Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.
No COVID-19 update on Civic Holiday
kawarthaNOW will not be publishing a COVID-19 update on the Civic Holiday as updated numbers will not be available from the province or regional health units until Tuesday.
Ontario is reporting 218 new cases today, a drop from yesterday’s 258 new cases, with 8 of Ontario’s 34 health units reporting double-digit increases — Toronto (40), Peel (33), York (23), Middlesex-London (15), Hamilton (14), Durham (13), Waterloo (12), and Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge (10) — and 7 reporting no new cases at all.
The seven-day average of daily cases has increased by 5 to 189.
The number of hospitalizations has dropped by 27 to 105, but more than 10% of hospitals did not submit data for the daily bed census yesterday so the actual number of hospitalizations may be higher. The number of ICU patients has decreased by 2 to 110 and the number of patients on ventilators has decreased by 5 to 78.
Ontario is reporting 2 new COVID-related deaths today, with none in long-term care homes.
Over 19.5 million vaccine doses have been administered, an increase of 60,583 from yesterday, with more than 9 million people fully vaccinated, an increase of 49,697 from yesterday, representing over 61% of Ontario’s total population.
COVID-19 cases in Ontario from July 1 – July 31, 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 1 – July 31, 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 1 – July 31, 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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While regional health units are not publishing reports on the weekend, over the past 2 days Ontario is reporting 22 new cases in the greater Kawarthas region, including 11 for Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit, 6 for Hastings Prince Edward Public Health, and 5 for Peterborough Public Health.
The actual regional numbers for the weekend as well as for Monday will be confirmed when health units publish their reports on Tuesday (reports will be unavailable on Monday due to the Civic Holiday).
As of July 30, there were 35 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, including 17 in Kawartha Lakes, 7 in Northumberland, 5 in Peterborough, 3 in Hastings Prince Edward (2 in Quinte West and 1 in Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory), and 3 in Haliburton.
Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 1,641 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (1,614 resolved with 22 deaths), 1,168 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (1,106 resolved with 58 deaths), 953 in Northumberland County (929 resolved with 17 deaths), 126 in Haliburton County (122 resolved with 1 death), and 1,150 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (1,135 resolved with 12 deaths). The most recent death was reported in Hastings Prince Edward on July 28.
You shouldn't have any challenges keeping your family supplied for the Civic Holiday long weekend, as most grocery stores, drug stores, malls, and big box stores and some beer and liquor stores are open on Monday. (Stock photo)
Since the Civic Holiday isn’t a statutory holiday in Ontario and is not listed in Ontario’s Employment Standards Act or Retail Business Holidays Act, most businesses are open on Monday, although many have reduced hours. Almost all grocery stores, malls, and big box stores are open on Monday. Liquor stores and beer stores in larger communities are open. Government offices are closed and many government-operated services are unavailable.
For your convenience, we provide this list of holiday hours for 265 selected businesses and services across the Kawarthas. This information comes from their websites and social media accounts, which may or may not be up to date, so please always call them first to confirm their hours (we’ve included phone numbers), especially when you are travelling any distance. Where you see “call to confirm hours”, that means we either couldn’t find any information or we don’t have a lot of confidence the hours listed on a business’s website are up to date.
If your business or organization is listed and the hours are incorrect, please let us know by using our content feedback form. We do not list restaurants as there are far too many to include.
Bewdley Community Recycling Centre 7650 County Rd. 9, Hamilton 905-342-2514
CLOSED
Brighton Community Recycling Centre 1112 County Rd. 26, Brighton 613-475-1946
CLOSED
Canada Post Mail Delivery / Offices (Note: post offices operated by the private sector will be open according to the hours of service of the host business
No pickup or delivery
City of Kawartha Lakes City Hall, Municipal Service Centres, and Administration Offices 26 Francis St., Lindsay 705-324-9411
CLOSED
City of Kawartha Lakes Parks, Recreation and Culture facilities, arenas, and pools Various locations, City of Kawartha Lakes 705-324-9411
CLOSED
City of Kawartha Lakes Public Libraries Various locations, City of Kawartha Lakes 705-324-9411 x1291
CLOSED
City of Kawartha Lakes Waste and Recycling Collection 26 Francis St., Lindsay 1-888-822-2225
Moves to Aug 3 (Aug 3 moves to Aug 4, 4 to 5, 5 to 6)
City of Peterborough Day Cares Peterborough 705-748-8830
CLOSED
City of Peterborough Garbage Pickup Peterborough 705-745-1386
No change
City of Peterborough Green Waste Pickup Peterborough 705-876-1600
No change
City of Peterborough Recycling Pickup Peterborough 705-876-1600
No change
City of Peterborough Social Services Peterborough 705-748-8830
Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.
Cases in Ontario have increased for the fifth straight day, with 258 new cases reported today. The seven-day average of daily cases has now increased by 13 to 183.
Most of the increase in cases is in urban centres, with 8 of Ontario’s 34 health units reporting double-digit increases — Toronto (53), York (33), Waterloo (28), Hamilton (27), Peel (26), Durham (22), Halton (12), and Middlesex-London (11) — and 8 reporting no new cases at all.
However, the number of hospitalizations and ICU patients continues to slowly decline. Hospitalizations have decreased by 3 to 105, with the number of ICU patients decreasing by 5 to 112. The number of patients on ventilators has increased by 6 to 83.
Ontario is reporting 6 new COVID-related deaths today, with none in long-term care homes.
Over 19.4 million vaccine doses have been administered, an increase of 81,590 from yesterday, with almost 9 million people fully vaccinated, an increase of 66,276 from yesterday, representing almost 61% of Ontario’s total population.
COVID-19 cases in Ontario from June 30 – July 30, 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 June 30 – July 30, 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 June 30 – July 30, 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 for the greater Kawarthas region are unavailable on weekends as no health units in the region publish reports on Saturdays or Sundays. Health units will also not be publishing reports on Monday because of the Civic Holiday. Numbers for Saturday, Sunday, and Monday will be provided when the health units issue their reports on Tuesday.
As of July 30, there were 35 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, including 17 in Kawartha Lakes, 7 in Northumberland, 5 in Peterborough, 3 in Hastings Prince Edward (2 in Quinte West and 1 in Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory), and 3 in Haliburton.
Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 1,641 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (1,614 resolved with 22 deaths), 1,168 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (1,106 resolved with 58 deaths), 953 in Northumberland County (929 resolved with 17 deaths), 126 in Haliburton County (122 resolved with 1 death), and 1,150 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (1,135 resolved with 12 deaths). The most recent death was reported in Hastings Prince Edward on July 28.
Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.
Ontario is reporting 226 new COVID-19 cases today, with 6 of Ontario’s 34 health units reporting double-digit increases — Toronto (62), Waterloo (35), Peel (24), York (13), Hamilton (13), amd Halton (13) — and 9 reporting no new cases at all.
For the third day in a row, the seven-day average of daily cases has increased, by 5 to 170.
Hospitalizations have increased by 3 to 108, with the number of ICU patients decreasing by 4 to 117 and the number of patients on ventilators decreasing by 1 to 77.
Ontario is reporting 11 new COVID-related deaths today, including 3 in long-term care homes.
Over 19.3 million vaccine doses have been administered, an increase of 83,907 from yesterday, with over 8.9 million people fully vaccinated, an increase of 67,605 from yesterday, representing over 60% of Ontario’s total population.
COVID-19 cases in Ontario from June 29 – July 29, 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 June 29 – July 29, 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 June 29 – July 29, 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 15 new cases to report, including 5 in Northumberland, 4 in Kawartha Lakes, 3 in Peterborough, 2 in in Hastings Prince Edward, and 1 in Haliburton. Except for Peterborough, the new cases were reported over the past 2 days.
There is 1 new COVID-related hospitalization in Peterborough.
An additional 11 cases have been resolved, including 7 in Kawartha Lakes, 2 in Peterborough, and 2 in Hastings Prince Edward.
An outbreak at Haliburton Housing’s Housing First residence at 68 Lindsay St. N. in Lindsay has been declared resolved, leaving no outbreaks in the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit region.
The number of active cases has decreased by 3 in Kawartha Lakes, increased by 4 in Northumberland, by 1 in Peterborough, and by 1 in Haliburton, and remain the same in Hastings Prince Edward.
There are currently 35 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, an increase of 2 since yesterday, including 17 in Kawartha Lakes, 7 in Northumberland, 5 in Peterborough, 3 in Hastings Prince Edward (2 in Quinte West and 1 in Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory), and 3 in Haliburton.
Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 1,641 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (1,614 resolved with 22 deaths), 1,168 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (1,106 resolved with 58 deaths), 953 in Northumberland County (929 resolved with 17 deaths), 126 in Haliburton County (122 resolved with 1 death), and 1,150 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (1,135 resolved with 12 deaths). The most recent death was reported in Hastings Prince Edward on July 28.
Pre-pandemic crowds at Victoria Beach on Lake Ontario in Cobourg, popular with both residents and out-of-town visitors from Toronto. (Photo courtesy of Linda McIlwain)
Every Friday during swimming season, we post The Beach Report™ — our weekly report of the results of water quality testing at beaches in the greater Kawarthas region — and update it throughout the week as conditions change.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, public health officials recommend staying home if you feel sick, visiting a beach close to your home to avoid unnecessary travel, bringing hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes, and maintaining at least two metres of physical distance from other beachgoers.
As of Wednesday, August 4, the following beach has been posted as unsafe for swimming:
Harwood Waterfront & Dock – Hamilton (Northumberland County)
Note: Victoria Park beach in Cobourg is open again on weekends and statutory holidays, but will be monitored for compliance with COVID-19 restrictions including crowding.
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Below are the complete results of water quality testing at beaches in the City and County Peterborough, the City of Kawartha Lakes, Haliburton County, Northumberland County, and Hastings County and Prince Edward County.
In the City of Peterborough, Peterborough Public Health Inspectors sample the beaches at Rogers Cove and Beavermead every business day, and public beaches in the County of Peterborough are sampled at least once a week (except for Chandos Beach, Quarry Bay Beach, and White?s Beach which are sampled at least once in June, July, and August).
The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit provides weekly testing results for beaches in the City of Kawartha Lakes, Haliburton County, and Northumberland County. Testing is based on the most recent test results from the provincial lab in Peterborough for water samples taken from these beaches.
Hastings Prince Edward Public Health provides weekly testing results for beaches in Hastings County and Prince Edward County.
During the summer, local health units sample water at area beaches and test for bacteria such as E. coli to determine if the water quality at a beach is safe for public use. Popular beaches, like the beach at Roger’s Cove in Peterborough’s East City, are tested every business day while most other beaches are tested weekly. (Photo: Bruce Head / kawarthaNOW.com)
Important note
The following test results may not reflect current water quality conditions. Water samples can take one to three days to process and heavy rainfall, high winds or wave activity, large numbers of waterfowl near a beach, or large numbers of swimmers can rapidly change water quality.
You should always check current conditions before deciding to use a beach. You should also monitor other factors that might suggest a beach is unsafe to use, such as floating debris, oil, discoloured water, bad odours, and excessive weed growth.
Although Ontario has not yet set a date to exit the final step of its reopening plan, the provincial government has shared the regulation that will be come into effect on that date.
In summary, the regulation lifts most of the existing public health measures, including all capacity limits, according to a statement issued by the Premier’s Office on Friday (July 30). Under the regulation, people will still be required to wear face masks when inside a business or organization.
“As the Delta variant is the dominant strain in Ontario, which is not the case with some other provinces, face coverings will also continue to be required for indoor public settings,” the statement reads. “This is consistent with other jurisdictions such as Quebec and Israel, and the CDC recently updated their recommendation that fully vaccinated people begin wearing masks indoors again in locations with high COVID-19 transmission rates. The Chief Medical Officer of Health will continue to evaluate this need on an ongoing basis.”
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Masks will be required in Ontario schools after all
The Province of Ontario released the first version of its back-to-school plan on August 3, 2021. Contrary to the wording in the regulation, the plan states that students in Grades 1 to 12 will be required to wear face masks indoors in school, including in hallways and during classes, as well as on school vehicles.
However, face masks will not be required in schools or child care centres, day camps or overnight camps, developmental services group homes, or correctional facilities.
Those performing or rehearsing in a film or television production, concert, artistic event, or theatrical performance will also not be required to wear a mask.
Existing requirements that will remain in effect include the requirement for passive screening for COVID-19, such as posting a sign, safety plans for businesses, and the collection of names and contact information for contact tracing.
The announcement of the regulation comes the day after Ontario reached a milestone in its vaccine rollout, with 80 per cent of Ontarians aged 12 and over having now received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
The province entered step three of the reopening plan on July 16th, and will remain in step three for at least 21 days (August 6th) and until 75 per cent of the eligible population aged 12 and over have received their second dose.
“The exit date will be confirmed as we get closer to achieving the additional vaccine milestones,” the statement from the Premier’s Office reads.
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Although no details have been provided, it is possible that some regions of the province will exit step three before others.
“In addition, no public health unit must have less than 70 per cent of their eligible population aged 12 and over fully vaccinated, and other key public health and health care indicators must also continue to remain stable,” the statement reads.
The regulation includes a schedule called “Areas at the Roadmap Exit Step” which currently lists no areas.
The seats have been empty at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre in downtown Peterborough since the pandemic began in March 2020. The strategic recovery and resilience grants available from the Peterborough Arts Alive Fund are intended to help not-for-profit arts organizations like the Market Hall recover from the pandemic and prepare for reopening once public health restrictions are lifted. (Photo: Bradley Boyle)
A few months into the pandemic, Peterborough resident Deborah Berrill saw the increasingly devastating impact it was having on the local arts sector. Venues were shuttered, musicians could no longer earn a living by performing, and artists could no longer exhibit and sell their works.
An educator and ardent supporter of the arts, Berrill knew she had to help but wasn’t sure how. She contacted Su Ditta, executive director of the Electric City Culture Council (EC3), offered to made a donation along with her husband, and suggested she could to reach out to other local arts supporters to raise even more funds.
More than a year later, Berrill’s initial contact with Ditta — which led to the creation of the Peterborough Arts Alive Fund — has resulted in 15 local arts organizations receiving more than $100,000 in grants to help them recover from the pandemic.
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“Peterborough and the surrounding area are so special because we have all of these incredible artists here,” Berrill told kawarthaNOW this past May when applications opened for the fund. “It’s what makes Peterborough such an incredibly special place to live.”
The Peterborough Arts Alive Fund was established by EC3 last year in partnership with the Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough which, as a charitable organization, administered the funds raised by Berrill as well as by the Peterborough Performing Arts Recovery Alliance — a group of 13 arts organizations and live performance venues in Peterborough and the surrounding region founded in August 2020.
Last November, the City of Peterborough also made a substantial contribution of $40,000 to the fund, matching the $40,000 in private donations already raised by that point.
Deborah Berrill is an award-winning educator in Peterborough and an ardent supporter of the arts. She currently sits on the board of the ReFrame Film Festival, one of 15 local arts organizations that received grants under the Peterborough Arts Alive Fund. In spring 2020, Berrill contacted the Electric City Culture Council with an idea of raising funds to support struggling local arts sector. (Photo via ReFrame Film Festival website)
By the time it began accepting applications, the Peterborough Arts Alive Fund had over $100,000 available to support local arts organizations.
“Our work on the Peterborough Arts Alive Fund was inspiring beyond measure,” Ditta says. “We are very grateful to everyone who made this program possible and for the tenacity and creativity of the entire Peterborough arts community.”
On Tuesday (July 27), EC3 announced the 15 local arts organizations that have collectively received $104,500 in grants between $2,500 and $10,000 from the Peterborough Arts Alive Fund. The full list of recipients, the grant amounts, and how they will be used is provided below.
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4th Line Theatre ($10,000)
“Bloom: A Rock ‘n’ Roll Fable” cast recording
Barnyard Sessions: four live songwriters circle events
Kawartha Youth Orchestra ($6,000)
Health and safety barriers for woodwind instruments
Health and safety training for staff and volunteers
Management and coaching training for staff and board
Collaborative projects with other arts organizations, including professional instrumental teaching
Market Hall Performing Arts Centre ($10,000)
Video series showcasing local artists (and the facility)
Upgrading the facility’s network infrastructure
P.R. Community and Student Association (Sadleir House) ($2,500)
Upgrades to live streaming equipment
Peterborough Artist Inc. – Artspace ($6,800)
Consultation on board training and development
Management training program for new co-directors
Peterborough County Children’s Chorus ($4,500)
Marketing and promotion, improving virtual presence by hiring videographer and photographer to create visuals
Rent for temporary larger rehearsal space
Peterborough Symphony Orchestra ($7,500)
Consultancy for restructuring as smaller professional orchestra
Implementation of consultant’s recommendations
Peterborough Theatre Guild ($4,500)
Purchasing PPE and cleaning supplies
Costs related to upcoming production: production costs, building materials, marketing campaign, hiring choreographer/acting coach and director/special effects advisor
ReFrame Film Festival ($10,000)
“PTBO Portraits”, a series of three short documentary profiles of local artists and activists by local filmmakers
Hiring Health and Safety Officer for the 2022 festival
Anti-oppression training for staff and board
Showplace Peterborough Performance Centre ($10,000)
Preparation for relaunch, including a deep cleaning of facility, rehiring employees, adding signage and protective barriers, purchasing PPE and sanitizer
SPARK Photo Festival ($5,500)
Reinstating stipend for Festival Director
Digitizing catalogue and guide
Print materials and signage
The Art School of Peterborough ($6,900)
Creation of strategic plan
Website upgrades, including an online shop for the Launch Gallery
The Peterborough Singers ($4,300)
Choral commission of new works to be performed at first show back
Equipment for recording, photographing shows
The Theatre on King ($10,000)
Development of two productions (“Kitten with a Crucifix” and “Titty Cakes (Saint Agatha’s Breasts)”, including livestreaming costs and social media integration
Trent Radio ($6,000)
Implementing COVID safety/hygiene protocols at the facility
Mentorship program working with and providing recording equipment for six local emerging musicians
Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.
Ontario is reporting 219 new COVID-19 cases today, the highest daily increase since June 30 when 284 cases were reported. Of Ontario’s 34 health units, 8 are reporting double-digit increases — Toronto (38), Peel (38), Hamilton (25), Waterloo (19), Grey Bruce (13), Halton (12), York (10), and Middlesex-London (10) — and 10 are reporting no new cases at all.
For the second day in a row, the seven-day average of daily cases has increased by 4 and now stands at 165.
However, hospitalizations have dropped by 12 to 105, the number of ICU patients has decreased by 1 to 121, and the number of patients on ventilators has decreased by 4 to 78.
Ontario is reporting 3 new COVID-related deaths today, with none in long-term care homes.
Almost 19.3 million vaccine doses have been administered, an increase of 89,157 from yesterday, with over 8.8 million people fully vaccinated, an increase of 72,298 from yesterday, representing almost 60% of Ontario’s total population.
COVID-19 cases in Ontario from June 28 – July 28, 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 June 28 – July 28, 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 June 28 – July 28, 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 4 new cases to report in Peterborough. However, with another 5 cases resolved, the number of active cases has decreased by 1 to 4.
An outbreak at a congregate living setting in the City of Peterborough was declared resolved on July 29, leaving no outbreaks 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 Thursday will be included in Friday’s update.
There are currently 33 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, a decrease of 1 since yesterday, including 20 in Kawartha Lakes, 4 in Peterborough, 3 in Hastings Prince Edward (1 in Belleville and 2 in Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory), 3 in Northumberland, and 2 in Haliburton.
Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 1,638 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (1,612 resolved with 22 deaths), 1,164 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (1,099 resolved with 58 deaths), 949 in Northumberland County (929 resolved with 17 deaths), 125 in Haliburton County (122 resolved with 1 death), and 1,148 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (1,133 resolved with 12 deaths). The most recent death was reported in Hastings Prince Edward on July 28.
With the expected return to in-person school classes this September, Peterborough’s medical officer of health is urging unvaccinated youths who are eligible for vaccination “to act this week.”
During a Peterborough Public Health media briefing held Thursday (July 29), Dr. Rosana Salvaterra said the “window of opportunity for both students and school staff is closing.”
“We need to see much higher vaccination rates amongst youths in order to prepare for a safe return to school,” Dr. Salvaterra said. “First doses amongst the youngest age group only increased by about three per cent last week.”
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“Our youth and younger adults still need better protection. The risk of getting COVID-19 is 6.4 times higher for unimmunized individuals. You do remain vulnerable until you get your shots.”
While confirming the health unit is looking at the feasibility of providing on-site vaccination clinics at both Trent University and Fleming College come the fall, Dr. Salvaterra isn’t ruling out the possibility of clinics being held on-site at high schools and even elementary schools.
“We have the capacity and the vaccine supply to see vaccination rates climb faster,” she said, noting anyone eligible who wants the vaccine can and will receive it upon making an appointment or arriving at a walk-in clinic — wheter for a first or second dose.
As of Wednesday (July 28) at 5 p.m., 200,092 total vaccines doses had been administered in the Peterborough region, with 103,414 having received their first dose and another 88,732 fully vaccinated with their second dose.
To date, 78.9 per cent of residents aged 12 and up have received one dose while 67.7 per cent of the same age group are fully vaccinated with two doses. However, the numbers are less impressive for the aged 12 to 17 demographic, now at 68.3 per cent with a first dose and just 43 per cent fully vaccinated with two doses.
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To reinforce the message she has consistently emphasized since the first vaccines were administered, Dr. Salvaterra pointed to a recent Public Health Ontario estimation that 31,000 cases of COVID-19 among adults 18 years old and older have been prevented by immunization so far this summer. In addition, a further 2.500 hospitalizations or deaths have been prevented among adults aged 70 and older.
“These (numbers) are likely an underestimation but they tell the story of how well vaccines are saving lives, preventing hospitalizations, and protecting our communities,” said Dr. Salvaterra, acknowledging that vaccine complacency is a thing and it is an issue locally.
Dr. Salvaterra noted there’s no longer a need for people to wait three or four months for your second dose, as was the recommendation in the spring when there was less vaccine supply.
“We have thousands of people who got their first dose, were given an appointment for 12 to 16 weeks later for their second dose, and who are hanging on to those appointments,” she pointed out. “We have been reaching out to them. We’re now speaking to the province, where they are going to use some of their capacity at their call centre to start phoning these people and help them book an earlier appointment.”
“We have the availability,” Dr. Salvaterra said. “For those who are hanging on (to original booked appointments), we can do you sooner.”
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Dr. Salvaterra also confirmed she supports the idea of some kind of vaccination certificate.
“We’ve used these for decades for entry into countries where there’s a public health risk from an infectious disease,” she said. “They’ve worked for us in the past and I can’t see why they won’t work fo us going forward.”
As for the hard numbers locally, the number of active cases in Peterborough city and county, Curve Lake, and Hiawatha was reported as five as of Wednesday (July 28) at 4:30 p.m. — the same number as one week ago. However, five new cases have been confirmed since Monday.
The number of close contacts of positive cases being monitored is 18 and there is one outbreak ongoing at a congregate living facility, but that’s expected to be declared over soon.
Also commenting during Thursday’s briefing were Peterborough County Warden J. Murray Jones, and Peterborough board of health chair and Selwyn mayor Andy Mitchell.
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