Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced a state of emergency for Ontario at a media conference at Queen's Park on January 12, 2021. (CPAC screenshot)
In response to the COVID-19 situation in Ontario, Premier Doug Ford has declared a state of emergency for the province, effective immediately and remaining in place for at least 28 days.
Ford made the announcement at a media conference at Queen’s Park on Tuesday afternoon (January 12).
In addition, Ford announced a “stay-at-home order” effective at 12:01 a.m. on Thursday, January 14th. Under this order, all Ontarians must stay at home and only go out for essential purposes, such as going to the grocery store or pharmacy, accessing health care services, for exercise, or for essential work.
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“More than ever, we need — I need — you to do your part,” Ford said. “Stay home, save lives, protect our health care system. The system is on the brink of collapse. It’s on the brink of being overwhelmed. We’re at levels we’ve never seen before.”
Schools in Windsor-Essex, Peel, Toronto, York, and Hamilton will remain closed for in-person learning until February 10. By January 20, Ontario’s medical officer of health will advise the Ministry of Education on schools in the remaining public health units that will be permitted to resume in-person instruction. Schools in public health units in northern Ontario will continue to remain open.
This is the second provincial emergency declared under section 7.0.1 (1) of the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act (EMPCA) since the pandemic began. The Ontario government declared the latest state of emergency in response to updated COVID-19 modelling projections, released to the public on Tuesday morning.
In addition to the stay-at-home order, the following additional public health restrictions are in effect:
Outdoor organized public gatherings and social gatherings are further restricted to a limit of five people, with limited exceptions.
Individuals are required to wear a mask or face covering in the indoor areas of businesses or organizations that are open. Wearing a mask or face covering is now recommended outdoors when you can’t physically distance more than two metres.
All non-essential retail stores, including hardware stores, alcohol retailers, and those offering curbside pickup or delivery, must open no earlier than 7 a.m. and close no later than 8 p.m. The restricted hours of operation do not apply to stores that primarily sell food, pharmacies, gas stations, convenience stores, and restaurants for takeout or delivery.
Non-essential construction is further restricted, including below-grade construction, exempting survey.
These measures will come into effect between Tuesday, January 12th and Thursday, January 14th.
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The province will provide authority to all enforcement and provincial offences officers, including the Ontario Provincial Police, local police forces, bylaw officers, and provincial workplace inspectors to issue tickets to individuals who do not comply with the stay-at-home-order, or those not wearing a mask or face covering indoors as well as retail operators and companies who do not enforce.
In response to a reporter’s question about whether the stay-at-home order was enforceable, Ford emphasized the order is not the same as a curfew.
“A curfew is you aren’t leaving your house, simple as that,” Ford said. “After 8 o’clock — you see what’s happening in Quebec — the streets are empty. I’ve never been in favour of a curfew. That’s a hard, hard lockdown. Cars aren’t driving around, nothing at all.”
“One of the big changes with the stay-at-home order is actually allowing and empowering provincial offences officers, most commonly by-law enforcement officers, to also issue tickets and disperse crowds of larger than five if they aren’t in the same household,” added Sylvia Jones, Ontario’s solicitor general.
Those who decide not to abide by orders will be subject to set fines and/or prosecution under both the Reopening Ontario Act and EMCPA. All enforcement personnel will also have the authority to temporarily close a premise and disperse individuals who are in contravention of an order and will be able to disperse people who are gathering, regardless whether a premise has been closed or remains open (such as a park or house).
Adalsteinn Brown, the dean of the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto, presenting updated COVID-19 modelling projections at a media conference at Queen's Park on January 12, 2021. (CPAC screenshot)
On Tuesday (January 12), Ontario’s top public health officials shared the COVID-19 modelling projections that Ontario Premier Doug Ford said last week would make people “fall off your chair”.
Adalsteinn Brown, the dean of the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto, presented the modelling projections at a media conference at Queen’s Park.
“We’re at a dangerous point,” Brown said. “The number of cases in Ontario is growing between three per cent and five per cent almost every day. There are already more than 400 COVID-19 patients in our intensive care units, and mortality in our long-term care homes is now on a pace to exceed the tragedy of the first wave.”
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Brown noted that COVID-19 is now in every region of Ontario.
“This is no longer a problem of a small group of cities or one region of the province,” he said. “More than half of our intensive care units are full, or only have one or two beds left.”
With COVID-19 ICU occupancy now over 400 beds, surgeries are being cancelled and the access to care continues to decline below 2019 levels.
“The pandemic will have serious consequences for our health in every region of Ontario,” Brown said. “As we climb closer to a thousand intensive care beds — about half of our capacity — filled with COVID-19 patients in February, we will have to confront choices that no doctor ever wants to make, and no family ever wants to hear.”
“There will be choices about who will get the care they need and who will not,” he added. “There will be choices about who receives oxygen or is transported to hospital — decisions we are already seeing being forced on ambulance crews in California, where the virus has spread widely.”
“I want to emphasize that the choices will affect all patients needing intensive care, whether it’s patients who have a heart attack, who’ve been in a motor vehicle accident, who have COVID-19 or any other cause.”
Brown added that surgeries will be delayed or cancelled, and that delays in care will result in poorer outcomes for patients.
The situation is also dire for residents of Ontario’s long-term care homes, with almost 40 per cent of homes now having active COVID-19 outbreaks. So far in the second wave, 1,119 long-term care residents have died from COVID-19, compared to just over 1,900 in the first wave. In the worst-case scenario, Brown said, this number will exceed 2,600 by February 14.
The increase of outbreaks in Ontario long-term care homes between July 2020 and January 2021. (Graphics: Science Advisory and Modelling Consensus Tables)
Despite current levels of restrictions, growth in cases across Ontario has accelerated and is over seven per cent on the worst days, Brown said. The growth in cases is attributed to a large minority of Ontarians — almost a third — not following public health restrictions.
A recent survey of Ontarians found that 35 per cent of respondents said that people in their neighbourhoods were either occasionally or never practising physically distancing. Of those surveyed, 32 per cent said three or more people outside their household had visited their house for a meal, celebration, or stay over in the past month. Of these respondents, 34 per cent of these said they didn’t observe public health restrictions.
“If we do hit the five per cent level of growth, which is quite possible, we’ll be looking at over 20,000 cases per day by the middle of February,” Brown warned. “And if we get into a darker situation with seven per growth, we’ll be looking at over 40,000 cases per day”.
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Daily mortality is also increasing under current restrictions, and is projected to double from 50 to 100 deaths per day between now and end of February.
“This would really put COVID-19 into competition for being the single greatest cause of mortality on a daily basis, potentially larger than cancer and heart disease,” Brown said. “It’s already larger than virtually any other cause that we look at, but this would put it into the first position.”
Brown also said the new variant of the virus causing COVID-19 could affect modelling projections.
Novel SARS-CoV-2 variant B.1.1.7 — commonly called the UK variant as it was first identified in southeast England in November — is much more easily transmitted. While it is not more virulent and responds to vaccines, if B.1.1.7 spreads in the community, the growth of new cases could accelerate even more, with cases doubling in just 10 days in March.
Dr. Barbara Yaffe, Ontario’s associate chief medical officer of health, said there are now eight known cases of B.1.1.7 in Ontario, five of which are connected to travel to the U.K.
In response to the new modelling projections, Premier Doug Ford will be announcing further restrictions at Queen’s Park on Tuesday afternoon.
Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.
With Premier Doug Ford confirming that new public health restrictions will be announced on Tuesday, Ontario is reporting 3,338 new cases today. The seven-day average of daily cases across the province has increased by 9 to 3,555.
In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 20 new cases to report and 43 additional cases resolved, with the number of active cases across the region decreasing by 19 to 148. There is 1 new COVID-19 related death to report in Northumberland and 1 in Kawartha Lakes.
Most of today’s new cases are in Toronto (931), Peel (531), York (241), Niagara (168), Waterloo (165), Ottawa (159), Hamilton (146), Durham (143), Middlesex-London (141), and Windsor-Essex (118).
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There are double-digit increases in Lambton (90), Simcoe Muskoka (84), Southwestern (81), Halton (81), Eastern Ontario (69), Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (56), Huron Perth (27), Chatham-Kent (21), Brant (14), and Sudbury (11), with smaller increases in Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge (9), Algoma (7), Renfrew (7), and Haldimand-Norfolk (6).
The remaining 10 health units are reporting 5 or fewer new cases, with only 1 health unit (Timiskaming) reporting no new cases.
Of today’s new cases, half are among people 39 and younger, with the highest number of cases (1,160) among people ages 20-39, followed by 910 cases among people ages 40-59. With 2,756 more cases resolved since yesterday, the percentage of resolved cases has decreased by 0.1% to 83.7%. The average positivity rate across Ontario has increased since yesterday by 1.5% to 7.7%, meaning that 77 out of every 1,000 tests performed were positive for COVID-19 on January 10.
Ontario is reporting 29 new COVID-19 deaths today, with the total number of deaths in Ontario from COVID-19 increasing above 5,000 to 5,012. Of these deaths, 14 were in long-term care homes, with the total number of deaths in Ontario long-term care homes from COVID-19 increasing above 3,000 to 3,004.
Hospitalizations have increased by 80 to 1,563, although this number excludes data from more than 10% of hospitals and is likely under-reported. With 1 less patient with COVID-19 in an ICU reported today, there are now 387 COVID-19 patients in ICUs in Ontario. With 2 more patients with COVID-19 on ventilators reported today, there are now 268 COVID-19 patients on ventilators.
A total of 46,403 tests were completed yesterday, with the backlog of tests under investigation decreasing by 10,588 to 28,774. A total of 122,105 doses of vaccine have been administered, with 8,859 daily doses administered and 5,884 total vaccinations completed (i.e., both doses administered).
Due to the winter break and the remote learning period during the provincial shutdown, there will be no data to report for schools in southern Ontario until January 26. There are 31 new cases in licensed child care settings in Ontario, an increase of 3 from January 8, with 9 cases among children and 22 cases among staff.
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In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 20 new cases to report, including 11 in Northumberland, 6 in Kawartha Lakes, 2 in Peterborough, and 1 in Haliburton. There are no new cases to report in Hastings Prince Edward. None of the new cases reported today in licensed child care settings are in the greater Kawarthas region.
An additional 43 cases have been resolved, including 15 in Northumberland, 12 in Kawartha Lakes, 11 in Peterborough, 4 in Haliburton, and 1 in Hastings Prince Edward.
There is 1 new COVID-19 related death to report in Northumberland and 1 in Kawartha Lakes. The health unit does not release details about deaths.
While Peterborough Public Health declared an outbreak at Fairhaven long-term care home in Peterborough on January 11, the home’s executive director states that surveillance testing showed a preliminary positive result for a staff member from Westview 3, and that this rapid test result must be confirmed by a PCR test at a provincial lab before an official outbreak is declared.
Outbreaks were declared at Maplewood long-term care home in Brighton on January 7 and Caressant Care McLaughlin Road in Lindsay on January 6, but are only being reported today by the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit.
There are currently 148 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, a decrease of 19 from yesterday, including 51 in Peterborough, 38 in Kawartha Lakes, 29 in Northumberland, 27 in Hastings Prince Edward (4 in Quinte West, 16 in Belleville, 2 in Prince Edward County, and 5 in Central Hastings), and 3 in Haliburton.
Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 437 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (381 resolved with 5 deaths), 320 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (259 resolved with 26 deaths), 301 in Northumberland County (268 resolved with 4 deaths), 39 in Haliburton County (36 resolved with no deaths), and 334 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (302 resolved with 5 deaths). The most recent 2 deaths were reported in Kawartha Lakes and Northumberland on January 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).
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: 437 (increase of 2) Active cases: 51 (decrease of 9) Close contacts: 144 (decrease of 28) Deaths: 5 (no change) Resolved: 381 (increase of 11) Hospitalizations (total to date): 19 (no change)* Total tests completed: Over 40,100 (increase of 50) Outbreaks: Community Living Trent Highlands group home in Peterborough, Unidentified congregate living facility in Peterborough, Fairhaven long-term care home in Peterborough (increase of 1)**
*As of January 8, Peterborough Regional Health Centre is reporting fewer than 10 patients hospitalized with COVID-19. An exact number is not provided.
**While the health unit declared an outbreak at Fairhaven long-term care home in Peterborough on January 11, the home’s executive director states that surveillance testing showed a preliminary positive result for a staff member from Westview 3, and that this rapid test result must be confirmed by a PCR test at a provincial lab before an official outbreak is declared.
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 statutory holidays. These numbers are for a two-day period (January 10 and 11).
Confirmed positive: 660, including 320 in Kawartha Lakes, 301 in Northumberland, and 39 in Haliburton (increase of 18, including 6 in Kawartha Lakes, 11 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton)* Active cases: 70, including 38 in Kawartha Lakes, 29 in Northumberland, and 3 in Haliburton (decrease of 10) Probable cases: 0 (decrease of 1) High-risk contacts: 126, including 41 in Kawartha Lakes, 48 in Northumberland, and 2 in Haliburton (net increase of 2)** Hospitalizations (total to date): 28, including 19 in Kawartha Lakes, 8 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton (increase of 2, in Kawartha Lakes)*** Deaths (including among probable cases): 40, including 36 in Kawartha Lakes and 4 in Northumberland (increase of 2, including 1 in Kawartha Lakes and 1 in Northumberland) Resolved: 563, including 259 in Kawartha Lakes, 268 in Northumberland, 36 in Haliburton (increase of 31, including 12 in Kawartha Lakes, 15 in Northumberland, and 4 in Haliburton) Institutional outbreaks: Christian Horizons group home in Northumberland, Hope St. Terrace long-term care home in Port Hope, Fenelon Court in Fenelon Falls, Island Park Retirement Residence in Campbellford, Maplewood long-term care home in Brighton, Caressant Care McLaughlin Road in Lindsay (increase 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 25 high-risk contacts directly followed up through the Public Health Ontario contact tracing process that are missing the contacts’ county.
***As of January 11, Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay reports 7 patients are hospitalized with COVID-19.
****Outbreaks were declared at Maplewood long-term care home in Brighton on January 7 and Caressant Care McLaughlin Road in Lindsay on January 6 but are only being reported today by the health unit.
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, excluding statutory holidays.
Confirmed positive: 334 (no change) Active cases: 27 (decrease of 1) Deaths: 5 (no change) Currently hospitalized: 3 (no change) Currently hospitalized and in ICU: 1 (no change) Currently hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator (total to date): 0 (no change) Resolved: 302 (increase of 1) Swabs completed: 34,013 (increase of 327) Institutional outbreaks: Hastings Manor Beech Villa in Belleville (no change)
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Province of Ontario
Confirmed positive: 219,120 (increase of 3,338) Resolved: 183,476 (increase of 2,756, 83.7% of all cases) Positivity rate: 7.7% (increase of 1.5%) Hospitalized: 1,563 (increase of 80)* Hospitalized and in ICU: 387 (decrease of 1) Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 268 (increase of 2) Deaths: 5,012 (increase of 29) Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 3,004 (increase of 14) Total tests completed: 8,548,014 (increase of 46,403) Tests under investigation: 28,774 (decrease of 10,588) Vaccinations: 8,859 daily doses administered, 122,105 total doses administered, 5,884 total vaccinations completed (both doses)
*This number excludes data from more than 10% of hospitals and is likely under-reported.
COVID-19 cases in Ontario from December 11, 2020 – January 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 December 11, 2020 – January 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 December 11, 2020 – January 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 December 11, 2020 – January 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)
Similar to other Ontario municipalities such as St. Catharines, the City of Peterborough is setting up free 15-minute curbside pick-up zones in downtown Peterborough. (Photo: City of St. Catharines)
The City of Peterborough is setting up 15-minute curbside pick-up zones in downtown Peterborough during the province-wide shutdown.
The zones are intended to support local businesses during the shutdown, the city states in a media release, as more drivers are making quick stops for curbside pick-up rather than shopping and dining visits that require longer-term parking.
“Local businesses are the backbone of our community and it’s important that we support them, especially during this challenging time,” Mayor Diane Therrien says.
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Each block in downtown Peterborough will have a zone on both sides of the street, with signs installed to designate the area as a 15-minute curbside pick-up zone.
Other Ontario municipalities — including Toronto, Brampton, Barrie, St. Catharines, and Port Colborne — have also installed curbside pick-up zone zones.
There will be no parking fees for the curbside pick-up zones, but drivers must not exceed the 15-minute time limit. Parking longer than the 15-minute window could result in a parking ticket with a $25 fine.
While stopped in one of the zones for more than two minutes, drivers must turn off their vehicle as required under the city’s anti-idling by-law.
The new curbside pick-up zones will not affect existing commercial loading zones, accessible parking spaces, bus stops, and no-parking zones adjacent to intersections. Enforcement of existing parking restrictions in these areas will continue.
The City of Kawartha Lakes Police Service in Lindsay. (Photo: City of Kawartha Lakes)
Kawartha Lakes police charged three people in Lindsay on Sunday afternoon (January 10) under the Reopening Ontario Act for contravening public health limits on social gatherings.
On Sunday at 1:17 p.m., police responded to a complaint about multiple people attending a Lindsay residence who did not live there and were not abiding by the COVID-19 safety regulations.
Officers attended and located multiple individuals inside who did not reside at the residence.
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Under Ontario’s province-wide shutdown, which remains in effect until at least January 23rd, no indoor social gatherings are allowed except with members of the same household.
Three people were issued provincial offence notices under section 10(1)(a) of the Reopening Ontario Act, which carries a set fine of $880.
The Kawartha Lakes Police Service is strongly advising members of the public to educate themselves on current public health directives and COVID-19 enforcement measures, including those related to illegal gathers and associated fines.
Cases of COVID-19 in Kawartha Lakes have continued to increase over the past few weeks, with 39 active cases of COVID-19 in Kawartha Lakes.
On Friday (January 8), the acting medical officer of health for the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit urged people to follow public health recommendations, including not socializing with people outside of your household.
“Our actions affect other people,” said Dr. Ian Gemmill. “If you choose to get together with friends and you get the virus, you could just experience mild symptoms and recover. You could also spread the virus to someone else who is older and more vulnerable, and they may not be so lucky.”
Rosalea Terry (top left), lead for the Innovation Cluster's Women Breaking Barriers program, in a Zoom session with some of the 10 female founders in the first cohort of the program. The next six-month cohort of Women Breaking Barriers begins on March 1, 2021, with applications for the next 10 female founders open until February 12. (Photo courtesy of Innovation Cluster)
Applications are now open for the next 10 female entrepreneurs to join the Innovation Cluster’s Women Breaking Barriers program.
The program is designed to fast track the development of businesses founded by women in the science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) and social innovation fields. Statistics reveal that only six per cent of Canadian technology firms have a female CEO, and more than half have no female executives at all.
The six-month program includes specific and advanced training sessions geared towards female founders, as well as weekly mentorship with advisors, peer-to-peer learning, and community networking. At the end of the six months, participants have the opportunity to pitch their businesses to angel investors. There is no cost to participate in the program.
“Targeted programs are essential to decrease roadblocks and move the dial forward for female-led companies in STEM and social innovation which face unique challenges,” says Rosalea Terry, program lead with the Innovation Cluster.
Made possible by a $75,000 seed grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation and RBC, Women Breaking Barriers launched in September 2020 with its first cohort of 10 female founders.
They will end their participation in the program at the end of February by pitching their businesses to the Peterborough Region Angel Network.
“With the first cohort coming to an end, we have seen how much of a difference this program can make and the group has exceeded all expectations,” Terry says. “The founders are about to pitch to the Peterborough Region Angel Network made up of over 30 investors.”
Through the Women Breaking Barriers program, which is made possible by a $75,000 seed grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation and RBC, the Innovation Cluster is working towards changing statistics that show women are significantly under-represented in technology businesses are related fields. (Graphic courtesy of Innovation Cluster)
One of the 10 participants in the first cohort is Othalia Doe-Bruce, founder of InnovFin Consulting Inc., which specializes in blockchain technology for finance companies.
“My participation in the Innovation Cluster was a game changer for both me at a personal level and my business, especially given the impact of COVID-19,” Doe-Bruce says.
“I was lucky to be selected as one of the very few brilliant women disrupting their industries and to benefit from the support of knowledgeable and experienced advisors, mentors and experts. I encourage aspiring female entrepreneurs to apply to the program and see their ideas and businesses exponentially boosted.”
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The next six-month cohort of Women Breaking Barriers begins on Monday, March 1st. Applications are now open until Friday, February 12th. To learn more about the program, including eligibility requirements, visit innovationcluster.ca/breakbarriers/.
The Innovation Cluster is also holding a free virtual information session on Zoom for interested applicants from 12 to 1 p.m. on Tuesday, February 2nd. For more information and to register, visit eventbrite.com/e/135880946569.
4th Line Theatre managing artistic director Kim Blackwell at the box office at Winslow Farm in Millbrook in 2018. Although 4th Line Theatre postponed its entire 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, under Blackwell's leadership the theatre company continued to develop content to engage audiences, and renowned theatre critic Lynn Slotkin has recognized Blackwell's efforts with the Jon Kaplan Mensch Award. (Photo: Jeannine Taylor / kawarthaNOW.com)
Every year, renowned Toronto theatre critic and writer Lynn Slotkin recognizes outstanding work in theatre with her series of “Tootsie” awards.
This year, 4th Line Theatre’s artistic director Kim Blackwell has been recognized with Slotkin’s prestigious Jon Kaplan Mensch Award. Named for Jon Kaplan, the late theatre reviewer for NOW magazine, the award recognizes recipients as people of integrity and high honour.
Slotkin, who is considered to be one of the preeminent voices in professional theatre both nationally and internationally, publishes The Slotkin Letter, a monthly newsletter that chronicles her theatre-going experiences in Canada and elsewhere. It’s the go-to industry resource for theatre practitioners and aficionados alike.
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When Slotkin writes about a theatre performance, people around the world pay attention. She’s kind of a big deal.
This year, Slotkin has honoured Blackwell with the Jon Kaplan Mensch Award for the work Blackwell did during the 2020 pandemic season at 4th Line Theatre. It’s kind of a big deal.
“It sure was a nice cap on a lousy year,” says Blackwell of the award, one of the several Tootsies Slotkin announces every year.
Renowed Toronto theatre critic and writer Lynn Slotkin participating in a theatre criticism roundtable hosted by Intermission Magazine in 2017. Slotkin’s work has appeared in The Globe and Mail, the Toronto Star, Performance Magazine, How Theatre Educations, and the Hollywood Reporter, as well as on CBC and TV Ontario. (Photo: Dahlia Katz)
The awards are so-named because of Slotkin’s long-time practice of giving Tootsie Roll Pops to people in the theatre community when she had an enjoyable theatrical experience.
“It was nice to be recognized for a year that we worked really, really hard to keep art and audience engaged with each other on some level,” Blackwell says.
During a year in which arts cancellations were the norm (and that’s okay!), 4th Line Theatre, with Blackwell at the helm, managed to offer an impressive amount of quality programming despite the loss of the company’s regular 2020 summer season.
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“I’m terribly proud,” says Blackwell, reflecting on the last year. “I’m proud of how hard the staff worked and how willing everybody was to try things.”
Against all odds, 4th Line Theatre hosted artist talks, online readings, a weekly farmers’ market, yoga classes, a free telephone monologue series, and the world premiere of Bedtime Stories and Other Horrifying Tales, an outdoor Halloween production co-written by Blackwell and 4th Line’s general manager Lindy Finlan.
“I have an incredible partner in Lindy Finlan,” Blackwell adds. “We actually did a full play — the largest play that happened in Canada since March of 2020 — our Halloween show.”
kawarthaNOW’s arts and culture writer Sarah McNeilly performing as switchboard operator Alice Cameron in 4th Line Theatre’s 2018 production “Crow Hill: The Telephone Play”, written by Ian McLachlan and Robert Winslow. It was one of the plays comprising 4th Line’s Monologue Series in 2020. In this innovative approach to theatrical performance during the pandemic, an actor would call you at no charge to deliver a dramatic reading of one of 27 monologues from 4th Line’s archive of plays. (Photo: Wayne Eardley / Brookside Studio)
“We also did a full theatre festival in downtown Peterborough, the brain-child of Christina Adams that I full-heartedly supported — the Open Spaces Festival. There were, I think, at one time, three plays going on at a time in different locations in Peterborough, which is pretty cool.”
Slotkin’s Jon Kaplan Mensch Award recognizes so much more than the amazing high-quality programming 4th line was able to offer, against all odds, during the pandemic. It also recognizes Blackwell’s leadership.
Thanks to her leadership, many people in our community were able to keep their jobs in the arts and continue to support their families, which is nothing short of miraculous during a pandemic that has otherwise devastated the sector.
“I’m really thankful I was able to offer the opportunities for our staff, but I couldn’t have done it without governmental support,” Blackwell points out. “We lost half a million dollars in earned revenue last year. We usually have an operating budget of around a million dollars, so we lost half our revenue.”
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“I’m terribly proud that we kept all of our admin staff on at their full wages, but we did not do it in a vacuum,” Blackwell adds. “There’s no way we could have done it without emergency funding — without the federal and provincial support. That is how dire this situation is. The pandemic is that financially devastating. We would have had to close up shop.”
Looking back on 2020, Blackwell earnestly says “It was the hardest year of my life.”
While leading 4th Line Theatre through an unprecedented crisis, Blackwell also lost her mother in the middle of 2020. Even in grief, she was able to find lessons through introspection.
“There’s a lot to be grateful for but, at the core of it, 2020 sucked,” she says. “But it did force me to slow down — to analyze why I was rushing so much and taking so much on, both personally and professionally.”
“I’m hoping that I’m able to take some of those lessons about slowing down, self-evaluation, and self-analysis with me on the journey forward,” she adds.
Jack Nicholsen in 4th Line Theatre’s “Bedtime Stories and Other Horrifying Tales” written by Kim Blackwell and Lindy Finlan. The COVID-safe play was presented outdoors at the Millbrook farm in October 2020, and was the theatre company’s only production during the pandemic. (Photo: Wayne Eardley / Brookside Studio)
Needless to say, the challenges we face did not magically disappear when the clock struck 12 on New Year’s Eve. Though there is hope on the distant horizon, so far 2021 is shaping up to be another challenging year.
“The number one priority for 2021 is everyone’s health and safety,” explains Blackwell. “That’s always our number one priority at 4th Line, it’s just made more clear by the pandemic.”
2020 Jon Kaplan Mensch Award Recipients
Along with Kim Blackwell, the other recipients of this year’s Jon Kaplan Mensch Award are Nina Lee Aquino of Factory Theatre in Toronto, Tim Carroll and Tim Jennings of the Shaw Festival in Stratford, Mitchell Cushman of Outside the March in Toronto, Arkady Spivak of Talk is Free Theatre in Barrie, and Julie Tepperman of Convergence Theatre in Toronto.
In terms of what lies ahead for 4th Line Theatre, Blackwell is committed to offering even more quality programming, which, in turn, will provide jobs for many theatre artists, technicians, and personnel — not to mention some much-needed connection for theatre-starved audiences.
“We want to bring forward some of the really successful things we did in 2020,” she says. “It’s always my number one priority to get a summer season in when we can because it’s what we do best. It’s what people love about us.”
“Ultimately, I’m not doing this job for any other reason than to create art,” says a steadfast Blackwell. “Hopefully, we’ll get back to some semblance of normal.”
The entire region is celebrating Kim Blackwell’s Jon Kaplan Mensch Award, and so we should — it’s a win for all of us. This prestigious recognition from a preeminent theatre critic demonstrates what we all already know here in Nogojiwanong/Peterborough: what we do here matters.
We make world-class art here that, on occasion, garners well-deserved, world-class recognition.
Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.
Ontario is reporting 3,945 new cases today, with the seven-day average of daily cases across the province increasing by 140 to 3,546.
In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 8 new cases to report and 14 additional cases resolved, with the number of active cases across the region decreasing by 6 to 173 (although numbers for Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland, and Haliburton are unavailable today).
Most of today’s new cases are in Toronto (with a record-breaking 1,160 cases), Peel (641), York (357), Windsor-Essex (223), Waterloo (220), Durham (190), Middlesex-London (173), Niagara (151), Ottawa (129), and Halton (118).
There are double-digit increases in Simcoe Muskoka (85), Eastern Ontario (72), Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (69), Hamilton (64), Southwestern (49), Brant (42), Lambton (39), Haldimand-Norfolk (22), Thunder Bay (20), Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge (19), Northwestern (17), Chatham-Kent (16), Huron Perth (14), Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington (10), and Peterborough (10), with smaller increases in Sudbury (8) and Porcupine (7).
The remaining 7 health units are reporting 5 or fewer new cases, with only 1 health unit (Timiskaming) reporting no new cases.
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Of today’s new cases, 52% are among people 39 and younger, with the highest number of cases (1,458) among people ages 20-39, followed by 1,099 cases among people ages 40-59. With 2,496 more cases resolved since yesterday, the percentage of resolved cases has decreased by 0.3% to 83.8%. The average positivity rate across Ontario is unavailable on weekends.
Ontario is reporting 61 new COVID-19 deaths today, including 21 deaths in long-term care facilities. Hospitalizations have increased by 26 to 1,483, although this number excludes data from more than 10% of hospitals and is likely under-reported. With 6 more patients with COVID-19 in ICUs reported today, there are now 388 COVID-19 patients in ICUs in Ontario. With 22 more patients with COVID-19 on ventilators reported today, there are now 266 COVID-19 patients on ventilators.
A total of 62,308 tests were completed yesterday, with the backlog of tests under investigation decreasing by 21,866 to 39,362. A total of 113,246 doses of vaccine have been administered, with 9,983 daily doses administered and 5,884 total vaccinations completed (i.e., both doses administered).
In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 8 new cases to report, including 3 in Peterborough and 5 in Hastings Prince Edward. Reports for Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland, and Haliburton are unavailable for Sundays.
An additional 14 cases have been resolved, including 9 in Peterborough and 5 in Hastings Prince Edward.
There is 1 new hospitalization of a COVID-19 patient (in ICU) in Hastings Prince Edward.
There are currently 167 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, a decrease of 6 from yesterday, including 60 in Peterborough, 39 in Kawartha Lakes, 35 in Northumberland, 28 in Hastings Prince Edward (5 in Quinte West, 16 in Belleville, 2 in Prince Edward County, and 5 in Central Hastings), and 5 in Haliburton.
Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 435 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (370 resolved with 5 deaths), 308 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (247 resolved with 35 deaths), 291 in Northumberland County (253 resolved with 3 deaths), 37 in Haliburton County (32 resolved with no deaths), and 334 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (301 resolved with 5 deaths). The most recent death was reported in Kawartha Lakes on January 8.
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).
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: 435 (increase of 3) Active cases: 60 (decrease of 6) Close contacts: 172 (no change) Deaths: 5 (no change) Resolved: 370 (increase of 9) Hospitalizations (total to date): 19 (no change)* Total tests completed: Over 40,050 (increase of 100) Outbreaks: Community Living Trent Highlands group home in Peterborough, Unidentified congregate living facility in Peterborough (no change)
*As of January 8, Peterborough Regional Health Centre is reporting fewer than 10 patients hospitalized with COVID-19. An exact number is not provided.
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 statutory holidays. These numbers are from January 9.
Confirmed positive: 627, including 308 in Kawartha Lakes, 291 in Northumberland, and 37 in Haliburton (increase of 8, including 5 in Kawartha Lakes and 3 in Northumberland)* Active cases: 80, including 39 in Kawartha Lakes, 35 in Northumberland, and 5 in Haliburton (no net change) Probable cases: 1, in Kawartha Lakes (net decrease of 1) High-risk contacts: 124, including 41 in Kawartha Lakes, 54 in Northumberland, and 8 in Haliburton (net decrease of 14)** Hospitalizations (total to date): 26, including 17 in Kawartha Lakes, 8 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton (no change)*** Deaths (including among probable cases): 38, including 35 in Kawartha Lakes and 3 in Northumberland (no change)) Resolved: 532, including 247 in Kawartha Lakes, 253 in Northumberland, 32 in Haliburton (increase of 9, including 8 in Kawartha Lakes and 1 in Northumberland) Institutional outbreaks: Christian Horizons group home in Northumberland, Hope St. Terrace long-term care home in Port Hope, Fenelon Court in Fenelon Falls, Island Park Retirement Residence in Campbellford (increase 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 16 high-risk contacts directly followed up through the Public Health Ontario contact tracing process that are missing the contacts’ county.
***As of January 8, Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay reports 4 patients are hospitalized with COVID-19.
****Outbreaks were declared at Fenelon Court Long-Term Care Home in Fenelon Falls and Island Park Retirement Residence in Campbellford on January 8.
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, excluding statutory holidays.
Confirmed positive: 334 (increase of 5) Active cases: 28 (no change) Deaths: 5 (no change) Currently hospitalized: 3 (increase of 1) Currently hospitalized and in ICU: 1 (increase of 1) Currently hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator (total to date): 0 (no change) Resolved: 301 (increase of 5) Swabs completed: 33,686 (increase of 3,498) Institutional outbreaks: Hastings Manor Beech Villa in Belleville (no change)
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Province of Ontario
Confirmed positive: 215,782 (increase of 3,945) Resolved: 180,720 (increase of 2,496, 83.8% of all cases) Positivity rate: 6.2% (as of January 8, updates not available on weekends) Hospitalized: 1,483 (increase of 26)* Hospitalized and in ICU: 388 (increase of 6) Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 266 (increase of 22) Deaths: 4,983 (increase of 61) Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 2,990 (increase of 21) Total tests completed: 8,501,611 (increase of 62,308) Tests under investigation: 39,362 (decrease of 21,866) Vaccinations: 9,983 daily doses administered, 113,246 total doses administered, 5,884 total vaccinations completed (both doses)
*This number excludes data from more than 10% of hospitals and is likely under-reported.
COVID-19 cases in Ontario from December 10, 2020 – January 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 December 10, 2020 – January 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 December 10, 2020 – January 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 December 10, 2020 – January 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)
On January 29, 2021, Andy Tough's YouTube series Live! At The Barn will feature a tribute to guitarist Jimmy Deck, who passed away suddenly in December. The tribute will include an interview and one of Deck's solo performances. (Photo: Linda Tough)
What has been nothing short of a true labour of love for Andy Tough is set to reap yet another series of live-off-the-floor musical performances featuring five local acts.
Live! At The Barn is recorded and edited by Tough at the Norwood-area barn recording space he owns with his wife Linda.
The series returns to YouTube on Friday, January 15th at 8 p.m., with well-known British Invasion pop-rockers the Rick & Gailie Band leading the charge.
A new video performance will debut at 8 p.m. on successive Friday evenings, as follows:
January 22 featuring Tungsten
January 29 featuring James ‘Jimmy’ Deck
February 5 featuring High Waters Band
February 12 featuring the Rob Phillips Trio with singer Marsala Lukianchuk and violinist Saskia Tomkins.
The second series of Andy Tough’s Live! At The Barn recordings of local musicians kicks off on January 15, 2021 with a performance by well-known British Invasion pop-rockers the Rick & Gailie Band. (Photo: Linda Tough)
Each video will remain available for viewing permanently, alongside performances from the first series featuring Gunslingers, The Fabulous Tonemasters, Wylie Harold and Out On Bail, Weber Brothers Band, and House Brand.
According to Tough, the sudden passing of Tami J. Wilde collaborator James ‘Jimmy’ Deck on December 21st has resulted in a tribute to Deck being presented, as opposed to what was originally captured — a full performance featuring the longtime duo.
“Tami was uncomfortable with releasing their performance,” Tough says. “But she did agree to allow me to do a short tribute to him featuring a short interview and one of the solo performances he gave during the taping on October 3rd.”
A solo performance by the late James ‘Jimmy’ Deck will be released on Andy Tough’s YouTube channel on January 29, 2021. While Deck performed with his long-time collaborator Tami J. Wilde at Live! At The Barn, Wilde was uncomfortable with releasing their full performance. (Photo: Linda Tough)
Meanwhile, shortly after Tungsten recorded their hard rock/metal performance in September, drummer Nathan Lauder, the son of the band’s late founder, was involved in a serious motorcycle crash that resulted in major injuries.
“They’ve been trying to keep the band going in his father’s honour and then this happens,” Tough notes.
Originally, Steel Horse Gypsies were scheduled for this series’ lineup and were actually recorded at the barn. The band wanted to do a post-audio mix of their performance but with their Toronto studio closed due to COVID restrictions, that is yet to be done.
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A performance by Tungsten will be released on Andy Tough’s YouTube channel on January 22, 2021. The band’s drummer, Nathan Lauder, was seriously injured in a motorcycle crash shortly after the band’s performance was recorded in September 2020. (Photo: Linda Tough)
“The plan is to release that as a special episode in the future,” Tough says.
Since each band was recorded, Tough, who specializes in audio/video production and presentation through his business RMS Events, has been hard at it, editing performance tape and mixing it with interviews he conducted with each act.
“Having created the template, it was easier to hang the content onto a framework,” he explains. “It’s certainly not cookie cutter, but there’s some continuity between the first and second series.”
The first series’ episodes, says Tough, have collectively had 2,200 views to date. In addition, artists’ choice singles from those shows have had more than 3,000 social media views, while Weber Brothers singles released by the band on their Facebook page have also had more than 3,000 views.
Live! At The Barn founder and producer Andy Tough (right) recording an interview with singer Marsala Lukianchuk. (Photo: Linda Tough)
“It’s great exposure for everybody,” says Tough of the response. “Certainly, it’s had a huge impact locally.”
One thing that hasn’t changed is the much-needed shot in the arm the performance platform has provided for participating acts that have been deprived of live venue opportunities since the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020.
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The experience has been good for Tough’s psyche as well, providing a welcome opportunity to do something — anything — in the absence of work as a result of the pandemic shutdown.
“It’s keeping me sane,” he says. “It’s not bringing any money into the house but it keeps my production mind rolling along.”
As for the possibility that he’ll line up bands for a third series, Tough says while he would “love to do it,” he may have to look at charging bands for his services or have acts bring sponsor dollars to the mix.
VIDEO: Live! At The Barn – Season 2 Preview
“We had been looking for sponsorship but it didn’t pan out the way that we hoped,” Tough admits. “Frankly, I didn’t have the time to go out and knock on doors. That’s the trouble with being a solo producer — you have to wear all the different hats.”
“But we’re going to a do third series regardless, probably in the summer,” he adds.
That said, the second series did enjoy some support courtesy of David Goyette, Peterborough Hydroponics, Rural Lynx High Speed Internet, and Diane Lauder and Robert Mahler of Tungsten. kawarthaNOW, meanwhile, has returned as the series’ media sponsor.
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A performance by High Waters Band will be released on Andy Tough’s YouTube channel on February 5, 2021. (Photo: Linda Tough) A performance by the Rob Phillips Trio featuring singer Marsala Lukianchuk and violinist Saskia Tomkins will be released on February 12, 2021. (Photo: Linda Tough)
With one series have debuted and another set to follow suit, Tough says he remains struck by “how gracious and friendly and thankful all the bands were during the recordings.”
“There were no egos. It was a very positive experience. Everybody worked towards a greater good, did their best, and felt good about having the chance to do it.”
As a long-time supporter of local music, kawarthaNOW.com is proud to be a media sponsor of Live! At The Barn.
Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.
Ontario is reporting 3,443 new cases today, with the seven-day average of daily cases across the province increasing by 12 to 3,406.
In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 21 new cases to report and 37 additional cases resolved, with the number of active cases across the region decreasing by 15 to 173.
Three new outbreaks have been declared, in congregate-care settings in Belleville, Fenelon Falls, and Campbellford. A workplace outbreak in Peterborough County has been declared resolved.
Most of today’s new cases are in Toronto (1,070), Peel (548), York (303), Windsor-Essex (282), Ottawa (179), Durham (166), Niagara (134), and Waterloo (116).
There are double-digit increases in Middlesex-London (80), Halton (78), Simcoe Muskoka (71), Hamilton (67), Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (55), Southwestern (47), Lambton (45), Eastern Ontario (42), Haldimand-Norfolk (26), Huron Perth (22), Brant (15), Sudbury (13), Porcupine (11), Chatham-Kent (11), Grey Bruce (11), Algoma (10), Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge (10), with smaller increases in Renfrew (9) and Peterborough (8).
The remaining 7 health units are reporting 5 or fewer new cases, with 1 health unit (Timiskaming) reporting no new cases.
Of today’s new cases, 51% are among people 39 and younger, with the highest number of cases (1,261) among people ages 20-39, followed by 979 cases among people ages 40-59. With 2,915 more cases resolved since yesterday, the percentage of resolved cases remains unchanged at 84.1%. The average positivity rate across Ontario is unavailable on weekends.
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Ontario is reporting 40 new COVID-19 deaths today, including 26 deaths in long-term care facilities. Hospitalizations have increased by 11 to 1,457. With 13 more patients with COVID-19 in ICUs reported today, there are now 382 COVID-19 ICU patients in Ontario. With 6 fewer COVID-19 patients on ventilators reported today, there are now 244 COVID-19 patients on ventilators.
A total of 72,900 tests were completed yesterday, with the backlog of tests under investigation decreasing by 11,839 to 61,228. A total of 103,263 doses of vaccine have been administered, with 15,700 daily doses administered and 5,880 total vaccinations completed (i.e., both doses administered).
In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 21 new cases to report, including 9 in Peterborough, 5 in Kawartha Lakes, 4 in Hastings Prince Edward, and 3 in Northumberland. There are no new cases in Haliburton, but active cases there have increased by 1.
Three new COVID-19 outbreaks have been declared in the region as of January 8: Hastings Manor Beech Villa in Belleville, Fenelon Court long-term care home in Fenelon Falls, and Island Park Retirement Residence in Campbellford. An outbreak at a workplace in Otonabee-South Monaghan in Peterborough County has been declared resolved.
An additional 37 cases have been resolved, including 25 in Peterborough, 8 in Kawartha Lakes, 3 in Hastings Prince Edward, and 1 in Northumberland.
There are currently 173 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, a decrease of 15 from yesterday, including 66 in Peterborough, 39 in Kawartha Lakes, 35 in Northumberland, 28 in Hastings Prince Edward (5 in Quinte West, 15 in Belleville, 3 in Prince Edward County, and 5 in Central Hastings), and 5 in Haliburton.
Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 432 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (361 resolved with 5 deaths), 308 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (247 resolved with 35 deaths), 291 in Northumberland County (253 resolved with 3 deaths), 37 in Haliburton County (32 resolved with no deaths), and 329 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (296 resolved with 5 deaths). The most recent death was reported in Kawartha Lakes on January 8.
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).
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: 432 (increase of 9) Active cases: 66 (decrease of 16) Close contacts: 172 (increase of 7) Deaths: 5 (no change) Resolved: 361 (increase of 25) Hospitalizations (total to date): 19 (increase of 3)* Total tests completed: Over 39,950 (increase of 150) Outbreaks: Community Living Trent Highlands group home in Peterborough, Unidentified congregate living facility in Peterborough (decrease of 1)**
*As of January 8, Peterborough Regional Health Centre is reporting fewer than 10 patients hospitalized with COVID-19. An exact number is not provided.
**An outbreak at a workplace in Otonabee-South Monaghan in Peterborough County has been declared resolved.
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 statutory holidays.
Confirmed positive: 627, including 308 in Kawartha Lakes, 291 in Northumberland, and 37 in Haliburton (increase of 8, including 5 in Kawartha Lakes and 3 in Northumberland)* Active cases: 80, including 39 in Kawartha Lakes, 35 in Northumberland, and 5 in Haliburton (no net change) Probable cases: 1, in Kawartha Lakes (net decrease of 1) High-risk contacts: 124, including 41 in Kawartha Lakes, 54 in Northumberland, and 8 in Haliburton (net decrease of 14)** Hospitalizations (total to date): 26, including 17 in Kawartha Lakes, 8 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton (no change)*** Deaths (including among probable cases): 38, including 35 in Kawartha Lakes and 3 in Northumberland (no change)) Resolved: 532, including 247 in Kawartha Lakes, 253 in Northumberland, 32 in Haliburton (increase of 9, including 8 in Kawartha Lakes and 1 in Northumberland) Institutional outbreaks: Christian Horizons group home in Northumberland, Hope St. Terrace long-term care home in Port Hope, Fenelon Court in Fenelon Falls, Island Park Retirement Residence in Campbellford (increase 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 16 high-risk contacts directly followed up through the Public Health Ontario contact tracing process that are missing the contacts’ county.
***As of January 8, Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay reports 4 patients are hospitalized with COVID-19.
****Outbreaks were declared at Fenelon Court Long-Term Care Home in Fenelon Falls and Island Park Retirement Residence in Campbellford on January 8.
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, excluding statutory holidays.
Confirmed positive: 329 (increase of 4) Active cases: 28 (increase of 1) Deaths: 5 (no change) Currently hospitalized: 2 (no change) Currently hospitalized and in ICU: 0 (no change) Currently hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator (total to date): 0 (no change) Resolved: 296 (increase of 3) Swabs completed: 30,188 (no change) Institutional outbreaks: Hastings Manor Beech Villa in Belleville (increase of 1)*
*An outbreak was declared at Hastings Manor Beech Villa (secure wing) in Belleville on January 8 due to 1 positive case.
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Province of Ontario
Confirmed positive: 211,837 (increase of 3,443) Resolved: 178,224 (increase of 2,915, 84.1% of all cases) Positivity rate: 6.2% (as of January 8, updates not available on weekends) Hospitalized: 1,457 (increase of 11) Hospitalized and in ICU: 382 (increase of 13) Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 244 (decrease of 6) Deaths: 4,922 (increase of 40) Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 2,969 (increase of 26) Total tests completed: 8,439,303 (increase of 72,900) Tests under investigation: 61,228 (decrease of 11,839) Vaccinations: 15,700 daily doses administered, 103,263 total doses administered, 5,880 total vaccinations completed (both doses)
COVID-19 cases in Ontario from December 9, 2020 – January 8, 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 December 9, 2020 – January 8, 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 December 9, 2020 – January 8, 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 December 9, 2020 – January 8, 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)
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