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Ontario reports 945 new COVID-19 cases, including 17 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, Ontario is reporting 945 new cases. However, this total includes only 112 cases for Toronto, due to a data error from Toronto Public Health’s migration to Ontario’s Contact and Case Management system. Toronto Public Health’s actual case count for February 10 as reported on its website is 411, meaning the actual provincial case count today is 1,244.

Today’s new cases include 8 more cases of the B.1.1.7 UK variant. The seven-day average of new cases has decreased by 109 to 1,264, although this average is based on the under-reported case count in Toronto.

In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 17 new cases to report and 7 additional cases resolved, with the number of active cases across the region increasing by 11 to 107. There have been 2 new COVID-related deaths in Kawartha Lakes.

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Most of today’s new cases are in Peel (258), York (116), and Toronto (112) — although the actual case count reported by Toronto Public Health today is 411.

There are double-digit increases in Ottawa (63), Hamilton (46), Waterloo (41), Simcoe Muskoka (34), Durham (33), Halton (31), Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (29), Windsor-Essex (25), Niagara (25), Middlesex-London (20), Eastern Ontario (15), Thunder Bay (12), Sudbury (11), and Southwestern (11), with smaller increases in Lambton (9), Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge (8), Huron Perth (8), and Chatham-Kent (7).

The remaining 13 health units are reporting 5 or fewer new cases, with 4 health units reporting no new cases at all.

Of today’s new cases, 56% are among people 39 and younger, with the highest number of cases (390) among people ages 20-39, followed by 238 cases among people ages 40-59.

With 1,344 more cases resolved since yesterday, the percentage of resolved cases has increased by 0.2% to 93.1%. The average positivity rate across Ontario has decreased by 0.2% to 2.3%, meaning that 23 out of every 1,000 tests performed were positive for COVID-19 on February 10.

Ontario is reporting 18 new COVID-19 deaths today, including 9 in long-term care homes. Ontario has averaged 32 new daily deaths over the past week.

Hospitalizations have decreased by 65 from yesterday to 883, with the number of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs decreasing by 14 to 299 and the number of patients with COVID-19 on ventilators decreasing by 15 to 211.

A total of 68,812 tests were completed yesterday, with the backlog of tests under investigation increasing by 1,658 to 43,383.

A total of 426,836 doses of vaccine have now been administered, an increase of 14,717 from yesterday, with 136,988 people fully vaccinated with both doses of vaccine, an increase of 11,263 from yesterday.

There are 29 new cases in Ontario schools, a decrease of 2 from yesterday, including 22 student cases and 7 staff cases. There are 16 new cases in licensed child care settings in Ontario, a decrease of 9 from yesterday, with 9 cases among children and 7 cases among staff.

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In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 17 new cases to report, including 7 in Kawartha Lakes, 4 in Hastings Prince Edward, 3 in Northumberland, 2 in Peterborough, and 1 in Haliburton.

There are 2 new COVID-related deaths in Kawartha Lakes, including another death of a resident at Caressant Care McLaughlin Road in Lindsay, raising the total number of resident deaths to 14 since the current outbreak at the long-term care home was declared on January 9.

There is 1 new hospitalization in Northumberland.

An additional 7 cases have been resolved, including 4 in Northumberland and 3 in Kawartha Lakes.

There are currently 107 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, an increase of 11 from yesterday, including 50 in Kawartha Lakes, 26 in Northumberland, 16 in Peterborough, 13 in Hastings Prince Edward (3 in Quinte West, 7 in Belleville, and 3 in Tyendinga Mohawk Territory), and 2 in Haliburton.

Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 565 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (540 resolved with 9 deaths), 502 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (415 resolved with 50 deaths), 401 in Northumberland County (366 resolved with 9 deaths), 52 in Haliburton County (50 resolved with no deaths), and 381 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (363 resolved with 5 deaths). The two most recent deaths were reported in Kawartha Lakes on February 11.

The provincial data in this report is pulled from Ontario’s integrated Public Health Information System (iPHIS) at 12 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: 565 (increase of 2)
Active cases: 16 (increase of 2)
Close contacts: 64 (increase of 5)
Deaths: 9 (no change)
Resolved: 540 (no change)
Hospitalizations (total to date): 24 (no change)*
Total tests completed: Over 42,200 (increase of 50)
Outbreaks: Peterborough Regional Health Centre, Peterborough Retirement Residence (no change)
Vaccine doses administered: 976 (as of February 10)

*As of February 11, Peterborough Regional Health Centre is reporting 3 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 (a decrease of 1 from yesterday) and 17 patients transferred from other areas as a result of a provincial directive (an increase of 3 from yesterday).

 

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: 955, including 502 in Kawartha Lakes, 401 in Northumberland, and 52 in Haliburton (increase of 11, including 7 in Kawartha Lakes, 3 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton)*
Active cases: 78, including 50 in Kawartha Lakes, 26 in Northumberland, and 2 in Haliburton (net increase of 6)
Probable cases: 3, including 2 in Northumberland and 1 in Kawartha Lakes (no change)
High-risk contacts: 213, including 102 in Kawartha Lakes, 89 in Northumberland, and 4 in Haliburton (net increase of 34)**
Hospitalizations (total to date): 38, including 26 in Kawartha Lakes, 10 in Northumberland, and 2 in Haliburton (increase of 1 in Kawartha Lakes)***
Deaths (including among probable cases): 59, including 50 in Kawartha Lakes and 9 in Northumberland (increase of 2 in Kawartha Lakes)
Resolved: 831, including 415 in Kawartha Lakes, 366 in Northumberland, 50 in Haliburton (increase of 7, including 3 in Kawartha Lakes and 4 in Northumberland)
Tests completed: 132,169 (increase of 843)
Institutional outbreaks: Caressant Care McLaughlin Road long-term care home in Lindsay, Central East Correctional Centre in Lindsay (two outbreaks), Regency long-term care home in Port Hope, Hyland Crest long-term care home in Minden, Extendicare Cobourg long-term care home, Extendicare Cobourg Landmark retirement home, Pinecrest Nursing Home in Bobcaygeon, Cobourg Police (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.

**This total includes an additional 16 high-risk contacts directly followed up through the Public Health Ontario contact tracing process that are missing the contacts’ county.

***As of February 11, Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay reports 1 patient is hospitalized with COVID-19 (no change since yesterday).

 

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: 381 (increase of 4)
Active cases: 13 (increase of 4)
Deaths: 5 (no change)
Currently hospitalized: 0 (no change)
Currently hospitalized and in ICU: 0 (no change)
Currently hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator (total to date): 0 (no change)
Resolved: 363 (no change)
Tests completed: 50,958 (increase of 19)
Vaccines administered: 1,301 (increase of 205)
Institutional outbreaks: None (no change)

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Province of Ontario

Confirmed positive: 282,511 (increase of 945)*
7-day average of new cases: 1,264 (decrease of 109)*
Resolved: 263,044 (increase of 1,344, 93.1% of all cases)
Positivity rate: 2.3% (decrease of 0.2%)
Hospitalizations: 883 (decrease of 65)
Hospitalizations in ICU: 299 (decrease of 14)
Hospitalizations in ICU on ventilator: 211 (decrease of 15)
Deaths: 6,614 (increase of 18)
Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 3,769 (increase of 9)
Total tests completed: 10,206,439 (increase of 68,812)
Tests under investigation: 43,383 (increase of 1,658)
Vaccination doses administered: 426,836 (increase of 14,717)
People fully vaccinated (two doses): 136,988 (increase of 11,263)
Total COVID-19 variant cases: 236 of B.1.1.7 UK variant (increase of 8); 3 of B.1.351 South Africa variant (no change); 1 of P.1 Brazilian variant (no change)**

*Due to Toronto Public Health’s migration to Ontario’s Contact and Case Management system, only 112 new cases are included in this report (this data error also affects the 7-day average of new cases). Toronto Public Health’s actual case count for February 10 as reported on its website is 411, meaning the actual provincial case count today is 1,244.

**Toronto Public Health reported a confirmed case of the P.1 Brazilian variant on February 8. This case is not yet included in the provincial data.

COVID-19 cases in Ontario from January 11 - February 10, 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 January 11 – February 10, 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 January 11 - February 10, 2021. The red line is the number of tests completed daily, and the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of tests completed. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)
COVID-19 tests completed in Ontario from January 11 – February 10, 2021. The red line is the number of tests completed daily, 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 January 11 - February 10, 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 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 January 11 – February 10, 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 is a five-day moving average of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)
COVID-19 deaths in Ontario from January 11 - February 10, 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 January 11 – February 10, 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 January 11 - February 10, 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 January 11 – February 10, 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 government postpones March break until April

By kawarthaNOW -

The Ontario government has postponed March break from the week of March 15th to the week of April 12th.

“This decision was made with the best advice of Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health and public health officials, including consultations with many local Medical Officers of Health,” reads a statement from education minister Stephen Lecce issued on Thursday afternoon (February 11).

Lecce says the decision to postpone March break was made to “avoid a repeat of the concerning spike in youth-related cases over the winter break” and based upon advice from health experts to help protect against more contagious variants of the COVID-19 virus.

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“We appreciate the hard work of students and staff in the education sector and I want to be clear: March break is being postponed, not cancelled,” Lecce says.

Leece adds the government is recommending against travel.

“Ontarians should refrain from travelling, particularly given the increase in new variants that pose a direct risk to our country,” he says.

“Please stay at home as much as possible and continue following the direction of public health officials so that we can keep schools open and protect our seniors, frontline health workers, and all families.”

Infant in deadly Kawartha Lakes incident died as a result of being shot by police, SIU confirms

By kawarthaNOW -
A Kawartha Lakes police vehicle blocks access to Pigeon Lake Road east of Lindsay after a police shooting on November 26, 2020 that resulting in a 33-year-old suspect and an OPP officer being seriously injured. The suspect's one-year-old son was found fatally shot in the man's pickup truck. (Photo: CBC)

Ontario’s police watchdog has confirmed the death of a one-year-old boy during the November 26th confrontation in Kawartha Lakes between police and a 33-year-old man was a result of being shot by police.

The Special Investigations Unit (SIU) issued the confirmation in a news release on Thursday (February 11).

“Upon receipt and review of additional forensic evidence in this case, including the results of the postmortem examination performed on a child, and reports prepared by the Centre of Forensic Sciences of analyses conducted with respect to bloodstains in the pickup truck, the trajectory of shots that struck the truck, and firearms, cartridge cases and projectiles, the SIU can today confirm that the child’s death on November 26, 2020 in Kawartha Lakes was the result of being shot by police,” reads the statement from the SIU.

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The confirmation comes 11 weeks after the incident in which the boy’s father was also shot by police, later succumbing to his injuries in hospital.

Police had been responding to a report that the man had abducted his son. When they attempted to stop the man’s pick-up truck, it collided with another vehicle and seriously injured an OPP officer.

Police confronted the driver and three officers fired shots at the pick-up truck, injuring the man. The body of the infant was later found in the pick-up truck, along with a handgun. No information has been released on whether the driver brandished or fired the handgun during the incident.

In its previous statement on the incident, issued on January 15, the SIU indicated the three police officers who were directly involved in the incident were yet to be interviewed.

“Subject officers are under no legal obligation to speak with the SIU but may if they choose to do so,” the SIU said at the time.

Today’s statement from the SIU provides no further information on witness interviews or any other details, other than to say the investigation is ongoing.

CBC reports that SIU spokesperson Monica Hudon wrote in an email on Thursday that the three officers have “not as yet availed themselves of an opportunity to be interviewed.”

 

This story has been updated with more information about the status of the investigation.

Almost $1.4 million in government funding for new community hub in Bancroft

By kawarthaNOW -
Bancroft mayor Paul Jenkins, the town's strategic planner Malcolm Hunt, federal minister of infrastructure and communities Catherine McKenna, and Hastings-Lennox and Addington MPP Daryl Kramp participate in a virtual announcement of almost $1.4 million in federal and provincial funding for the new North Hastings Community Hub. (Screenshot)

The federal and provincial governments are providing almost $1.4 million in funding for a new community hub in downtown Bancroft, to be constructed on municipally owned property on Cleak Avenue.

The 4,000-square-foot North Hastings Community Hub will be an accessible, three-storey mixed-use building, with space on the ground floor for the North Hastings Public Library. The building will also include 20 affordable housing units on the second and third floors, as well as 30 to 40 public parking spaces.

The funding announcement was made virtually on Thursday (February 11) by Catherine McKenna, the federal minister of infrastructure and communities, Hastings-Lennox and Addington MPP Daryl Kramp on behalf of Ontario infrastructure minister Laurie Scott, and Bancroft mayor Paul Jenkins along with the town’s strategic planner Malcolm Hunt.

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“We need better public spaces, community spaces that are accessible to everyone, including better libraries,” Minister McKenna said. “They’re at the heart of inclusive, sustainable and welcoming communities where people want to live, work and raise a family.”

The Canadian government is providing $749,960 for the project and the Ontario government is providing $624,904.

“I know the community needs this very, very much,” added MPP Kramp. “Bancroft truly is the hub of the entire region. This will provide a new space for the North Hastings Public Library, right in downtown Bancroft. It’s going to provide space not just for the library, but inclusive space for the residents and the significant influx of visitors who enjoy the area every year. It’s going to be a real anchor in the community.”

The Town of Bancroft is also contributing $500,036 to the project.

“This very unique public-private partnership — that marries all the benefits of the community hub, the library, and affordable housing development — will serve the North Hastings region and beyond very well,” said Mayor Jenkins.

Jenkins said the region has between 15,000 and 50,000 permanent and seasonal residents, depending on the time of the year, with more people relocating to the area permanently during the pandemic.

Jenkins pointed out that the affordable housing component of the project, which will be provided by Springdale Developments, is privately funded.

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“This combination of two separate projects and entities in one facility provides a very, very efficient use of land and financial resources that otherwise would have made either project tough to do,” Jenkins said.

Jenkins added the new community hub will also provide an opportunity for residents, especially seniors and lower-income people, to make use of current and emerging technologies.

The North Hastings Public Library, which was founded in 1901, is currently located in an old Bell Telephone building and is “very cramped and totally inaccessible,” according to Jenkins.

“The new location will open many opportunities, and create a facility that is both accessible and inclusive,” he said, adding that the project will aid in the revitalization of Bancroft’s downtown core.

Bancroft’s strategic planner Malcolm Hunt said construction is expected to begin in early fall 2021 and take 16 months to complete.

Peterborough medical officer of health Dr. Rosana Salvaterra retiring later this year

By kawarthaNOW -
Dr. Rosana Salvaterra has served as medical officer of health for Peterborough Public Health since 2008. (Photo: Peterborough Public Health)

After 13 years as Peterborough’s medical officer of health, Dr. Rosana Salvaterra has announced she will be retiring later this year.

“We are deeply grateful for Dr. Salvaterra’s tireless service and passionate leadership that have contributed significantly to the public health of our local community over these past 13 years,” states Andy Mitchell, Mayor of Selwyn Township and chair of the Peterborough County-City Board of Health, in a media release issued on Thursday morning (February 11).

“Thousands of local lives are better off thanks to her care,” Mitchell adds. “The board’s focus now is to recruit her replacement as soon as possible so these successes can continue.”

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Mitchell says that operations at Peterborough Public Health will not be affected, that the board of health has already struck a search committee to recruit a new medical officer of health, and that Dr. Salvaterra is committed to ensuring a smooth transition.

“I will be eligible to retire as early as July, but I have assured the board and my staff that I will be here until the board has recruited a successor,” Dr. Salvaterra says. “That means I don’t have a fixed departure date in mind at the moment. I am prepared to stay until the end of the year if needed.”

Dr. Salvaterra has served as medical officer of health for Peterborough Public Health since 2008.

“Her scientific acumen and ability to mobilize the talents around her have advanced the quality of public health across the region, earning her a deep level trust and respect throughout the community,” states a media release.

“Dr. Salvaterra has proven herself a passionate community leader through her tireless advocacy with policy makers, regular presentations at council meetings and local events, and frequent media appearances. She has continued to practice clinical medicine in PPH’s Sexual Health Clinic, and stayed active in the community as guest lecturer at Trent University, and chair of the Peterborough Food Action Network.”

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In November 2013, the Ontario College of Family Physicians bestowed an Award of Excellence to Dr. Salvaterra in recognition of her outstanding service.

“Retirement will be bittersweet,” Dr. Salvaterra says. “Being a medical officer of health has been more than a full-time job, especially for the past year. I welcome the time and space to pursue other interests and projects. But there are so many people that I will miss deeply. I am hoping these relationships that I have forged over the years will endure and thrive.”

Empowering youth, especially young women, to be climate action leaders

By GreenUP -
Jen Feigin, executive director of the Endeavour Centre, speaks about sustainable building approaches during the 2020 pilot of GreenUP's Girls Climate Leadership Camp at Peterborough's Ecology Park. The camp gave a small cohort of girls the opportunity to learn about the impacts of climate change, to develop strategies to support action in their households, and to meet inspiring women-identified climate leaders who are creating positive change in our community. (Photo: Ben Hargreaves)

The realities of climate change are a heavy weight to be passing on to our children.

Each week, GreenUP provides a story related to the environment. This week’s column is by Brianna Salmon, Executive Director of GreenUP.

I recently read an article about climate change by Dr. Britt Wray in The Walrus. In “Therapy for the End of the World,” Dr. Wray cites a study that mapped the opinions of more than 9,000 Canadians. 64 percent responded that they think climate change will start to harm people living in Canada within the next ten years.

The realities and choices that young people will be navigating as they get older will look very different than the choices my parents made, or than I am making today.

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I think a lot about how it feels to hold the weight of climate change; about how it impacts the work that I do, the way that I feel, and the things that I hope for. I also I think a lot about how it might feel to hold this weight as a child.

When I was eight, I did not think that a global disaster such as climate change was going to shape my future. I was already a teenager in the late ’90s when countries from across the world agreed to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions as part of the Kyoto Protocol. Confronting the realities of climate change — as a youth, a young adult, and even as a person edging toward my forties — has felt like a struggle.

For children, even as we engage with the issues in ways that are age-appropriate, the reality is not a gentle one. A parent interviewed in a recent article in the Washington Post recalls her eight-year-old telling her “my life would be better without climate change.” As a parent, she tries to validate those feelings, but admits that, “it’s sad, it’s hard.”

Malaika Collette is a local youth activist and high school student, and an alumnus of Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board's Youth Leadership in Sustainability Program. (Photo: Heather Doughty Photography)
Malaika Collette is a local youth activist and high school student, and an alumnus of Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board’s Youth Leadership in Sustainability Program. (Photo: Heather Doughty Photography)

In Dr. Wray’s article in The Walrus, youth climate activist Clover Hogan (who founded the youth organization Force of Nature), says “what [she] finds hardest is accepting that all the action in the world may not be enough to save humanity and so many other species.” But for Hogan, recognizing her grief helps her to “feel more authentic in [her] hope for the future,” to reveal what matters most, and to find the power to act.

For Malaika Collette, a local youth activist and high school student, the relationship between knowledge and action is a critical one.

Collette participated in the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board’s Youth Leadership in Sustainability Program, which deepened her understanding of climate science and politics, but also introduced her to climate solutions and local changemakers.

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Particularly when it comes to educating younger students, Collette emphasized “We can’t just talk about the science or the challenges. We need to talk about the solutions and opportunities for local action, so that children can have hope for the future.”

Indeed, despite the immense weight of this reality, we see that the global climate movement is being powered by child and youth activists, many of them girls.

Plan International recognizes that climate change “has a disproportionate impact on children, particularly girls”, because it “magnifies the inequalities they already suffer and their unequal access to health, sexual reproductive health and rights, education, participation, and protection.”

Participants in GreenUP's first-ever Girls Climate Leadership Camp at Ecology Park in Peterborough meet with special guests Jen Feigin (executive director of the Endeavour Centre), Dana Jordan (local youth climate activist, alumnus of the Youth Leadership in Sustainability Program, and youth representative on The City of Peterborough Environmental Advisory Committee), and Brianna Salmon (executive director of GreenUP). (Photo: Ben Hargreaves
Participants in GreenUP’s first-ever Girls Climate Leadership Camp at Ecology Park in Peterborough meet with special guests Jen Feigin (executive director of the Endeavour Centre), Dana Jordan (local youth climate activist, alumnus of the Youth Leadership in Sustainability Program, and youth representative on The City of Peterborough Environmental Advisory Committee), and Brianna Salmon (executive director of GreenUP). (Photo: Ben Hargreaves

According to Plan, increasing “access to quality education and age and gender responsive climate information is essential in enabling girls to become leaders in climate action and to participate in climate change decision-making.”

At GreenUP, our children’s environmental and climate programs focus on education and curriculum but they also focus on action. For everyone, but especially for young people, we know that participating in climate solutions is a strategy for survival, for inclusion, and for wellness.

In 2020, GreenUP piloted a Girls Leadership Camp that gave a small cohort of girls the opportunity to learn about the impacts of climate change, to develop strategies to support action in their households, and to meet inspiring women-identified climate leaders who are creating positive change in our community.

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In 2021, we will be expanding our Girls Climate Leadership Program and creating new opportunities for action. Working with the Nourish Project, the Endeavour Sustainable Building School, and other local partners, we will offer hands-on opportunities for girls to learn about food security, low-carbon building, water protection, active transportation, and ecosystem restoration.

Our gender-responsive climate action program will create a safe (and fun!) space for girls to overcome gendered barriers to participation, and will equip them with the tools, connections, and capacity for action. While the climate crisis remains heavy, we know that girls can be a strong and powerful force for change.

This important programming is possible because of funding through the Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough, supported by a collaboration between Community Foundations of Canada and the Equality Fund, with support from the Government of Canada. This program is also supported by Watson & Lou, an awesome woman-led local business in downtown Peterborough.

On September 27, 2019, youth in Peterborough led a protest march to local federal political candidates' campaign offices as part of The Global Climate Strike protest. This youth-led global protest movement took place in 4,500 locations in 150 countries and is one of the largest movements of its kind in history. (Photo: Leif Einarson)
On September 27, 2019, youth in Peterborough led a protest march to local federal political candidates’ campaign offices as part of The Global Climate Strike protest. This youth-led global protest movement took place in 4,500 locations in 150 countries and is one of the largest movements of its kind in history. (Photo: Leif Einarson)

To learn more about GreenUP’s climate action programming, visit greenup.on.ca/climate-action-resource/.

In the coming months, GreenUP will be announcing more about our Girls Climate Leadership Program. Follow our social media accounts @PtboGreenUP or sign up for GreenUP’s e-newsletter for regular updates.

First COVID-19 variant case in greater Kawarthas region reported in Northumberland County resident

By kawarthaNOW -

The first case of a variant of the COVID-19 virus in the greater Kawarthas region has been reported in a resident of Northumberland County, according to the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit.

The health unit states it received the test results on Tuesday night (February 9) but does not yet know which of the COVID-19 variants the person is infected with. While all confirmed COVID-19 cases are being further tested for variants, the health unit states, it takes a few extra days for the results to be determined.

There are three known variants of the COVID-19 virus in Canada: a variant first identified in the United Kingdom in November 2020 (the B.1.1.7 variant), the South African variant identified in December 2020 (the B.1.351 variant), and a variant first detected in travellers from Brazil who arrived in Japan in January 2021 (the P.1 variant).

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The three variants of the COVID-19 virus have been identified as being a greater risk to people due to high rates of transmission.

“While it is unfortunate that we are seeing a case with the variant of concern, it is not unexpected,” says Dr. Ian Gemmill, the health unit’s acting medical officer of health, in a media release. “The three variants have been identified across Canada, and their high level of transmissibility has just meant it was a matter of time before we saw something locally.”

The health unit has notified the Northumberland County resident who has been infected with the variant. The person, who had previously been identified as a confirmed case, was already in isolation. All of the person’s high-risk contacts had also been previously contacted and are in isolation as well.

Dr. Gemmill says the identification of the variant in the community means that it is more important than ever that residents continue to be vigilant and follow the public health measures to help stop the spread.

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“Even though the provincial stay-at-home order is going to be lifted next week, I am pleading with people to continue to stay home to stop the spread,” he says. “Just because the order has been lifted, it does not change the virus, it does not change the epidemiology of the virus and it does not change the risk of spreading it to others.”

Dr. Gemmill is urging residents to continue to follow the public health advice of not having social gathering with others and not leaving home for non-essential reasons.

“Staying home is still the most prudent thing to do even with the order lifted,” he says.

Kawartha Lakes police charge eight people with violating stay-at-home order

By kawarthaNOW -

Kawartha Lakes police have charged eight people over the past week with violating the province’s stay-at-home order, including six people charged after two traffic stops involving other offences.

On February 5, police observed a suspicious vehicle on Settlers Road. After stopping the vehicle, police determined the driver was unlicensed and had taken the vehicle without the consent of the owner. The driver was charged with driving without a licence under the Highway Traffic Act and was cautioned for taking a motor vehicle without consent under the Criminal Code.

During the investigation, police obtained the identities of the four occupants of the vehicle, and charged all four with failing to comply with the stay-at-home order. Each was issued a $880 ticket.

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On February 6, police observed a vehicle travelling on Lindsay Street South in Lindsay without its headlights on. After stopping the vehicle to speak with the driver, police detected a strong odour of cannabis. Two occupants were charged under the Cannabis Control Act, including a person under 19 years of age possessing cannabis.

During the investigation, police obtained the identities of the occupants of the vehicle, and charged two with failing to comply with the stay-at-home order. Each was issued a $880 ticket.

On February 9, police were called to investigate suspicious persons at a Lindsay Street North address. As a result of the the investigation, two people were charged with failing to comply with the stay-at-home order. Each was issued a $880 ticket.

The province’s stay-at-home order, made under section 7.0.2 order of the Reopening Ontario Act, remains in effect in Kawartha Lakes until Tuesday, February 16. The order requires people to stay at home unless making trips for essential purposes.

Ontario reports 1,072 new COVID-19 cases, including 5 in greater Kawarthas region

By kawarthaNOW -
Caressant Care McLaughlin Road is a 96-bed long-term care home in Lindsay. (Photo: Caressant Care)

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

Today, Ontario is reporting 1,072 new cases, including 1 more case of the B.1.1.7 UK variant and no new cases of the B.1.351 South Africa or the P.1 Brazilian variant. The seven-day average of new cases has decreased by 14 to 1,353.

In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 5 new cases to report and 22 additional cases resolved, with the number of active cases across the region decreasing by 17 to 97. There has been 1 new COVID-related death in Kawartha Lakes, for the second day in a row.

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Most of today’s new cases are in Toronto (393), Peel (196), and York (125).

There are double-digit increases in Waterloo (47), Ottawa (40), Simcoe Muskoka (29), Hamilton (28), Halton (28), Windsor-Essex (24), Middlesex-London (22), Durham (21), Niagara (19), Chatham-Kent (16), Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (14), and Brant (11), with smaller increases in Lambton (8), Thunder Bay (7), and North Bay Parry Sound (7).

The remaining 16 health units are reporting 5 or fewer new cases, with 4 health units reporting no new cases at all.

Of today’s new cases, 51% are among people 39 and younger, with the highest number of cases (388) among people ages 20-39, followed by 298 cases among people ages 40-59.

With 1,709 more cases resolved since yesterday, the percentage of resolved cases has increased by 0.2% to 92.9%. The average positivity rate across Ontario has decreased by 0.8% to 2.5%, meaning that 25 out of every 1,000 tests performed were positive for COVID-19 on February 9.

Ontario is reporting 41 new COVID-19 deaths today, including 13 in long-term care homes. Ontario has averaged 42 new daily deaths over the past week.

Hospitalizations have increased by 39 from yesterday to 948, with the number of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs decreasing by 5 to 313 and the number of patients with COVID-19 on ventilators increasing by 3 to 226.

A total of 52,504 tests were completed yesterday, with the backlog of tests under investigation increasing by 8,452 to 41,725.

A total of 412,119 doses of vaccine have now been administered, an increase of 13,486 from yesterday, with 125,725 people fully vaccinated with both doses of vaccine, an increase of 10,196 from yesterday.

There are 31 new cases in Ontario schools, a decrease of 16 from yesterday, including 27 student cases and 4 staff cases. There are 25 new cases in licensed child care settings in Ontario, a decrease of 8 from yesterday, with 19 cases among children and 6 cases among staff.

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In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 5 new cases to report, including 2 in Peterborough, 1 in Northumberland, 1 in Haliburton, and 1 in Hastings Prince Edward. There are no new cases in Kawartha Lakes.

For the second day in a row, a resident at Caressant Care McLaughlin Road in Lindsay has died from COVID-19. Since the current outbreak at the long-term care home was declared on January 9, 13 residents have died from the disease. There are currently 23 active cases among residents and 12 active cases among staff.

There are 2 new hospitalizations in Northumberland.

An additional 22 cases have been resolved, including 11 in Kawartha Lakes, 5 in Peterborough, 4 in Northumberland, and 2 in Hastings Prince Edward. Outbreaks at Trent Valley Lodge long-term care home in Trenton, Hope St. Terrace long-term care home in Port Hope, and Warkworth Place long-term care home in Warkworth have been declared resolved.

There are currently 96 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, a decrease of 17 from yesterday, including 45 in Kawartha Lakes, 27 in Northumberland, 14 in Peterborough, 9 in Hastings Prince Edward (3 in Quinte West, 5 in Belleville, and 1 in Tyendinga Mohawk Territory), and 1 in Haliburton.

Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 563 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (540 resolved with 9 deaths), 492 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (412 resolved with 48 deaths), 398 in Northumberland County (362 resolved with 9 deaths), 51 in Haliburton County (50 resolved with no deaths), and 377 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (363 resolved with 5 deaths). The most recent death was reported in Kawartha Lakes on February 10.

The provincial data in this report is pulled from Ontario’s integrated Public Health Information System (iPHIS) at 12 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: 563 (increase of 2)
Active cases: 14 (decrease of 3)
Close contacts: 59 (increase of 2)
Deaths: 9 (no change)
Resolved: 540 (increase of 5)
Hospitalizations (total to date): 24 (no change)*
Total tests completed: Over 42,150 (increase of 100)
Outbreaks: Peterborough Regional Health Centre, Peterborough Retirement Residence (no change)
Vaccine doses administered: 976 (as of February 10)

*As of February 8, Peterborough Regional Health Centre is reporting 4 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 and 14 patients transferred from other areas as a result of a provincial directive.

 

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: 941, including 492 in Kawartha Lakes, 398 in Northumberland, and 51 in Haliburton (increase of 2, including 1 in Northumberland and 1 in Haliburton)*
Active cases: 72, including 45 in Kawartha Lakes, 27 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton (net decrease of 14)
Probable cases: 3, including 2 in Northumberland and 1 in Kawartha Lakes (decrease of 1 in Northumberland)
High-risk contacts: 179, including 89 in Kawartha Lakes, 70 in Northumberland, and 4 in Haliburton (net increase of 14)**
Hospitalizations (total to date): 37, including 25 in Kawartha Lakes, 10 in Northumberland, and 2 in Haliburton (increase of 2 in Northumberland)***
Deaths (including among probable cases): 57, including 48 in Kawartha Lakes and 9 in Northumberland (increase of 1 in Kawartha Lakes)
Resolved: 824, including 412 in Kawartha Lakes, 362 in Northumberland, 50 in Haliburton (increase of 15, including 11 in Kawartha Lakes and 4 in Northumberland)
Tests completed: 131,326 (increase of 1,078)
Institutional outbreaks: Caressant Care McLaughlin Road long-term care home in Lindsay, Central East Correctional Centre in Lindsay (two outbreaks), Regency long-term care home in Port Hope, Hyland Crest long-term care home in Minden, Extendicare Cobourg long-term care home, Extendicare Cobourg Landmark retirement home, Pinecrest Nursing Home in Bobcaygeon, Cobourg Police (decrease of 2)****

*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.

**This total includes an additional 16 high-risk contacts directly followed up through the Public Health Ontario contact tracing process that are missing the contacts’ county.

***As of February 10, Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay reports 1 patient is hospitalized with COVID-19 (an increase of 1 since yesterday).

***Outbreaks at Hope St. Terrace long-term care home in Port Hope and Warkworth Place long-term care home in Warkworth have been declared resolved.

 

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: 377 (increase of 1)
Active cases: 9 (decrease of 1)
Deaths: 5 (no change)
Currently hospitalized: 0 (no change)
Currently hospitalized and in ICU: 0 (no change)
Currently hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator (total to date): 0 (no change)
Resolved: 363 (increase of 2)
Tests completed: 50,939 (no change)
Vaccines administered: 1,096 (no change)
Institutional outbreaks: None (decrease of 1)*

*The outbreak at Trent Valley Lodge long-term care home in Trenton was declared resolved on February 10.

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Province of Ontario

Confirmed positive: 281,566 (increase of 1,072)
7-day average of new cases: 1,353 (decrease of 14)
Resolved: 261,700 (increase of 1,709, 92.9% of all cases)
Positivity rate: 2.5% (decrease of 0.8%)
Hospitalized: 948 (increase of 39)
Hospitalized and in ICU: 313 (decrease of 5)
Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 226 (increase of 3)
Deaths: 6,596 (increase of 41)
Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 3,760 (increase of 13)
Total tests completed: 10,137,627 (increase of 52,504)
Tests under investigation: 41,725 (increase of 8,452)
Vaccination doses administered: 412,119 (increase of 13,486)
People fully vaccinated (two doses): 125,725 (increase of 10,196)
Total COVID-19 variant cases: 228 of B.1.1.7 UK variant (increase of 1); 3 of B.1.351 South Africa variant (no change); 1 of P.1 Brazilian variant (no change)*

*Toronto Public Health reported a confirmed case of the P.1 Brazilian variant on February 8. The case is not yet included in the provincial data.

COVID-19 cases in Ontario from January 10 - February 9, 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 January 10 – February 9, 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 January 10 - February 9, 2021. The red line is the number of tests completed daily, and the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of tests completed. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)
COVID-19 tests completed in Ontario from January 10 – February 9, 2021. The red line is the number of tests completed daily, 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 January 10 - February 9, 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 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 January 10 – February 9, 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 is a five-day moving average of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)
COVID-19 deaths in Ontario from January 10 - February 9, 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 January 10 – February 9, 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 January 10 - February 9, 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 January 10 – February 9, 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.

Tourism-dependent businesses in Peterborough & The Kawarthas can apply for up to $20,000 in COVID-19 funding

By kawarthaNOW -
The Tourism Resiliency Funding Program, offered by Peterborough & The Kawarthas Economic Development and Community Futures Peterborough, will provide up to $20,000 in non-repayable funding to tourism-dependent businesses (such as restaurants, museums, hotels and motels, and entertainment businesses) in the Peterborough region that have incurred eligible expenses created by the pandemic, such as the purchase of personal protective equipment and cleaning supplies for workers, hotel room defogging and disinfecting machines, HVAC upgrades, and more.

Do you own or operate a business in the Peterborough region that relies on tourism? Do you have expenses from making your business COVID-safe for customers?

If so, there’s still time to apply for up to $20,000 in non-repayable financial support under the Tourism Resiliency Funding Program, offered by Peterborough & The Kawarthas Economic Development and Community Futures Peterborough.

The deadline to apply for funding is 5 p.m. on Friday, February 12th.

Any business in the City or County of Peterborough, Hiawatha First Nation, or Curve Lake First Nation that relies on visitors or tourists for revenue is eligible for funding. These businesses could include restaurants, museums, hotels and motels, entertainment businesses, and more.

You can apply for funding between $2,500 and $20,000 to cover eligible one-time expenses your business has incurred (or will incur) from adapting to the pandemic. The expenses can be retroactive back to June 1, 2020 and up to December 31, 2021.

Eligible expenses include costs to implement health and safety protocols (such as purchase of personal protective equipment and cleaning supplies for workers), modifications to your business to accommodate physical distancing of customers (such as patio furniture, patio heaters, plexiglass dividers, hotel room defogging and disinfecting machines, double-door systems, HVAC upgrades), or digital upgrades to allow you to safely serve customers (such as virtual queue and timed-entry ticketing).

While the funding does not need to be paid back, your business must be able to contribute at least 20 per cent towards the expenses. For example, if your business spent a total of $10,000 on HVAC upgrades, your business must be able to cover $2,000 of the expense when applying to the Tourism Resiliency Funding Program for the remaining $8,000.

Not all expenses will be covered under the program. Ineligible expenses including marketing expenses (such as advertising or promotion), costs for marketing agencies or consultants, or expenses that have already been covered by other programs such as Digital MainStreet.

You can apply for funding for more than one type of eligible expense, but the maximum funding request for all expenses cannot collectively exceed $20,000. Taxes paid on expenses are eligible for funding.

If you’ve applied for funding under other support programs, you can still apply to Tourism Resiliency Funding Program — as long as the expenses have not already been funded under another program.

The deadline to apply for funding is 5 p.m. on Friday, February 12th. You can complete an online application form at peterboroughed.ca/funding.

Successful applicants will be notified the week of Monday, February 15th, and will be connected with Community Futures Peterborough.

For more information about the program, visit peterboroughed.ca/funding or contact Joe Rees, Economic Development Officer – Tourism Sector with Peterborough & The Kawarthas Economic Development, at 705-872-6852 (mobile) or at jrees@peterboroughed.ca.

 

This story was created in partnership with Peterborough & The Kawarthas Economic Development.

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