increase of 3)
Currently hospitalized and in ICU: 3 (increase of 1)
Currently hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator (total to date): 1 (no change)
Resolved: 561 (increase of 13)
Tests completed: 120,639 (increase of 412)
Vaccine doses administered: 41,953 (increase of 484)
Number of people fully vaccinated: 3,216 (increase of 2)
Outbreaks: Unidentified workplace in Trenton, Unidentified setting in Belleville, Unidentified child care facility in Belleville, Unidentified workplace in Quinte West, Tri-board Bus #499 (no change)

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Province of Ontario

Confirmed positive: 391,009 (increase of 4,401)
COVID-19 variants of concern (VOC) cases: 16,540 of B.1.1.7 UK variant (increase of 2,153); 81 of B.1.351 South Africa variant (increase of 3); 140 of P.1 Brazilian variant (increase of 6)*
VOC R(t): 1.23 (decrease of 0.01, last updated April 2)**
7-day average of daily new cases: 3,782 (increase of 209)
Positivity rate: 9.5% (increase of 1.8%)
Resolved: 348,684 (increase of 2,445), 89.2% of all cases (decrease of 0.4%)
Hospitalizations: 1,646 (increase of 133)***
Hospitalizations in ICU: 619 (increase of 14)
Hospitalizations in ICU on ventilator: 408 (increase of 26)
Deaths: 7,567 (increase of 15)
7-day average of daily new deaths: 17 (increase of 1)
Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 3,908 (increase of 1)
Total tests completed: 13,196,288 (increase of 47,929)
Tests under investigation: 24,796 (decrease of 7,040)
Vaccination doses administered: 3,214,465 (increase of 74,722), 21.82% of Ontario’s population (increase of 0.51%)****
People fully vaccinated (two doses): 333,419 (increase of 269), 2.26% of Ontario’s population (no change)****

*On April 8, the government changed the way it reports cases of the B.1.1.7 UK variant. Previously they were reported only when genetic sequencing confirmed they were of the B.1.1.7 lineage. Since genetic sequencing completed to date has determined 95% of specimens screening positive for the N501Y mutation have been found to be the B.1.1.7 UK variant, specimens with the N501Y mutation are now reported as cases of the B.1.1.7 UK variant.

**R(t) is a virus’s effective reproduction number, which is the average number of new infections caused by a single infected individual at a specific time (t) in a partially immunized population. To successfully eliminate a disease from a population, R(t) needs to be less than 1.

***More than 10% of hospitals did not submit data for this report, so the actual number of hospitalizations may be higher than reported.

****An estimated 70-90% of the population must be immunized to achieve herd immunity.

COVID-19 cases in Ontario from March 12 - April 11, 2021. The red line is the number of new cases reported daily, and the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of new cases. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)
COVID-19 cases in Ontario from March 12 – April 11, 2021. The red line is the number of new cases reported daily, and the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of new cases. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)
COVID-19 tests completed in Ontario from March 12 - April 11, 2021. The red line is the daily number of tests completed, and the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of tests completed. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)
COVID-19 tests completed in Ontario from March 12 – April 11, 2021. The red line is the daily number of tests completed, and the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of tests completed. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)
COVID-19 hospitalizations and ICU admissions in Ontario from March 12 - April 11, 2021. The red line is the daily number of COVID-19 hospitalizations, the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of hospitalizations, the purple line is the daily number of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs, and the dotted orange line is a five-day moving average of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)
COVID-19 hospitalizations and ICU admissions in Ontario from March 12 – April 11, 2021. The red line is the daily number of COVID-19 hospitalizations, the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of hospitalizations, the purple line is the daily number of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs, and the dotted orange line is a five-day moving average of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)
COVID-19 deaths in Ontario from March 12 - April 11, 2021. The red line is the cumulative number of daily deaths, and the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of daily deaths. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)
COVID-19 deaths in Ontario from March 12 – April 11, 2021. The red line is the cumulative number of daily deaths, and the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of daily deaths. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)
COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in Ontario from March 12 - April 11, 2021. The red line is the cumulative number of daily doses administered, and the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of daily doses. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)
COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in Ontario from March 12 – April 11, 2021. The red line is the cumulative number of daily doses administered, and the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of daily doses. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)

 

For more information about COVID-19 in Ontario, visit covid-19.ontario.ca.

Ontario schools to remain closed after spring break due to community spread of COVID-19 variants

By kawarthaNOW -
Premier Doug Ford announced on April 12, 2021 that Ontario schools will remain closed after spring break, with all elementary and secondary school students moving to remote learning as of April 19. No date has been set for the reopening of schools. (CPAC screenshot)

Echoing what happened when the COVID-19 pandemic hit Ontario last March, students won’t be returning to in-person learning at Ontario schools after ‘April break’.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford made the announcement at a media briefing at Queen’s Park on Monday (April 12), saying he is “extremely concerned” about the spread of COVID-19 variants of concern in the community.

“The problem is not in our schools, it is in our community,” Ford said. “Bringing our kids back to a congregate setting in school after a week off in the community is a risk I won’t take. We know that the more COVID spreads in our communities, the more likely it is to get into our schools, and that would create massive problems for all of us down the road.”

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Since the beginning of the third wave, the provincial government has insisted schools settings are safe, with demonstrated low rates of in-school transmission. When announcing the provincial shutdown that took effect April 3, the government did not close schools, stating that keeping them open was a priority, and was criticized by some for that decision.

Now, the province says increasing rates of community spread pose a threat to the health and safety of schools.

As a result, all publicly funded and private elementary and secondary schools in the province are to move to teacher-led remote learning when students return from the April break on Monday, April 19th.

Ontario chief medical of health Dr. David Williams, education minister Stephen Lecce, Premier Doug Ford, and health minister Christine Elliott at a media conference at Queen's Park on April 12, 2021 announcing that Ontario schools will remain closed after spring break, with all elementary and secondary school students moving to remote learning as of April 19. (CPAC screenshot)
Ontario chief medical of health Dr. David Williams, education minister Stephen Lecce, Premier Doug Ford, and health minister Christine Elliott at a media conference at Queen’s Park on April 12, 2021 announcing that Ontario schools will remain closed after spring break, with all elementary and secondary school students moving to remote learning as of April 19. (CPAC screenshot)

The government did not provide a timeline for when schools might reopen for in-person learning.

“We’ll keep a constant eye on the data — on case numbers, hospital capacity, and ICU admissions — to determine when we can get kids back in the classrooms,” Ford said.

Private schools operating in-person this week are to transition to remote learning by Thursday, April 15th.

Child care for non-school aged children will remain open, but before- and after-school programs will be closed and free emergency child care for the school-aged children of eligible health care and frontline workers will be provided.

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The government says school boards will make provisions for continued in-person support for students with special education needs who require additional support that cannot be accommodated through remote learning.

Ontario currently has 1,646 patients in hospitals due to COVID-19, including 619 patients in intensive care units and 408 patients on ventilators.

19-year-old man facing slew of charges after multiple attempts by Peterborough police to stop a stolen vehicle

By kawarthaNOW -
Peterborough Police Service headquarters on Water Street in Peterborough. (Photo: Pat Trudeau)

A 19-year-old Hamilton man is facing a long list of charges following several attempts by Peterborough police to stop a stolen vehicle on Sunday (April 11).

At 2:30 a.m. on Sunday, while investigating reports of several vehicles stolen from the west end of Peterborough, police located one of the vehicles in a parking lot in the Sherbrooke Street and Kinsmen Way area, resulting in charges against a Peterborough woman. Officers also recovered, in the same parking lot, a second vehicle that had been reported stolen.

During the investigation, officers saw a vehicle known to have be stolen from Halton Region taking off through the fields at Kinsmen Park. Police initiated a pursuit of the vehicle but called it off because of the high rate of speed.

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At around 8 a.m., officers on patrol in the downtown Peterborough area observed the same vehicle and attempted to stop it. The driver accelerated away at a high rate of speed, running through a red light. Police did not pursue the vehicle for public safety reasons.

Police later spotted the same vehicle again on Monaghan Road at McDonnel Street. Officers set up a road block several blocks away, but the driver drove onto the sidewalk to avoid an officer and a police vehicle and continued to speed away, running several more red lights in the process. Police called off a brief pursuit, again because of public safety concerns.

A short time later, police located the empty idling vehicle in the Simcoe Street parkade in downtown Peterborough. Officers spotted a man at Aylmer and Simcoe streets who matched the description of the driver and arrested him without further incident.

As a result of the investigation, Nathan Carney, 19, of Hamilton has been charged under the Criminal Code with flight from police officer, dangerous operation of a vehicle, two counts of possession of property obtained by crime under $5,000, and one count of possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000.

He has also been charged with fail to comply with a probation order, as he is bound by a probation order out of St. Catharines with conditions to keep the peace and be of good behaviour.

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Carney has also been charged under the Highway Traffic Act with 10 counts of failing to stop at a red light, driving while under suspension, and fail to signal for turn.

He is being held in custody and is scheduled to appear in court on Monday (April 12).

Also arrested and charged as a result of the investigation is 19-year-old Cheyenne DeMaeyer of Peterborough. DeMaeyer has been charged with possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000. She was released on an undertaking and is scheduled to appear in court on April 27.

Peterborough police issued 14 tickets on Saturday for COVID-19 violations

By kawarthaNOW -

On Saturday (April 10), Peterborough police issued 14 tickets for violations of COVID-19 rules under the Reopening Ontario Act.

Police issued five tickets at the anti-lockdown protest that began at noon in front of Peterborough City Hall.

Police also issued nine tickets in connection to a call for service at Armour Hill, where they found around 20 youth between 18 and 19 years old — all from outside the City of Peterborough — tailgating with open alcohol and music.

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At that gathering, police also issued two fines under the Highway Traffic Act and one for an infraction under the Liquor License Act.

Also on Saturday, police were called four times in a short period of time to the basketball courts at Simcoe Street and Bethune Street, where between 15 and 20 people had gathered in contravention of a maximum of five people under the Reopening Ontario Act.

Despite education and warnings issued by police, people continued to gather, leading police to request the City of Peterborough to close the basketball courts.

The city closed the basketball courts on Saturday, posting signs indicating they are not to be used.

During the weekend, police also continued with quarantine compliance checks, completing 22 checks. All those checked were compliant.

First six shows announced of new summer drive-in concert series at Peterborough Memorial Centre

By kawarthaNOW -
Canadian rockers Big Wreck perform in the Peterborough Memorial Centre parking lot on July 2, 2021, as one of the first six shows announced as part of the new PTBOLive Summer Concert Series. Kawartha Lakes band Heaps will open. (Photo: Warner Music Canada)

Live performance is returning to Peterborough in summer 2021 with the launch of the PTBOLive Summer Concert Series, presented by the Peterborough Memorial Centre, Showplace Performance Centre, and Market Hall Performing Arts Centre.

On Monday (April 12), organizers announced the first six shows of the new drive-in series, which takes place in the Peterborough Memorial Centre parking lot and includes some local talent.

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Drive-in concert series at Peterborough Memorial Centre planned for the summer

The series kicks off at 7 p.m. on Friday, June 4th with a stand-up comedy show featuring headliner Shaun Majumder, a comedian and actor best known for his 17 years starring on CBC’s This Hour Has 22 Minutes, along with Ali Hassan, a stand-up comic and host of CBC Radio’s Laugh Out Loud. Tickets are $150 per vehicle for the front row, $100 for general admission area #1 (next 11 rows), or $75 for general admission area #2 (last two rows).

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The first music show begins at 7 p.m. on Saturday, June 5th when Canadian hard rockers The Trews take to the outdoor stage. Opening the show are special guests Adam and Cale Gontier, the two Peterborough cousins who make up half of the rock Canadian-American rock supergroup Saint Asonia (Adam is also the former frontman of Three Days Grace). Tickets are $200 per vehicle for the front row, $150 for general admission area #1 (next 11 rows), or $100 for general admission area #2 (last two rows).

An afternoon of family fun and music follows at 3 p.m on Sunday, June 6th with a performance by the wildly popular Canadian children’s entertainers Splash ‘N Boots, who won the 2019 Juno Award for Children’s Album of the Year. Tickets are $100 per vehicle for the front row, $75 for general admission area #1 (next 11 rows), or $50 for general admission area #2 (last two rows).

Classic rock comes to PTBOLive at 7 p.m. on Friday, June 18th, when Toronto’s Classic Albums Live performs Pink Floyd’s groundbreaking 1973 album Dark Side of the Moon note for note and cut for cut. Tickets are $200 per vehicle for the front row, $150 for general admission area #1 (next 11 rows), or $100 for general admission area #2 (last two rows).

The first six shows of the new PTBOLive Summer Concert Series, a joint presentation of Peterborough Memorial Centre, Showplace Performance Centre. and Market Hall Performing Arts Centre. (Graphic: PTBOLive)
The first six shows of the new PTBOLive Summer Concert Series, a joint presentation of Peterborough Memorial Centre, Showplace Performance Centre. and Market Hall Performing Arts Centre. (Graphic: PTBOLive)

The Jim Cuddy Band returns to the Peterborough Memorial Centre outside stage at 7 p.m. on Saturday, June 26th, with local folk-roots band Express & Company opening. Tickets are $200 per vehicle for the front row, $150 for general admission area #1 (next 11 rows), or $100 for general admission area #2 (last two rows).

Celebrate the Canada Day long weekend when Canadian rockers Big Wreck perform at 7 p.m. on Friday, July 2nd, with Kawartha Lakes band Heaps (formerly known as The Kents) opening the show. Tickets are $225 per vehicle for the front row, $175 for general admission area #1 (next 11 rows), or $125 for general admission area #2 (last two rows).

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Tickets for all six shows go on pre-sale for PMCScoop members at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, April 14th (online only at tickets.memorialcentre.ca) and for the general public at 10 a.m. on Friday, April 16th (online at tickets.memorialcentre.ca or over the phone at 705-743-3561)

There is a limit of one ticket per order, with a maximum capacity of 234 vehicles per show. Parking spots are assigned upon arrival.

More shows in the PTBOLive Summer Concert Series will be announced soon.

Each PTBOLive show is limited to 234 vehicles, with different admission prices per show depending on where you want to park. (Graphic: Peterborough Memorial Centre)
Each PTBOLive show is limited to 234 vehicles, with different admission prices per show depending on where you want to park. (Graphic: Peterborough Memorial Centre)
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