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Ontario reports 958 new COVID-19 cases, including 10 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 958 new cases, with the seven-day average of daily cases decreasing by 14 to 1,084. There are 10 new cases of the B.1.1.7 UK variant, for a total of 552, and no new cases of other variants of concern.

In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 10 new cases to report and an additional 11 cases resolved, with the number of active cases across the region decreasing by 1 to 109.

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Most of today’s new cases are in Toronto (249) and Peel (164).

There are double-digit increases in York (92), Ottawa (57), Hamilton (47), Waterloo (46), Durham (41), Thunder Bay (30), Middlesex-London (28), Niagara (23), Sudbury (22), Windsor-Essex (21), Halton (20), Peterborough (18), Simcoe Muskoka (18), Brant (17), Eastern Ontario (13), and Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (12), with a smaller increase in Leeds, Grenville & Lanark (8).

The remaining 15 health units are reporting 5 or fewer new cases, with 3 health units reporting no new cases at all.

Of today’s new cases, 57% are among people 39 and younger, with the highest number of cases (370) among people ages 20-39 followed by 256 cases among people ages 40-59.

With 1,090 more cases resolved since yesterday, the percentage of resolved cases has increased by 0.1% to 94.3%. The average positivity rate across Ontario has decreased by 0.5% from yesterday to 2.4%, meaning that 24 out of every 1,000 tests performed were positive for COVID-19 on March 2.

Ontario is reporting 17 new COVID-19 deaths today, including 2 new deaths in a long-term care homes. Ontario has averaged 17 new daily deaths over the past week (an increase of 1 from yesterday).

Hospitalizations have decreased by 9 from yesterday to 668, with the number of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs decreasing by 10 from yesterday to 274, and the number of patients with COVID-19 on ventilators decreasing by 1 from yesterday to 188.

A total of 52,613 tests were completed yesterday, with the backlog of tests under investigation increasing by 12,065 to 43,139.

A total of 754,419 doses of vaccine have now been administered, an increase of 27,398 from yesterday, with 266,710 people fully vaccinated with both doses of vaccine, an increase of 1,814 from yesterday, representing 1.81% of Ontario’s population.

There are 160 new cases in Ontario schools, a decrease of 102 from yesterday, including 138 student cases, 21 staff cases, and 1 case among an unidentified person. There are 25 new cases in licensed child care settings in Ontario, a decrease of 16 from yesterday, with 16 cases among children and 9 cases among staff.

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In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 10 new cases to report, including 4 in Peterborough, 4 in Hastings Prince Edward, 1 in Kawartha Lakes, and 1 in Northumberland. There are no new cases in Haliburton.

In Peterborough, the total case count has increased by 6 since yesterday, but the health unit is reporting only 4 new cases in the last 24 hours. There are now 27 presumed cases of COVID-19 variants of concern in Peterborough.

An additional 11 cases have been resolved, including 5 in Peterborough, 2 in Northumberland, 2 in Kawartha Lakes, and 2 in Hastings Prince Edward.

There are currently 109 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, a decrease of 1 from yesterday, including 63 in Peterborough, 22 in Hastings Prince Edward (1 in Quinte West, 16 in Belleville, 3 in Tyendinaga & Deseronto, 1 in Prince Edward County, and 1 in Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory), 15 in Northumberland, and 9 in Kawartha Lakes. There are no active cases in Haliburton.

Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 676 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (604 resolved with 9 deaths), 538 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (487 resolved with 55 deaths), 444 in Northumberland County (418 resolved with 11 deaths), 51 in Haliburton County (51 resolved with no deaths), and 424 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (396 resolved with 6 deaths). The most recent 2 deaths were reported in Kawartha Lakes on February 23.

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: 676 (increase of 6)*
Confirmed variants of concern cases: 1 (no change)
Presumed variants of concern cases: 27 (increase of 9)
Active cases: 63 (increase of 1)
Close contacts: 241 (increase of 24)
Deaths: 9 (no change)
Resolved: 604 (increase of 5)
Hospitalizations (total to date): 24 (no change)**
Total tests completed: Over 43,750 (increase of 50)
Outbreaks: Empress Gardens retirement home, Severn Court Student Residence (no change)
Vaccine doses administered: 1,136 (no change)

*While the total case count has increased by 6 since yesterday, the health unit is reporting 4 new cases in the last 24 hours.

**As of March 2, Peterborough Regional Health Centre is reporting fewer than 5 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 (no change) and 17 patients transferred from other areas as a result of a provincial directive (no change).

 

Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit

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

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

Confirmed positive: 1,033, including 538 in Kawartha Lakes, 444 in Northumberland, and 51 in Haliburton (increase of 2, including 1 in Kawartha Lakes and 1 in Northumberland)*
Cases with N501Y mutation: 14, including 2 in Kawartha Lakes and 12 in Northumberland (no change)**
Active cases: 24, including 9 in Kawartha Lakes and 15 in Northumberland (decrease of 3, including 1 in Kawartha Lakes and 2 in Northumberland)
Probable cases: 0 (no change)
High-risk contacts: 82, including 28 in Kawartha Lakes, 51 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton (net decrease of 18)***
Hospitalizations (total to date): 44, including 27 in Kawartha Lakes, 15 in Northumberland, and 2 in Haliburton (no change)****
Deaths (including among probable cases): 66, including 55 in Kawartha Lakes and 11 in Northumberland (no change)
Resolved: 956, including 487 in Kawartha Lakes, 418 in Northumberland, 51 in Haliburton (increase of 4, including 2 in Kawartha Lakes and 2 in Northumberland)
Tests completed: 145,475 (increase of 1,110)
Outbreaks: Regency long-term care home in Port Hope (no change)

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

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

***This total includes an additional 2 high-risk contacts directly followed up through the Public Health Ontario contact tracing process that are missing the contacts’ county.

****As of March 3, Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay reports no patients hospitalized with COVID-19 (no change).

 

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: 424 (increase of 4)
Active cases: 22 (increase of 1)
Deaths: 6 (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: 396 (increase of 2)
Tests completed: 66,292 (increase of 8)
Vaccines administered: 3,727 (increase of 1,541)
Outbreaks: Unidentified workplace in Central Hastings, unidentified workplace in Belleville (no change)

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Province of Ontario

Confirmed positive: 303,763 (increase of 958)
Total COVID-19 variant cases: 552 of B.1.1.7 UK variant (increase of 10); 27 of B.1.351 South Africa variant (no change); 3 of P.1 Brazilian variant (no change)
7-day average of daily new cases: 1,084 (decrease of 14)
Resolved: 286,352 (increase of 1,090, 94.3% of all cases)
Positivity rate: 2.4% (decrease of 0.5%)
Hospitalizations: 668 (decrease of 9)
Hospitalizations in ICU: 274 (decrease of 10)
Hospitalizations in ICU on ventilator: 188 (decrease of 1)
Deaths: 7,014 (increase of 17)
7-day average of daily new deaths: 17 (increase of 1)
Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 3,869 (increase of 2)
Total tests completed: 11,163,548 (increase of 52,613)
Tests under investigation: 43,139 (increase of 12,065)
Vaccination doses administered: 754,419 (increase of 27,398)
People fully vaccinated (two doses): 266,710 (increase of 1,814), 1.81% of Ontario’s population (est. 70-90% required for herd immunity)

COVID-19 cases in Ontario from January 31 - March 2, 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 31 – March 2, 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 31 - March 2, 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 31 – March 2, 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 31 - March 2, 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 31 – March 2, 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 31 - March 2, 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 31 – March 2, 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 31 - March 2, 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 31 – March 2, 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.

ARREST MADE – Kawartha Lakes police seek suspect in knifepoint robbery of Lindsay business

By kawarthaNOW -
The suspect in a March 3, 2021 robbery of a Lindsay Street South business captured on surveillance footage. (Police-supplied photo)
Arrest made

On March 4, 2021, police arrested 25-year-old Gregory Ackerman of Lindsay and charged him with robbery with violence, possession of weapon for dangerous purpose, and disguise with intent. He will appear at the Ontario Court of Justice on May 6, 2021.

Kawartha Lakes police are seeking a suspect in a robbery in Lindsay in the early morning of Wednesday (March 3).

At 1:19 a.m. on Wednesday, police responded to a Lindsay Street South business reporting a robbery.

A lone suspect had entered the store and proceeded behind the counter and, while holding a knife, demanded money. The suspect then removed a quantity of cash from the cash register and left the store.

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The suspect is described as a white male, approximately 5’7″, wearing black running shoes, grey track pants, a black hooded jacket, black sweater, black mask, and a black baseball cap with a team Canada hockey logo on the front. He was carrying a black backpack.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call the Kawartha Lakes Police Service at 705-324-5252. If you want to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or online at www.khcrimestoppers.com.

The suspect in a March 3, 2021 robbery of a Lindsay Street South business captured on surveillance footage. (Police-supplied photo)
The suspect in a March 3, 2021 robbery of a Lindsay Street South business captured on surveillance footage. (Police-supplied photo)

Women Breaking Barriers to accelerate 10 more female-led companies in Peterborough and the Kawarthas

By kawarthaNOW -
The 10 participants of the second cohort of the Women Breaking Barriers business accelerator program for female-led companies in STEM and social innovation participating in a Zoom meeting with staff from the Innovation Cluster Peterborough and The Kawarthas, which administers the pilot program with funding from RBC and the Ontario Trillium Foundation. (Photo courtesy of Innovation Cluster)

Ten more female entrepreneurs are going to benefit from the Innovation Cluster’s Women Breaking Barriers program.

On Tuesday (March 2), the Innovation Cluster announced the 10 participants in the second cohort of the six-month business acceleration program, which is designed specifically to support women in science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) and social innovation.

Statistics show that only four per cent of venture capital funding goes toward women-led companies. The situation is even worse for female founders of colour, who get less than one per cent of venture capital each year.

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Through the Women Breaking Barriers program, the Innovation Cluster is working to improve these numbers through training sessions, weekly mentorship with advisors, peer-to-peer learning, community networking, and more.

The 10 female entrepreneurs in the second cohort of the program are:

  • Catherine Howe, founder of Tamarack, an initiative that merges the farm-to-table movement with youth-based social agriculture and wellness mentorship.
  • Donna Enright, founder of ShopCloseBuy, an innovative community e-commerce and marketing platform.
  • Donna Masters, founder of Monketivity, a platform to provide transparent and factual information on health and wellness topics.
  • Joanne Ilaqua, founder of Mamasoup, a mobile app that provides a support ecosystem for mothers.
  • Kristen Corrigan, founder of Peer Support Online, an online platform for peer support moderated groups or one-to-one chat sessions.
  • Lee Hamr, who is creating a distribution system for cider apples and juice in Ontario while creating training opportunities for youth.
  • Maxyme Cloutier, founding member of Ghoster33 R&D Inc., which aims to create biodegradable smoking equipment.
  • Natalie Ambler, director at OptiSolve Ltd., which provides engineering technology to advance cleaning and disinfecting productivity for improved environmental health and safety.
  • Natalie Duncan, founder of Bug Mars, which aims to create self-sustained, modular, automated, and attractive cricket farms for a range of applications across home and commercial uses.
  • Nicole St.Denis, who is creating an interactive directory service website and mobile app platform where small and medium-sized businesses are banding together to end community hunger.
Related story

Innovation Cluster announces first 10 participants in Women Breaking Barriers program

Women Breaking Barriers is a one-year pilot program supported by RBC and the Ontario Trillium Foundation. The first six-month cohort of the program ran from September 2020 to February 2021. The first 10 participants were able to pitch their businesses to the Peterborough Region Angel Network, with multiple companies moving forward with discussions of investment.

One of the participants in the first cohort was Robin Linton, co-founder of Undu Wearables, which produces a modern wearable solution that leverages heat to combat pain caused by menstrual cramps.

“We launched our business during the fourth month,” Linton says. “The access to knowledge leaders, mentors with diverse experiences, templates, and resources all helped to successfully launch our business.”

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“To ask for help and to receive it, to talk about femtech and menstrual pain and not be met with uncomfortable faces, to be vulnerable and collaborative — these are just some of the invaluable benefits to working with women-identified folks in the inaugural cohort of this incredible accelerator program,” Linton adds.

Based on the program’s success to date, the Innovation Cluster hopes to be able to extend Women Breaking Barriers beyond the one-year pilot.

“This targeted programming is proving to be far more important for the female-led companies than we had even initially expected,” says Rosalea Terry, program lead and marketing manager and senior innovation specialist with the Innovation Cluster.

“This accelerator program is changing the lives of female founders and the trajectory of their companies,” she adds. “It does so by giving them easy access to financing, the proper resources to become successful, and a group of like-minded founders to weather the storm of entrepreneurship with.”

Fleming College president vows ‘harshest possible sanctions’ for students involved in COVID-19 outbreak

By kawarthaNOW -
All in-person classes and activities at the Sutherland Campus of Fleming College have been cancelled until March 15, 2021, affecting around 700 students, as the result of a COVID-19 outbreak originating at Severn Court Student Residence. The privately owned student housing complex is across the road from the Sutherland Campus and many of the 200 students living there attend Fleming College. (Photo: Fleming College / YouTube)

Fleming College intends to impose the “harshest possible sanctions” — up to and including suspension or expulsion — on the students who were involved in the social gatherings at Severn Court Student Residence on February 20 that has resulted in the largest-ever COVID-19 outbreak in the Peterborough area.

The college’s president Maureen Adamson made the statement in a letter sent to all college staff and students on Wednesday (March 3).

“To the students who were part of the unauthorized gatherings, we are extremely disappointed in your actions,” Adamson writes. “Your behaviours are inconsistent with our values and with our expectations of all our students, regardless of the fact that these actions took place in an off-campus setting.”

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As of Tuesday (March 2), 34 people — including 29 Fleming College students and five Trent University students — have tested positive for COVID-19 as a result of social gatherings at Severn Court Student Residence, which is privately owned and operated and not affiliated with Fleming College. Around 200 students live at the six-building housing complex.

The outbreak has resulted in Fleming College cancelling all in-person classes and activities at the Sutherland Campus until Monday, March 15th, affecting around 700 students.

“For those students who are proven to have been involved in the gatherings of February 20 that led to the outbreak, we intend to impose the harshest possible sanctions allowed under our Student Rights and Responsibilities Policy in proportion to the role played by each participant,” Adamson writes. “This could include penalties up to and including suspension or expulsion.”

Adamson writes the college continues to cooperated with Peterborough Public Health’s investigation into the outbreak, “and will offer our full cooperation with Peterborough Police Service should that become necessary.”

According to Peterborough Public Health, the students who attended the social gatherings are enrolled in trades programs and health care worker programs, primarily personal support worker programs, leading to a further rebuke from Adamson.

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“For those students training for careers in healthcare professions, there are even higher expectations and professional standards that are expected to be upheld,” Adamson writes. “It is obvious that a group of students chose to behave in an irresponsible manner that has put many members of our community at risk.”

“The vast majority of our students have adhered to safe practice guidelines for almost one full year,” Adamson adds. “We have not had a case of COVID-19 transmission occur at any of our campuses. This makes the behaviour of this small group of students even more disheartening and the apparent lack of the attention to safety protocols at a large complex populated by students so upsetting.”

For students not involved in the gatherings who have been affected by the outbreak, Adamson states, “We pledge our full support to ensure the successful completion of your studies”, adding “We will offer additional academic and personal counselling services and we will ensure that all learning outcomes for your program are achieved without extending the semester.”

“We recognize that the general public and our valued partners are also very disappointed,” Adamson concludes. “As we take action to investigate and hold those responsible accountable for their actions, we must also come together to support each other.”

Ontario reports 966 new COVID-19 cases, including 18 in greater Kawarthas region

By kawarthaNOW -
As of March 2, 2021, there have been 34 positive cases among Fleming College and Trent University students in a COVID-19 outbreak that originated from social gatherings at Severn Court Student Residence in Peterborough. (Photo: Severn Court Management Company)

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

Today, Ontario is reporting 966 new cases, with the seven-day average of daily cases decreasing by 1 to 1,098. There are 7 new cases of the B.1.1.7 UK variant, for a total of 542, and no new cases of other variants of concern.

In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 18 new cases to report and an additional 12 cases resolved, with the number of active cases across the region increasing by 8 to 110. Most of the new cases and increase in active cases are in Peterborough, due to an outbreak at Severn Court Student Residence that has infected 34 students as of March 1.

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Most of today’s new cases are in Toronto (253) and Peel (223).

There are double-digit increases in York (99), Ottawa (64), Waterloo (46), Thunder Bay (39), Simcoe Muskoka (36), Durham (34), Halton (32), Windsor-Essex (23), Hamilton (23), Sudbury (19), Brant (13), Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (13), and Lambton (11), with smaller increases in Eastern Ontario (7) and Middlesex-London (6).

The remaining 17 health units are reporting 5 or fewer new cases, with 8 health units reporting no new cases at all.

Of today’s new cases, 59% are among people 39 and younger, with the highest number of cases (389) among people ages 20-39 followed by 249 cases among people ages 40-59.

With 979 more cases resolved since yesterday, the percentage of resolved cases remains unchanged at 94.2%. The average positivity rate across Ontario has decreased by 0.2% from yesterday to 2.9%, meaning that 29 out of every 1,000 tests performed were positive for COVID-19 on March 1.

Ontario is reporting 11 new COVID-19 deaths today, including 2 new deaths in a long-term care homes. Ontario has averaged 16 new daily deaths over the past week (no change from yesterday).

Hospitalizations have increased by 17 from yesterday to 677, with the number of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs increasing by 4 from yesterday to 284, and the number of patients with COVID-19 on ventilators increasing by 14 from yesterday to 189.

A total of 30,767 tests were completed yesterday, with the backlog of tests under investigation increasing by 17,658 to 31,074.

A total of 727,021 doses of vaccine have now been administered, an increase of 22,326 from yesterday, with 264,896 people fully vaccinated with both doses of vaccine, an increase of 1,682 from yesterday, representing 1.80% of Ontario’s population.

An estimated 70-90% of the population must be immunized to achieve herd immunity; at the current vaccination rate (0.1% per day), it will take more than 22 months for Ontario to vaccinate 70% of the population.

There are 262 new cases in Ontario schools, an increase of 146 from yesterday, including 231 student cases, 30 staff cases and 1 case among an unidentified person. There are 41 new cases in licensed child care settings in Ontario, an increase of 28 from yesterday, with 33 cases among children and 8 cases among staff. Note: cases reported on Tuesdays include the total number of cases reported from Friday afternoon to Monday afternoon.

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In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 18 new cases to report, including 14 in Peterborough, 3 in Hastings Prince Edward, and 1 in Kawartha Lakes. There are no new cases in Northumberland or Haliburton.

Most of the new cases in Peterborough are related to a COVID-19 outbreak that originated from social gatherings at Severn Court Student Residence in Peterborough. As of March 2, there have been 34 positive cases among Fleming College and Trent University students.

An additional 12 cases have been resolved, including 4 in Northumberland, 4 in Peterborough, 2 in Kawartha Lakes, and 2 in Hastings Prince Edward.

There are currently 110 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, an increase of 8 from yesterday, including 62 in Peterborough, 21 in Hastings Prince Edward (1 in Quinte West, 14 in Belleville, 4 in Tyendinaga & Deseronto, 2 in Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory), 17 in Northumberland, and 10 in Kawartha Lakes. There are no active cases in Haliburton.

Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 670 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (599 resolved with 9 deaths), 537 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (485 resolved with 55 deaths), 444 in Northumberland County (416 resolved with 11 deaths), 51 in Haliburton County (51 resolved with no deaths), and 421 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (394 resolved with 6 deaths). The most recent 2 deaths were reported in Kawartha Lakes on February 23.

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: 670 (increase of 14)*
Confirmed variants of concern cases: 1 (no change)
Presumed variants of concern cases: 18 (increase of 18)
Active cases: 62 (increase of 12)
Close contacts: 217 (increase of 3)
Deaths: 9 (no change)
Resolved: 599 (increase of 4)
Hospitalizations (total to date): 24 (no change)**
Total tests completed: Over 43,700 (increase of 50)
Outbreaks: Empress Gardens retirement home, Severn Court Student Residence (no change)
Vaccine doses administered: 1,136 (no change)

*Most of today’s new cases are related to an outbreak at Severn Court Student Residence.

**As of March 1, Peterborough Regional Health Centre is reporting fewer than 5 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 (no change) and 17 patients transferred from other areas as a result of a provincial directive (no change).

 

Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit

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

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

Confirmed positive: 1,032, including 537 in Kawartha Lakes, 444 in Northumberland, and 51 in Haliburton (increase of 1 in Kawartha Lakes)*
Cases with N501Y mutation: 14, including 2 in Kawartha Lakes and 12 in Northumberland (increase of 2 in Northumberland)**
Active cases: 27, including 10 in Kawartha Lakes and 17 in Northumberland (decrease of 5, including 1 in Kawartha Lakes and 4 in Northumberland)
Probable cases: 0 (decrease of 1 in Northumberland)
High-risk contacts: 100, including 43 in Kawartha Lakes, 53 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton (net decrease of 3)***
Hospitalizations (total to date): 44, including 27 in Kawartha Lakes, 15 in Northumberland, and 2 in Haliburton (no change)****
Deaths (including among probable cases): 66, including 55 in Kawartha Lakes and 11 in Northumberland (no change)
Resolved: 952, including 485 in Kawartha Lakes, 416 in Northumberland, 51 in Haliburton (increase of 6, including 2 in Kawartha Lakes and 4 in Northumberland)
Tests completed: 144,365 (increase of 1,297)
Outbreaks: Regency long-term care home in Port Hope (no change)

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

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

***This total includes an additional 3 high-risk contacts directly followed up through the Public Health Ontario contact tracing process that are missing the contacts’ county.

****As of March 2, Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay reports no patients hospitalized with COVID-19 (decrease of 1).

 

Hastings Prince Edward Public Health

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

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

Confirmed positive: 421 (increase of 3)
Active cases: 21 (increase of 1)
Deaths: 6 (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: 394 (increase of 2)
Tests completed: 66,284 (increase of 44)
Vaccines administered: 2,186 (no change)
Outbreaks: Unidentified workplace in Central Hastings, unidentified workplace in Belleville (no change)

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Province of Ontario

Confirmed positive: 302,805 (increase of 966)
Total COVID-19 variant cases: 542 of B.1.1.7 UK variant (increase of 7); 27 of B.1.351 South Africa variant (no change); 3 of P.1 Brazilian variant (no change)
7-day average of daily new cases: 1,098 (decrease of 1)
Resolved: 285,262 (increase of 979, 94.2% of all cases)
Positivity rate: 2.9% (decrease of 0.2%)
Hospitalizations: 677 (increase of 17)
Hospitalizations in ICU: 284 (increase of 4)
Hospitalizations in ICU on ventilator: 189 (increase of 14)
Deaths: 6,997 (increase of 11)
7-day average of daily new deaths: 16 (no change)
Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 3,867 (increase of 2)
Total tests completed: 11,110,935 (increase of 30,767)
Tests under investigation: 31,074 (increase of 17,658)
Vaccination doses administered: 727,021 (increase of 22,326)
People fully vaccinated (two doses): 264,896 (increase of 1,682), 1.80% of Ontario’s population (est. 70-90% required for herd immunity)

COVID-19 cases in Ontario from January 30 - March 1, 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 30 – March 1, 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 30 - March 1, 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 30 – March 1, 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 30 - March 1, 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 30 – March 1, 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 30 - March 1, 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 30 – March 1, 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 30 - March 1, 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 30 – March 1, 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.

Cases jump to 34 in COVID-19 outbreak at Severn Court Student Residence in Peterborough

By Paul Rellinger -
Severn Court Student Residence at 555 Wilfred Drive in Peterborough provides off-campus student housing primarily to Fleming College students, as well as students of Seneca College Aviation and Trent University. (Photo: Severn Court Management Company)

A major COVID-19 outbreak at the Severn Court Student Residence in Peterborough has now resulted in 34 positive cases detected as of 10 a.m. Tuesday (March 2) — an increase of 11 in the last two days.

Twenty-nine of the 34 people who have tested positive are Fleming College students, while the remaining five are Trent University students who attended a gathering. Those five students are now self-isolating at Trent’s Otonabee College.

Of particular concern is three of the cases screening positive for a much more transmissible COVID-19 variant of concern, although the specific variant or variants involved are yet to be determined.

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During a Peterborough Public Health media briefing held Tuesday, medical officer of health Dr. Rosana Salvaterra said the Severn Court outbreak — the largest COVID-19 outbreak in the Peterborough region to date — has also led to the monitoring of some 200 identified close contacts of the positive cases.

The outbreak is connected to at least one large gatherings held at the privately owned student housing complex on Saturday, February 20th.

“We’re getting reports that there were actually several parties in several of the buildings,” said Dr. Salvaterra, adding “We understand they were students who are in trades programs and students in health care worker programs, which is very disappointing.”

Severn Court Student Residence is located in a neighbourhood directly across from Fleming College in Peterborough. Approximately 200 students live in six separate buildings at the privately owned housing complex. (Photo: Google Maps)
Severn Court Student Residence is located in a neighbourhood directly across from Fleming College in Peterborough. Approximately 200 students live in six separate buildings at the privately owned housing complex. (Photo: Google Maps)

A Section 22 class order issued by Dr. Salvaterra has closed the six-building Wilfred Drive student residence to visitors and requires by law that all those living at the 200-student complex self-isolate. Meanwhile all in-person instruction of some 700 students at Fleming’s Sutherland Campus has been suspended.

“This order defines two groups and requires them to follow specific instructions,” explained Dr. Salvaterra.

“Group A consists of the known positive cases and high risk contacts. They are required to stay in their rooms. No exceptions. Arrangements have been made to provide them with food and other necessities. Our public health nurses call them every day to check in on them and monitor symptoms.”

“Group B is all the other residents who live there (Severn Court Student Residence). The order requires them to self-isolate and only leave their rooms to get food or medication. This group will be tested by paramedics once the surveillance testing has been set up on site.”

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Speaking to whether or not charges will be laid against the organizer or organizers of the February social gathering, Dr. Salvaterra said she hasn’t “ruled that out”.

“It will depend on the information we receive from cases and contacts,” she added. “We’re getting more information as the days progress and at some point we may have enough in order to ask the police to intervene.”

Key to any charges being laid, Dr. Salvaterra said, is “enough consistent information” coming forward.

“With this many people, we are getting lots of conflicting information,” Dr. Salvaterra explained.

“Although I am disappointed and can sometimes feel angry, especially when I read some of the social media posts, these students are not typical of the students at Fleming and Trent,” she pointed out. “This is really the actions of a few. If we can identify the people who are responsible for hosting the party, we do have the tools to take action and we will not hesitate.”

“In order to change behaviour, you need more than education,” she added. “There’s a role for enforcement. Given that we’re a year into this pandemic, the time is for enforcement.”

Board of health chair and Selwyn mayor Andy Mitchell was particularly scathing of those who organized or attended the Severn Court gathering.

“I imagine their decision to ignore the rules around masking, the disregard for the need to physically distance, and to pay not attention to the importance of limiting indoor social gatherings didn’t seem like a dangerous thing to do,” Mitchell said. “They were wrong; they were very wrong.”

“What are the consequences? Thirty-four new cases in our community and more sure to come. The spreading of variants of concern into the broader community. The Sutherland Campus at Fleming closed. Placing at risk people they care about. Taking public health resources away from vaccine rollout. If this outbreak requires an escalation in our threat level, it will mean more restrictions for all of us. Our actions have consequences.”

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One of those consequences, acknowledged Dr. Salvaterra, could be the Ontario government placing the entire region into a more restrictive level of its COVID-19 response framework. That’s not to mention the potential of many more positive cases connected to the outbreak that have not yet been detected.

“That is still a possibility and only time will tell,” she said of the possibility of more cases. “Is this the tip of the iceberg? That’s my worry. We will only know as more people are tested and more results are obtained.”

As for the COVID-19 response framework, which currently sees the region at the “Yellow-Protect” level, a downgrade to the more prohibitive “Orange-Restrict” level requires, as one of the measuring sticks, a weekly positive incidence rate between 25 and 39 new cases. A weekly incidence rate in excess of 40 or more would be a precursor to placement at the “Red-Control” level.

Dr. Salvaterra added a big concern is how many of the positive cases and close contacts circulated in the Peterborough community between February 20th and February 25th, when the first positive cases associated with the gathering was confirmed.

“We could have had a lot of spread occurring before people were aware,” she warned.

Meanwhile, in a written statement, Peterborough-Kawartha MP Maryam Monsef decried the “careless choices” made by those who organized and attended the Severn Court gathering.

Switching topics, Dr. Salvaterra spoke to Peterborough Public Health’s communication with health care practitioners on the vaccination of patients 80 years old and older who are living in the community, as opposed to a congregate senior setting or long-term care home. She said an advisory was issued to doctors on Tuesday morning.

“Those who are considered special populations — if they have allergies to medicine or immune system compromised — can be reaching out to their health care providers now and asking to have a consultation about the vaccine and whether it’s right for them,” explained Peterborough Public Health communications manager Brittany Cadence.

“The other thing the can do is find out who can help them with booking a vaccine appointment, if they don’t have an email address or using a computer poses any challenge. There will be a phone system that people can book appointments through. If they need help now is the time identify who can help them.”

“We understand from the Ministry of Health that the online COVax booking system will be ready on March 15th, which we hope to open up to those who are over 80 (years old),” Cadence added.

Restaurants and bars in Peterborough region can now only seat people from the same household at a table

By kawarthaNOW -

Already struggling with the impact of the pandemic, restaurants and bars in the Peterborough region have received another hit.

In the wake of an COVID-19 outbreak among some Fleming College and Trent University students and an increase in variants of concern, Peterborough Public Health has implemented additional public health measures that require residents who dine out at restaurants and bars to only do so with members of their own household, unless they are an essential caregiver for someone in that household or if they live alone and are joining one other household.

“Dining out with only with household members is essential in order for all individuals to comply with provincial legislation requiring all of us to maintain two metres distance from anyone we don’t live with,” says medical officer of health Dr. Rosana Salvaterra. “We urgently need residents to adhere to this requirement immediately and to be prepared to attest that they are following it when going out to local restaurants and bars.”

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On Monday (March 1), Dr. Salvaterra issued a letter of instruction to all food premises, requiring them to collect and record the following information for every patron seated in an indoor or outdoor eating or drinking area:

  • First and last name.
  • Telephone number of alternate contact information, such as an email address or physical address.
  • Date of attendance, including time of arrival and time of departure.
  • Table number, or the specific location of the patron’s table at the establishment.
  • Verbal attestation from each patron that they are not experiencing COVID-19 symptoms (this does not include symptoms related to a chronic condition).
  • Verbal attestation that the patron is sitting with household members only, is an essential caregiver for that household, or lives alone and is joining that household.
A poster supplied by Peterborough Public Health for area restaurants. (Graphic: Peterborough Public Health)
A poster supplied by Peterborough Public Health for area restaurants. (Graphic: Peterborough Public Health)

If patrons refuse to provide this information, the health unit is instructing restaurants not to serve, seat, or permit them to enter dining areas. Patrons who provide false information to a restaurant may be subject to fines under the Reopening Ontario Act, according to the health unit.

The new measures, which take effect on Friday, March 5th, are in addition to existing provincial requirements for restaurants in regions in the “Yellow-Protect” level of Ontario’s COVID-19 response framework. These include seating a maximum of six people at a table and configuring tables so that each table is a minimum of two metres from another or is separated by an impermeable barrier (such as plexiglas).

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The new public health measures come days after a large COVID-19 outbreak at the privately owned Severn Court Student Residence near Fleming College in Peterborough. As of March 2, there are 34 cases including 29 Fleming College students and five Trent University students. Three of the cases have tested positive for a COVID-19 variant of concern.

The health unit also says that contact tracing has revealed non-household close contacts related to local food establishments since dining areas were permitted to reopen on February 16.

For more information, including a copy of the letter of instruction to food premises and templates restaurants can use to collect required information, visit peterboroughpublichealth.ca/public-health-orders/.

 

PDF: Peterborough Public Health Letter of instruction to food premises (March 1, 2021)
Peterborough Public Health Letter of instruction to food premises (March 1, 2021)

Monarch Ultra returns in September with 1,800-kilometre relay run across southern Ontario

By kawarthaNOW -
Carlotta James, co-founder and project director of the Monarch Ultra Relay Run, running across the Doube's Trestle Bridge on the Trans Canada Trail east of Omemee, part of the 1,800-kilometre route of the Monarch Ultra Relay Run taking place in September 2021 to raise awareness of plight of monarch butterfly and funds for Camp Kawartha's environmental programs for youth. (Photo: Rodney Fuentes)

The Monarch Ultra Relay Run will return in September with a 21-day run across southern Ontario to raise awareness about the plight and flight of monarch butterflies, and ultra runners are invited to take part.

The inaugural run took place in fall 2019, when 46 ultra runners ran the monarch butterfly’s migratory route from Peterborough, Canada to Macheros, Mexico — an epic distance of more than 4,000 kilometres — in seven weeks. Along the way, they raised international awareness of the need to protect monarchs whose populations are in steep decline due to climate change, habitat loss, and pesticide use.

Due to the pandemic, this year’s run will take place only in southern Ontario but, at 1,800 kilometres, will be Canada’s longest relay run. The route will takes runners through cities and towns, greenways, and lakeshores along the Trans Canada Trail and the Waterfront Trail.

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“This multi-day running adventure invites participants to traverse rural and urban landscapes, while it’s the journey and not the destination that matters most for this year’s relay run,” says Carlotta James, Monarch Ultra’s co-founder and project director.

Ultra runners will depart Peterborough on Sunday, September 19th and head southwest to Toronto, Burlington, Hamilton, St. Catharines, and Niagara Falls, before looping back around towards London, Cambridge and Kitchener, and ending in Barrie on Saturday, October 9th.

Each day, the Monarch Ultra team will cover 80 kilometres, with four running segments available per day (two segments of 30 kilometres and two segments of 50 kilometres).

The route for the 1,800-kilometre 2021 Monarch Ultra Relay Run begins in Peterborough on September 19 and ends in Barrie on October 9. (Map: Monarch Ultra)
The route for the 1,800-kilometre 2021 Monarch Ultra Relay Run begins in Peterborough on September 19 and ends in Barrie on October 9. (Map: Monarch Ultra)

All donations raised through the relay run will go directly to Camp Kawartha, a non-profit organization that offers nature education and environmental stewardship for youth.

“Camp Kawartha is just delighted to partner with the Monarch Ultra,” says Jacob Rodenburg, executive director of Camp Kawartha.

“Teaching children about the remarkable journey these beautiful winged beings take helps us to understand how interconnected the natural world really is. Protecting monarchs means protecting monarch habitat and habitat for other pollinators. And that in turn means healthier ecosystems for all living things.”

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The Monarch Ultra team, comprised entirely of volunteers, is building partnerships with conservation organizations, schools, and municipalities to host community events and cheer the runners as they pass through dozens of cities. In addition to raising awareness about the monarch’s plight, the team is on a mission to inspire communities to create native gardens for pollinators.

“In our pursuit to raise awareness about the ecological challenges taking place in Canada and around the world, we have a responsibility to show that we care about nature and will protect it,” James says. “Through the Monarch Ultra, we have an opportunity to amplify our message for conservation action and to restore pollinator habitat across southern Ontario before it’s too late.”

The Monarch Ultra team will adhere to all COVID-19 health and safety protocols during the 21-day running event. Each segment will have a maximum of two physically distanced runners, and the support crew will be following all safety guidelines.

Runners in Guanajuato, Mexico during the Monarch Ultra Relay Run in fall of 2019. Due to the pandemic, the 2021 Monarch Ultra Relay Run will adhere to all COVID-19 health and safety protocols during the 21-day running event. Each segment will have a maximum of two physically distanced runners, and the support crew will be following all safety guidelines. (Photo: Rodney Fuentes)
Runners in Guanajuato, Mexico during the Monarch Ultra Relay Run in fall of 2019. Due to the pandemic, the 2021 Monarch Ultra Relay Run will adhere to all COVID-19 health and safety protocols during the 21-day running event. Each segment will have a maximum of two physically distanced runners, and the support crew will be following all safety guidelines. (Photo: Rodney Fuentes)

Depending on the status of the pandemic in the fall, the team also hopes to meet with students and teachers to encourage them to run for monarch butterflies and to plant pollinator gardens through the Mini-Monarch Ultra program. The team also plans to meet with mayors and politicians along the route to share the message of conservation and climate action.

There are 84 spots available for runners during the Monarch Ultra Relay Run. Runners who want to participate can register now at raceroster.com/events/2021/40048/monarch-ultra-relay-run.

For more information on the run, visit themonarchultra.com/relay-run.html or email Carlotta James at themonarchultra@gmail.com.

Peterborough Musicfest partners with Showplace to present virtual country music double bill on March 27

By Paul Rellinger -
Canadian country music duo The Reklaws, who have performed at Peterborough Musifest three times, are returning to Peterborough to perform a virtual concert live from Showplace Performance Centre on March 27, 2021. The free 'PMF Live At Home' event will also feature special guest James Barker live from Nashville. (Photo courtesy Universal Music Canada)

While no definitive record exists, it’s a pretty safe bet that the words “See you next summer” were spoken from Del Crary Park’s Fred Anderson Stage on Saturday, August 17, 2019 after the final concert of Peterborough Musicfest’s 33rd season.

After all, there was absolutely no reason to believe that Peterborough Musicfest wouldn’t return for its 34th season in the summer of 2020. Since 1987, the free admission concert series had been right as rain — a welcome given on the summer things-to-do list of thousands of live music fans, both local and from out of town.

But in March 2019, the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic and its associated lockdown restrictions put the brakes on all events to come, Musicfest included. For the first time since festival founder Fred Anderson brought free music concerts to the masses, Del Crary Park would be eerily quiet each Wednesday and Saturday night in July and August.

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“I was very sad for a couple of months,” recalls Musicfest general manager Tracey Randall of what followed when she realized the 2020 season would be a no-go. “Music brings soul to Peterborough. The city has so many arts venues and spaces and places to go to see theatre and hear music … people jamming on the streets and in the bars. To not have that anywhere hurt Peterborough.”

With the prospect of Musicfest returning to Del Crary Park this coming summer still very much uncertain, Randall and her team have embraced what has become the buzzword of the pandemic: pivot.

So it is that, on Saturday, March 27th at 8 p.m., Peterborough Musicfest will present “Live At Home” via Zoom, headlined by The Reklaws — siblings Stuart and Jenna Walker — performing on stage at Showplace Performance Centre, joined from Nashville by special guest James Barker.

VIDEO: Peterborough Musicfest Live At Home announcement

New batch of tickets added!

PMF Live at Home with The Reklaws and Special Guest James Barker (solo) “sold out” within 36 hours. A new batch of tickets has been added but, unlike the original Zoom tickets, they do not include the interactive Zoom functions or the 30-minute conversation with The Reklaws at the end of the concert.

Packaged and produced by local filmmaker and music photographer Michael Hurcomb, and emceed by the always-entertaining Megan Murphy, access to the event, in keeping with Musicfest’s mandate, will be free — but is limited to 999 people as Zoom can only accommodate a maximum of 1,000 people.

The final half hour of the event will be dedicated to “An Intimate Conversation With Jen and Stu of The Reklaws”, during which the duo will interact with, and answer questions from, those logged on for the event.

Event tickets are available at www.sidedooraccess.com, an online service started by British Columbia-based singer/songwriter Dan Mangan as a way to help some of his musical friends connect more broadly with audiences.

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That platform is also being used to facilitate the Zoom broadcast that, according to Musicfest marketing and communications specialist Justin Sutton, will offer a unique capability.

“The Reklaws will see their fans on screen from the stage and be able to communicate with them,” Sutton explains. “They’ll be able to see their happy faces and can talk to them when they want to. So they’ll actually be performing to human beings, which is kind of neat because a regular live stream broadcast through YouTube or whatever is one way. There’s not the same energy.”

Saying “We need a real pro at the helm”, because of the technical challenges the event poses, Sutton adds having Hurcomb involved is key.

“We don’t want to present a sort of no-frills performance from somebody’s bedroom. We want a real show — a high-quality nice-looking show. We think we’ve hired one of the best there is.”

James Barker, frontman of the Juno-winning namesake band, is a native of Woodville, northwest of Lindsay. He will join the Peterborough Musifest 'PMF Live At Home' virtual concert on March 27, 2021 from his home studio in Nashville. (Photo courtesy Universal Music Canada)
James Barker, frontman of the Juno-winning namesake band, is a native of Woodville, northwest of Lindsay. He will join the Peterborough Musifest ‘PMF Live At Home’ virtual concert on March 27, 2021 from his home studio in Nashville. (Photo courtesy Universal Music Canada)

In The Reklaws and James Barker, country music fans will receive a double dose of two of the hottest and most successful Canadian acts in recent years.

After scoring their first hit in 2017 with Hometown Kids, the Reklaws’ 2018 debut EP Feels Like That — powered by the chart-topping title single — brought the duo a Juno Award nomination for Country Album of the Year and the Rising Star Award from the Canadian Country Music Association.

Since then, The Reklaws have released two full-length albums, the latest being 2020’s Sophomore Slump, which has spawned the Top 10 singles “Where I’m From” and “Not Gonna Not”.

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As for James Barker, who hails from Woodville northwest of Lindsay and fronts the band that bears his name, he too has been multi-awarded, including two 2018 Juno Award nominations for Breakthrough Group of the Year and Country Album of the Year for the band’s debut EP Game On, taking home the statue for the second. The chart-topping single “Chills” from the same EP got the Single of The Year nod from the Canadian Country Music Awards.

The band’s second EP Singles Only brought forth the monster hits “Good Together”, “There’s a Drink For That””, and “Keep It Simple”. Last year, the band released its third EP JBB-Sides with the singles “Slow Down Town” and “Summer Time”.

In The Reklaws, Musicfest is welcoming back an act Randall terms “a part of our family.” This will mark the siblings’ fourth Musicfest appearance in five years. As for Barker, his appearance marks a coup of sorts. Randall has tried for several years to bring him to the Fred Anderson Stage but various factors have impeded that effort.

VIDEO: “Where I’m From” – The Reklaws

PMF Live At Home, stresses Randall, wouldn’t be remotely possible without the continued support of Musicfest sponsors combined with funding from all three levels of government.

“We’re very thankful for sponsors who stuck it out and gave us money in 2020 and have said they don’t want it back,” she says. “They (the sponsors) are wanting us back. They are there to support our community and bring free music. We will continue to do that because that’s our mandate and that’s what our sponsors expect of us.”

While PMF Live At Home will satisfy the live music experience hunger of many, the event will serve another important purpose, notes Sutton.

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“We’re in this for the long haul,” he says. “We intend to survive this (the pandemic) and come back and be bigger and better and stronger. We’re doing everything we can to keep Fred’s vision alive until we’re back live in the park. In the meantime, we’re embracing the digital world and trying to find new and interesting ways to bring people music in other forms.”

Randall fully concurs, saying “This keeps keep our brand alive and lets people know that we’re still here.”

That said, she adds there’s also the benefit of involving her team in something tangible again.

VIDEO: “Keep It Simple” – James Barker Band

“We live for the live experience,” says Sutton, who will mark two years with Musicfest this April, working side-by-side with events coordinator Emily St. Pierre and administrative assistant Amanda Meekin.

“Not being able to bring that to people has been very hard on us. Doing a livestream event isn’t what we’re known for, but we think we have something unique to offer.”

As for Musicfest presenting a summer concert series in 2021, be it a full season or an abbreviated one, that’s at the mercy of the pandemic and related restrictions on public gatherings.

Randall, meanwhile, isn’t ruling out the possibility of a shorter fall season “as long as people are okay with wearing a jacket.”

“We will survive. We have a lot of people behind us and we have an amazing team. We know that our audience believes in us. In the meantime, we’re excited to bring music into people’s homes.”

Lindsay Brock sells The Edison Espresso and Pastry Bar in Peterborough to Tracey Ormond

By kawarthaNOW -
Local entrepreneur Tracey Ormond (left) has purchased The Edison Espresso and Pastry Bar in downtown Peterborough from Lindsay Brock, who founded the popular coffee shop in 2018. Ormond will reopen The Edison with a new menu on March 8, 2021, while Brock will continue to supply The Edison with coffee bean blends through her new business Covet Coffee & Tea. (Photo courtesy of Lindsay Brock and Tracey Ormond)

Coffee connoisseur Lindsay Brock has sold The Edison Espresso and Pastry Bar in downtown Peterborough to local entrepreneur Tracey Ormond.

The two women announced the deal on Tuesday (March 2).

Brock has successfully operated the popular coffee shop, located in the lobby of the VentureNorth building at 270 George Street North, since she founded it in 2018.

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She says the decision to sell her business is related to her “compromised health, compounded by the pandemic.”

“Continuing operations wasn’t realistic for me,” Brock explains. “Tracey is the perfect fit, as she is well respected in the community and has the right mix of genuine warmth, personality, and passion to carry on the vision.”

Ormond is also the owner and operator of That’s A Wrap Catering and is known for her fresh, ready-to-eat meals. She is a past president of the Women’s Business Network of Peterborough.

“I look forward to starting this new venture and to continue the legacy of Lindsay’s vision,” Ormond says. “Even though I’m adding my own flavour, the great service, products, and friendly, inviting environment will remain the same.”

Ormond plans to reopen The Edison at 9 a.m. on Monday, March 8th with a new menu that will include fresh lunch and snacks, featuring a soup of the day, wraps, sandwiches, breakfast cookies, and scones, as well as a few other customer favourites.

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Brock, who sells coffee beans through her new business Covet Coffee & Tea, will continue to supply The Edison with its popular bean blends.

“I want to thank all of my patrons who have supported me and The Edison since day one,” Brock says.

For more information about The Edison Espresso and Pastry Bar, contact Tracey Ormond at tracey@thatsawrapcatering.ca or 705-768-7168.

For more information about Covet Coffee & Tea, visit covetcoffeeandtea.com.

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