Before a teleconference with Ontario municipal leaders and mayors on February 26, 2021, Ontario Premier Doug Ford comments on Health Canada's approval of AstraZeneca's two COVID-19 vaccines. Later in the day, the province announced changes to the colour-coded levels for nine public health unit regions, including placing Thunder Bay and Simcoe-Muskoka into lockdown status. (CPAC screenshot)
For the time being, the three health units in the greater Kawarthas region are remaining in their existing colour-coded levels under Ontario’s COVID-19 response framework.
Two weeks after lifting the provincial lockdown, the Ontario government has reevaluated public health measures for each of the province’s 34 health units and is moving nine regions to new levels.
However, the three health units in the greater Kawarthas region are staying where they are. Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit remains in ‘Orange-Restrict’, Peterborough Public Health in ‘Yellow-Protect’, and Hastings Prince Edward in ‘Green-Prevent’.
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Under the changes announced on Friday (February 26), Ontario is activating its “emergency brake” response in Thunder Bay District Health Unit and Simcoe-Muskoka District Health Unit, moving the two regions to ‘Grey-Lockdown’ to immediately interrupt transmission and contain community spread.
The announcement came hours after Premier Doug Ford commented on Health Canada’s approval of AstraZeneca’s two COVID-19 vaccines, prior to a teleconference with Ontario municipal leaders and mayors on the province’s vaccine distribution plan.
“While we continue to see the number of cases and other public health indicators lowering in many regions across the province, the recent modelling shows us that we must be nimble and put in place additional measures to protect Ontarians and stop the spread of COVID-19,” said health minister Christine Elliott.
The decision to apply the “emergency brake” in Thunder Bay and Simcoe-Muskoka, made in consultation with the local medical officers of health, is due to a rapid worsening in key public health indicators, including a spike in new cases over the past few days in Thunder Bay as well as a high presence of variants in Simcoe-Muskoka that continue to increase. As of February 23, there has been a total of 170 confirmed cases of a variant of concern in Simcoe-Muskoka.
“With COVID-19 variants continuing to spread in our communities, it is critically important that everyone continues strictly adhering to all public health and workplace safety measures to help contain the virus and maintain the progress we have made to date,” Elliott said.
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Based on the latest data, the following public health regions will move from their current level in the framework to the following levels effective Monday, March 1st at 12:01 a.m.:
Grey-Lockdown
Simcoe-Muskoka District Health Unit
Thunder Bay District Health Unit
Red-Control
Niagara Region Public Health
Orange-Restrict
Chatham-Kent Public Health
Middlesex-London Health Unit
Southwestern Public Health
Yellow-Protect
Haldimand-Norfolk Health Unit
Huron Perth Public Health
Green-Prevent
Grey Bruce Health Unit
In Peel Public Health, Toronto Public Health, and North Bay Parry Sound District, the shutdown measures and the stay-at-home order will continue to apply until at least Monday, March 8th, with final decisions to be based on key public health indicators and consultation with the local medical officers of health.
Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.
Today, Ontario is reporting 1,258 new cases, the highest single day increase since February 13 when 1,300 cases were reported. The seven-day average of daily cases has increased by 15 to 1,114.
Ontario is reporting 28 new cases of the B.1.1.7 UK variant, for a total of 477, as well as 3 new cases of the B.1.351 South Africa variant, for a total of 14.
In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 22 new cases to report with an additional 8 cases resolved, with the number of active cases across the region increasing by 11 to 91.
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Most of today’s new cases are in Toronto (362), Peel (274), and York (104).
There are double-digit increases in Waterloo (69), Hamilton (64), Ottawa (52), Thunder Bay (42), Durham (42), Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (35), Halton (32), Windsor-Essex (31), Simcoe Muskoka (25), Niagara (19), Brant (17), Eastern Ontario (11), Renfrew (10), and Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge (10), with smaller increases in Southwestern (9) and Lambton (6).
The remaining 15 health units are reporting 5 or fewer new cases, with only 1 health unit (Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington) reporting no new cases at all.
Of today’s new cases, 56% are among people 39 and younger, with the highest number of cases (477) among people ages 20-39, followed by 355 cases among people ages 40-59.
With 1,007 more cases resolved since yesterday, the percentage of resolved cases has decreased by 0.1% at 94.2%. The average positivity rate across Ontario has increased by 0.3% from yesterday to 2.3%, meaning that 23 out of every 1,000 tests performed were positive for COVID-19 on February 25.
Ontario is reporting 28 new COVID-19 deaths today, with no new deaths in long-term care homes. Ontario has averaged 18 new daily deaths over the past week, a decrease of 2 from yesterday.
Hospitalizations have decreased by 4 from yesterday to 683, with the number of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs increasing by 1 to 284, and the number of patients with COVID-19 on ventilators increasing by 11 to 193.
A total of 64,049 tests were completed yesterday, with the backlog of tests under investigation decreasing by 5,137 to 35,502.
A total of 643,765 doses of vaccine have now been administered, an increase of 21,805 from yesterday, with 258,014 people fully vaccinated with both doses of vaccine, an increase of 2,565 from yesterday, representing 1.75% of Ontario’s population. An estimated 70-90% of the population must be immunized to achieve herd immunity.
There are 101 new cases in Ontario schools, an increase of 18 from yesterday, including 89 student cases and 12 staff cases. There are 29 new cases in licensed child care settings in Ontario, an increase of 4 from yesterday, with 20 cases among children and 9 cases among staff.
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In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 22 new cases to report, including 9 in Peterborough (a net increase of 7 new cases, as two previously reported cases have been removed from the total case count), 5 in Kawartha Lakes, 5 in Northumberland, and 3 in Hastings Prince Edward. There are no new cases to report in Haliburton.
An outbreak at Empress Gardens retirement home in Peterborough was declared on February 26.
An additional 8 cases have been resolved, including 3 in Northumberland, 2 in Kawartha Lakes, 2 in Hastings Prince Edward, and 1 in Peterborough.
There are currently 91 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, an increase of 11 from yesterday, including 37 in Peterborough, 23 in Northumberland, 16 in Hastings Prince Edward (2 in Quinte West, 6 in Belleville, 5 in Tyendinaga & Deseronto, 2 in Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory, 1 in Central Hastings), and 15 in Kawartha Lakes. There are no active cases in Haliburton.
Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 628 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (582 resolved with 9 deaths), 537 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (480 resolved with 55 deaths), 441 in Northumberland County (407 resolved with 11 deaths), 51 in Haliburton County (51 resolved with no deaths), and 409 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (387 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).
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: 628 (increase of 7)* Variants of concern cases: 1 (no change) Active cases: 37 (increase of 6) Close contacts: 152 (increase of 13) Deaths: 9 (no change) Resolved: 582 (increase of 1) Hospitalizations (total to date): 24 (no change)** Total tests completed: Over 43,300 (no change) Outbreaks: Buckhorn Day Care and Nursery School, Empress Gardens retirement home (increase of 1)*** Variants of concern cases: 1 (no change) Vaccine doses administered: 1,136 (no change)
*A total of 9 new cases have been reported, with 2 previously reported cases removed from the total, resulting in a net increase of 7 cases.
**As of February 26, 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).
***An outbreak at Empress Gardens retirement home in Peterborough was declared on February 26.
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: 1,029, including 537 in Kawartha Lakes, 441 in Northumberland, and 51 in Haliburton (increase of 10, including 5 in Kawartha Lakes and 5 in Northumberland)* Cases with N501Y mutation: 12, including 2 in Kawartha Lakes and 10 in Northumberland** Active cases: 38, including 15 in Kawartha Lakes and 23 in Northumberland (increase of 4, including 2 in Kawartha Lakes and 2 in Northumberland) Probable cases: 1 in Northumberland (no net change) High-risk contacts: 98, including 53 in Kawartha Lakes and 42 in Northumberland (net decrease of 41)*** 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: 938, including 480 in Kawartha Lakes, 407 in Northumberland, 51 in Haliburton (increase of 5, including 2 in Kawartha Lakes and 3 in Northumberland) Tests completed: 142,338 (increase of 756) Outbreaks: Caressant Care McLaughlin Road long-term care home in Lindsay, Regency long-term care home in Port Hope, Warkworth Place in Warkworth (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 February 26, Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay reports 1 patient 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: 409 (increase of 3) Active cases: 16 (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: 387 (increase of 2) Tests completed: 60,867 (increase of 1) Vaccines administered: 2,186 (increase of 160) Outbreaks: Unidentified workplace in Central Hastings (no change)
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Province of Ontario
Confirmed positive: 298,569 (increase of 1,258) 7-day average of daily new cases: 1,114 (increase of 15) Resolved: 281,331 (increase of 1,007, 94.2% of all cases) Positivity rate: 2.3% (increase of 0.3%) Hospitalizations: 683 (decrease of 4) Hospitalizations in ICU: 284 (increase of 1) Hospitalizations in ICU on ventilator: 193 (increase of 11) Deaths: 6,944 (increase of 28) 7-day average of daily new deaths: 18 (decrease of 2) Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 3,864 (no change) Total tests completed: 10,936,552 (increase of 64,049) Tests under investigation: 35,502 (decrease of 5,137) Vaccination doses administered: 643,765 (increase of 21,805) People fully vaccinated (two doses): 258,014 (increase of 2,565), 1.75% of Ontario’s population (est. 70-90% required for herd immunity) Total COVID-19 variant cases: 477 of B.1.1.7 UK variant (increase of 28); 14 of B.1.351 South Africa variant (increase of 3); 2 of P.1 Brazilian variant (no change)
COVID-19 cases in Ontario from January 26 – February 25, 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 26 – February 25, 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 26 – February 25, 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.comCOVID-19 deaths in Ontario from January 26 – February 25, 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 26 – February 25, 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)
The new docuseries "For Heaven's Sake" blends true crime and comedy as it explores what happened to 31-year-old Harold Heaven, who mysteriously disappeared from his Minden cabin in 1934 and was never heard from again. The series was written by and features amateur investigators, comedians, and best friends Mike Milden (who is Heaven's great-great nephew) and Jackson Rowe. (Supplied photo)
An 86-year-old mystery in Haliburton County is about to be solved — or not — in front of an international audience.
On Thursday, March 4th, the new docuseries For Heaven’s Sake comes to CBC Gem in Canada and Paramount+ (previously CBS All Access) in the U.S.
The eight-part series follows the search for Harold Heaven, a 31-year-old land prospector who disappeared without a trace from his cabin in Minden on October 29, 1934 and was never heard from again.
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The door to his cabin was found ajar, the keys still inside the lock, his laundry still soaking, and his oil lamp burnt out. The only items missing from the cabin were Heaven’s blue serge suit, black oxfords, a sweater, his fedora, and his new .22 rifle.
Local police and residents searched the bush and dredged the adjacent lake for Heaven, but found no clues. The OPP carried out investigations throughout the remainder of 1934, but the case went unsolved. While Heaven’s brothers continued the search for the rest of their lives, the case was closed as a likely suicide.
Until a few years ago, that is, when Heaven’s great-great nephew Mike Milden and his best friend Jackson Rowe became determined to solve the mystery of what happened.
VIDEO: “For Heaven’s Sake” Trailer
With the help of Milden’s extended family, neighbours, town locals, police reports from 1934, and old photographs, they dug deeply into why Heaven left his cabin so quickly.
And they literally dug deeply.
Heaven’s descendants have long believed his body is buried beside the property of a possible suspect mentioned in the OPP police reports from 1934. In February 2020, a ground-penetrating radar scan raised the possibility of a grave site being located in the area.
A headline story about Harold Heaven’s disappearance from the Hamilton Spectator on November 5, 1934. (Supplied photo)
But Milden and Rowe couldn’t move forward until the ground thawed — and then the COVID-19 pandemic hit and the accompanying provincial lockdowns led to a pause on their efforts.
Filmed partly in Minden, For Heaven’s Sake blends the true-crime documentary format with comedy for a unique take on uncovering the truth. As well as being amateur investigators, Milden and Rowe are both professional comedians in Toronto and cofounders of the comedy sketch troupe Trophy Husbands, whose award-winning material has been featured on Amazon Prime, Funny or Die, Just For Laughs, Huffington Post and more.
For your binging pleasure, all eight episodes of For Heaven’s Sake will premiere on CBC Gem and Paramount+ on Thursday, March 4th.
Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.
Today, Ontario is reporting 1,138 new cases, with the seven-day average of daily cases increasing by 15 to 1,099.
After no increases over the past few days, Ontario is reporting 54 new cases of the B.1.1.7 UK variant, for a total of 449, as well as 2 new cases of the B.1.351 South Africa variant (for a total of 11) and 1 new case of the P.1 Brazilian variant (for a total of 2).
In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 11 new cases to report with an additional 11 cases resolved. The number of active cases across the region remains unchanged at 80.
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Most of today’s new cases are in Toronto (388), Peel (204), and York (106).
There are double-digit increases in Ottawa (64), Waterloo (56), Thunder Bay (44), Simcoe Muskoka (44), Halton (40), Hamilton (37), Windsor-Essex (33), Durham (28), Eastern Ontario (20), Brant (19), Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (18), Niagara (12), and Southwestern (11), with smaller increases in Northwestern (9), Lambton (8), Sudbury (7), Huron Perth (6), and Middlesex-London (6).
The remaining 13 health units are reporting 5 or fewer new cases, with 4 health units reporting no new cases at all.
Of today’s new cases, 55% are among people 39 and younger, with the highest number of cases (422) among people ages 20-39, followed by 332 cases among people ages 40-59.
With 1,094 more cases resolved since yesterday, the percentage of resolved cases remains unchanged at 94.3%. The average positivity rate across Ontario has decreased by 0.4% from yesterday to 2.0%, meaning that 20 out of every 1,000 tests performed were positive for COVID-19 on February 24.
Ontario is reporting 23 new COVID-19 deaths today, including 4 in long-term care homes. Ontario has averaged 20 new daily deaths over the past week, a decrease of 3 from yesterday.
Hospitalizations have increased by 12 from yesterday to 687, with the number of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs decreasing by 4 to 283, and the number of patients with COVID-19 on ventilators remaining unchanged at 182.
A total of 66,351 tests were completed yesterday, with the backlog of tests under investigation decreasing by 612 to 40,639.
A total of 621,960 doses of vaccine have now been administered, an increase of 19,112 from yesterday, with 255,449 people fully vaccinated with both doses of vaccine, an increase of 3,859 from yesterday, representing 1.73% of Ontario’s population. An estimated 70-90% of the population must be immunized to achieve herd immunity.
There are 83 new cases in Ontario schools, a decrease of 29 from yesterday, including 70 student cases, 12 staff cases, and 1 case among unidentified individuals. There are 25 new cases in licensed child care settings in Ontario, a decrease of 2 from yesterday, with 14 cases among children and 11 cases among staff.
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In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 11 new cases to report, including 4 in Hastings Prince Edward, 3 in Kawartha Lakes, 2 in Peterborough, and 2 in Northumberland. There are no new cases to report in Haliburton.
An outbreak at an unidentified workplace in Central Hastings was declared on February 24
An additional 11 cases have been resolved, including 5 in Peterborough, 3 in Hastings Prince Edward, 2 in Kawartha Lakes, and 1 in Northumberland.
There are currently 80 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region (no net change from yesterday), including 31 in Peterborough, 21 in Northumberland, 15 in Hastings Prince Edward (2 in Quinte West, 7 in Belleville, 4 in Tyendinaga & Deseronto, 1 in Prince Edward County, 1 in Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory), and 13 in Kawartha Lakes. There are no active cases in Haliburton.
Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 621 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (581 resolved with 9 deaths), 533 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (478 resolved with 55 deaths), 436 in Northumberland County (404 resolved with 11 deaths), 51 in Haliburton County (51 resolved with no deaths), and 406 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (385 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).
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: 621 (increase of 2) Active cases: 31 (decrease of 3) Close contacts: 139 (decrease of 17) Deaths: 9 (no change) Resolved: 581 (increase of 5) Hospitalizations (total to date): 24 (no change)* Total tests completed: Over 43,300 (increase of 100) Outbreaks: Buckhorn Day Care and Nursery School (no change) Variants of concern cases: 1 (no change) Vaccine doses administered: 1,136 (increase of 160)
*As of February 25, 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: 1,020, including 533 in Kawartha Lakes, 436 in Northumberland, and 51 in Haliburton (increase of 5, including 3 in Kawartha Lakes and 2 in Northumberland)* Active cases: 34, including 13 in Kawartha Lakes and 21 in Northumberland (increase of 2, including 1 in Kawartha Lakes and 1 in Northumberland) Probable cases: 1 in Northumberland (no net change) High-risk contacts: 139, including 65 in Kawartha Lakes, 68 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: 933, including 478 in Kawartha Lakes, 404 in Northumberland, 51 in Haliburton (increase of 3, including 2 in Kawartha Lakes and 1 in Northumberland) Tests completed: 141,582 (increase of 867) Outbreaks: Caressant Care McLaughlin Road long-term care home in Lindsay, Regency long-term care home in Port Hope, Warkworth Place in Warkworth (no change)
*The health unit states that total counts and counts for individual counties may fluctuate from previously reported counts as cases are transferred to or from the health unit based on case investigation details and routine data cleaning.
**This total includes an additional 5 high-risk contacts directly followed up through the Public Health Ontario contact tracing process that are missing the contacts’ county.
***As of February 25, Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay reports 1 patient hospitalized with COVID-19 (increase 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: 406 (increase of 4) Active cases: 15 (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: 385 (increase of 3) Tests completed: 60,866 (increase of 5) Vaccines administered: 2,026 (increase of 80) Outbreaks: Unidentified workplace in Central Hastings (increase of 1)
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Province of Ontario
Confirmed positive: 297,311 (increase of 1,138) 7-day average of daily new cases: 1,099 (increase of 15) Resolved: 280,324 (increase of 1,094, 94.3% of all cases) Positivity rate: 2.0% (decrease of 0.4%) Hospitalizations: 687 (increase of 12) Hospitalizations in ICU: 283 (decrease of 4) Hospitalizations in ICU on ventilator: 182 (no change) Deaths: 6,916 (increase of 23) 7-day average of daily new deaths: 20 (decrease of 3) Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 3,864 (increase of 4) Total tests completed: 10,872,503 (increase of 66,351) Tests under investigation: 40,639 (decrease of 612) Vaccination doses administered: 621,960 (increase of 19,112) People fully vaccinated (two doses): 255,449 (increase of 3,859), 1.73% of Ontario’s population (est. 70-90% required for herd immunity) Total COVID-19 variant cases: 449 of B.1.1.7 UK variant (increase of 54); 11 of B.1.351 South Africa variant (increase of 2); 2 of P.1 Brazilian variant (increase of 1)
COVID-19 cases in Ontario from January 25 – February 24, 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 25 – February 24, 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 25 – February 24, 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 25 – February 24, 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.comCOVID-19 vaccine doses administered in Ontario from January 25 – February 24, 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)
Any prospect of the Peterborough region being moved any time soon to the less restrictive ‘Green-Prevent’ level of Ontario’s COVID-19 response framework has been dashed by rising positive case numbers, an ongoing outbreak in Buckhorn, and the first confirmed case of a COVID-19 variant of concern.
During a Peterborough Public Health media briefing held Thursday (February 25), medical officer of health Dr. Rosana Salvaterra said, “Green is wishful thinking right now given what we’ve seen in the last week,” adding “I’m just glad that we’re hanging onto yellow.”
“Things can change in a day,” Dr. Salvaterra noted. “When we reviewed our data with the province just a couple of days ago, Peterborough was a rainbow. We had one or two indicators that were in green, we had two or three indicators that were in yellow, and we had an orange indicator. We should stay in yellow. Yellow is a good place for us to be right now.”
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On the positive side, the Peterborough region currently has 34 current active COVID cases — a drop of one since last Friday — while the number of close contacts being followed has dropped considerably to 156 from 237 during the same period.
That said, February, with 74 new cases reported to date, is on track for the third highest monthly total of new cases since the pandemic began, eclipsed only by January’s 198 new cases and 137 new cases in December.
Also dimming any prospect of movement to ‘Green-Prevent’ is the number of new cases connected to an outbreak declared February 16th at the Buckhorn Day Care and Nursery School. There are now 17 cases associated with that outbreak, six involving staff members and 11 involving children.
And then there’s the region’s first positive case of a COVID-19 variant of concern, confirmed February 23rd involving a man in his 20s. According to the health unit, his exposure came as a result of his contact with a roommate identified as a high-risk contact of a variant of concern case from another region. That roommate has since left the Peterborough area.
“Where there’s smoke, there’s fire,” Dr. Salvaterra said. “We are worried that there are other people who are infected with a variant of concern in our community.”
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But while the Peterborough region is destined to remain at the ‘Yellow-Protect’ level for the foreseeable future, there is positive news on the vaccine front. As of Thursday morning (February 25), 1,136 doses have been administered locally.
“This morning our public health teams have returned to long-term care homes to administer the second dose to residents and yesterday (Wednesday) PRHC opened its vaccination clinic for health care workers,” said Dr. Salvaterra, noting that group includes long-term care home staff and essential caregivers as well as high-priority health care workers.
“The goal is to have 2,500 immunized (with their first dose) by next week.”
Dr. Salvaterra added that retirement home residents will begin getting vaccinated March 5th.
“Our next priority is to vaccinate adults who are 80 years of age and older. Peterborough will be relying on the provincial booking system that should be ready by March 15th. The booking system is called COVax. When it’s ready, residents will be able to book an appointment either online or by telephone. As soon as it’s ready we’ll be pushing that information out to all of our communities in a variety of ways.”
Dr. Salvaterra warned of a vaccine-related telephone scam that has surfaced locally. She said some have received a call asking them to sign up for vaccination in exchange for a $119 fee as well as financial information.
“The vaccine is absolutely free,” she stressed, noting police have been contacted and are investigating.
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Meanwhile, a multi-ministerial enforcement blitz conducted locally last week saw 260 businesses inspected for compliance with COVID-19 public health regulations, with seven charges laid against seven businesses. In addition, 36 formal warnings were issued as well as 17 orders under the Ontario Occupational Health and Safety Act.
“A key area where compliance was lacking was the need for workers to be actively screened before they came to work,” Dr. Salvaterra said. “That was a change implemented when the stay-at-home order was lifted. It appears that several local businesses are still not in full compliance with that.”
Also commenting during Friday’s briefing were Peterborough-Kawartha MP Maryam Monsef, Peterborough Mayor Diane Therrien, Hiawatha First Nations Chief Laurie Carr, and Peterborough Board of Health chair and Selwyn Mayor Andy Mitchell.
Chief Carr noted that Hiawatha is again open to outside residents, but only to those who live in green, yellow, or orange level zones. Identifications are being checked at Hiawatha businesses to determine the point of origin.
Saadia Muzaffar is a tech entrepreneur, author, and passionate advocate of responsible innovation, decent work for everyone, and prosperity of immigrant talent in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). She is the founder of TechGirls Canada and co-founder of Tech Reset Canada. (Photo: Anna Keenan Photography)
In celebration of International Women’s Day, one of Canada’s leading female tech entrepreneurs will be giving a virtual keynote for residents of Peterborough and the Kawarthas on Tuesday, March 9th at 7 p.m.
The Innovation Cluster is hosting Saadia Muzaffar as part of its ‘Electric City Talks’ series.
Muzaffar is a tech entrepreneur, author, and passionate advocate of responsible innovation, decent work for everyone, and prosperity of immigrant talent in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). She is the founder of TechGirls Canada, a hub for Canadian women in STEM, and co-founder of Tech Reset Canada, a group of business people, technologists, and other residents advocating for innovation that is focused on the public good.
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In 2017, Muzaffar was featured in Canada 150 Women, a book about 150 of the most influential and groundbreaking women in Canada. Her work has been featured in CNNMoney, BBC World, Fortune Magazine, The Globe and Mail, VICE, CBC, TVO, and Chatelaine.
Muzaffar’s March 9th talk, entitled ‘Redefining Term Sheets: Success, Solidarity, & The Future We Want’, will inspire women to achieve success in all areas of life, including in business by providing strategies for obtaining funding.
“It is impossible to explain how women only get 2.2 per cent of funding for their ventures while we constitute a majority of the population, without acknowledging long-standing structural and systemic bias,” Muzaffar says, describing her talk. “Women know these odds in our bones because we feel them in too many boardrooms, banks, media advertisements, and venture competitions — yet women are the fastest-growing demographic in new businesses.”
“So this International Women’s Day, let’s skip the statistics and talk about how we can pave the way to build our own success stories on our own terms, and also make sure that we hold the door open for future people like us. In the throes of a global pandemic that is setting back women most severely, this conversation about our collective ambition and its responsibility and inspiration is as urgent as it is necessary.”
Saadia Muzaffar’s March 9th virtual keynote is entitled ‘Redefining Term Sheets: Success, Solidarity, & The Future We Want’ and will inspire women to achieve success in all areas of life, including in business by providing strategies for obtaining funding. (Photo: Bettina Bogar Photography)
Presented in partnership with RBC, Muzaffar’s talk will be hosted via Zoom and will be free of charge to reduce barriers to entry. To reserve your space, register at eventbrite.com/e/137992949627.
“Canada is home to 1.4 million women entrepreneurs with businesses that generate $117 billion in economic activity a year,” says Scott Mancini, commercial vice president at RBC. “RBC is proud to support the Electric City Talks International Women’s Day event, so aspiring women entrepreneurs see and hear from women who have broken barriers, such as tech entrepreneur Saadia Muzaffar.”
As well as her work with TechGirls Canada Tech Reset Canada, Muzaffar is a Pushcart Prize nominated short fiction writer and, in February 2018, her work joined that of Margaret Atwood, Gabby Rivera, Hope Larson, and Amy Chu in Dark Horse Comics’ anthology featuring comic and prose stories. In 2017, Muzaffarand her team released Change Together: A Diversity Guidebook for Startups and Scaleup. She serves on the board of Women’s Shelters Canada and the advisory board for the University of Guelph’s Centre for Advancing Responsible and Ethical Artificial Intelligence.
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In April 2018, Muzaffar joined an advisory panel of 15 leading experts in Canada on digital technology, privacy, and governance, which was guiding Waterfront Toronto on the former “smart city” proposal from Sidewalk Labs, the urban innovation company of Alphabet Inc., Google’s parent company.
She resigned from the panel seven months later, publicly citing several concerns including a “blatant disregard for resident concerns about data and digital infrastructure”. Her resignation was followed shortly thereafter, for similar reasons, by that of former Ontario privacy commissioner Ann Cavoukian.
In May 2020, Sidewalk Labs abandoned the controversial $900-million Toronto project, claiming economic uncertainties. However, in February 2021, Sidewalk Labs also abandoned another smart city project in Portland, Oregon after disagreements with public officials about transparency and disputes about data sharing — the same concerns that led Muzaffar to resign from the Toronto advisory panel.
Presented in partnership with RBC, Saadia Muzaffar’s March 9th virtual talk will be hosted via Zoom and will be free of charge to reduce barriers to entry. (Graphic: Innovation Cluster)
The Innovation Cluster is hosting Muzaffar’s talk as the first cohort of its ‘Women Breaking Barriers’ program wraps up. Ten female-led companies were selected to participate in the fast-tracked accelerator for STEM and social innovation. By the end of February, each participant will have pitched to the local angel investors that make up the Peterborough Region Angel Network.
“Inspired by the Women Breaking Barriers program and the incredible female founders in our region, this event will host important conversations to continue to move the dial forward,” says Rosalea Terry, Women Breaking Barriers lead and senior innovation specialist and marketing manager with the Innovation Cluster. “Saadia is sure to impress and give actionable steps to create change.”
This presentation will provide a space for students, entrepreneurs, business leaders and community members alike to engage in critical discussion that inspires and ignites change. Following the keynote, audience members will be able to take part in a question-and-answer session.
Police are seeking this suspect for an alleged street robbery in Peterborough on February 24, 2021. (Police-supplied photos)
Peterborough police are looking for a suspect in connection with a street robbery on Wednesday afternoon (February 24).
At around 4:45 p.m. on Wednesday, police received a call from a 23-year-old man who reported that he was confronted by another man in the George Street and Simcoe Street area, who he recognized but didn’t know his name.
The suspect then hit the victim, threatened him with a knife, and robbed him of his groceries before taking off.
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The suspect is described as a white male, 26 to 30 years old, around 6′ tall with a thin build, dark shot hair, and a slight and thin moustache. He possibly has a facial tattoo.
He was wearing a dark green winter parka with fur on the hood, dark pants and dark shoes, with a black backpack and carrying a grey plastic bag.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Peterborough Police Service at 705-876-1122 or contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) on online at www.stopcrimehere.ca.
The winter sun shining through bottles of maple syrup at the GreenUP Store in Peterborough. Unless appropriate action is taken to mitigate the impacts of climate change, sugar bushes may no longer be viable in southern Ontario due to drought. (Photo: Kristen LaRocque)
Trees and water provide an example of a truly reciprocal relationship where both give and receive. This relationship between trees and water also provides an example of our own human relationships and of relationships threatened by climate change.
While it varies by species, live trees are approximately 50 per cent water by weight. All trees require water in order to breathe (transpiration), absorb nutrients from the soil through roots, and help to create food for the tree (photosynthesis).
Each week, GreenUP provides a story related to the environment. This week’s story is by Heather Ray, Manager of Water Programs at GreenUP.
At the same time, trees act as filters to improve water quality, absorb excess rainfall, and prevent sediment from eroding into waterways. When trees absorb water, nutrients, and minerals from their roots to their leaves, or when trees move newly created tree food from their leaves to their roots, water is transformed into the blood of the tree (xylem or phloem), more commonly known as sap (phloem).
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Sugar maples may create the most popular kind of sap. As a result of their elevated levels of sap production, the sugar maple is responsible for the sticky substance that covers stacks of pancakes on Saturday mornings.
For myself, maple sap (and syrup) brings me to a place in my heart that reaches far beyond a pancake breakfast. The collection of sap and the creation of syrup is a tradition that connects me to my ancestors and to the land that I have the privilege of being a guest upon.
While I was too young to hold the memories themselves, I have listened intently to the stories told about my grandfather, Elwin Garbutt, who spent many years boiling sap and supplying sweet syrup to the community at large. Exploring the maple bush as a child, I was in awe of the relics left behind: rusted buckets, a pile of boards that was once the sugar shack, and an old pipe that once funnelled large amounts of sap from one side of the bush to the other.
Maple sap boiling down to create syrup at a sugar bush in Douro-Dummer Township. Early settlers in the North America learned about the sugar maple from Indigenous peoples, who used the tree’s “sweet water” in ceremonies, for cooking, and as a cleansing medicine. (Photo: Heather Ray)
My grandfather tapped roughly 4,000 trees each year, a capitalist venture no doubt. Through these stories, however, respect for the land was instilled in me, especially the story of how my grandfather stopped this operation when the trees told him they were getting sick. For over 40 years the bush was left untapped, until a few years ago when the trees returned to health and memories from the trees came forward through their sweet water.
As a guest on this land with settler ancestors, I acknowledge that the creation of maple syrup was learned from Anishhinaabe people who call this land home. Ziigwan, as early spring is known in Anishinaabemowin, is a celebratory time of gratitude that aligns with the maple sap collection season. This is a time of reciprocity between water, trees, and humans.
“This time of year teaches us a lot about what it means to bring new life forward,” shares Kelly King, outreach and education coordinator at TRACKS (Trent Aboriginal Cultural Knowledge and Science) Youth Program. “The sweet water that comes to us from our tree relatives showcases how integral water is to renewal and sustenance for all beings. Just like newborn babies, this renewal of life arrives in the form of rushing water, teaching us about what it means to care for and tend to the continuation of life.”
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In a couple of weeks, I will be tapping these trees again, spending time listening to the stories told by the trees, and sending gratitude to the gifts of spring. But as the impacts of climate change are felt more and more each day, I wonder if my grandchildren will have the opportunity to do the same.
In 2012, Ontario’s former environmental commissioner Gord Miller released a special report on biodiversity in Ontario that led to conversations surrounding the potential future loss of maple trees within southern Ontario due to impacts of climate change.
More recent research continues to sound an alarm regarding the longevity and growth of maple trees.
As they wait for maple sap to boil down into syrup at the sugar bush in Douro-Dummer Township, Heather Ray’s son Leif explores the juniper bushes. The sugar maples are visible in the background. (Photo: Heather Ray)
“The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry’s own scientific report acknowledges that the viability of the maple forests of southern Ontario may be threatened by expected climate change,” writes Miller in his report. “Yet they do not incorporate climate change models into their forest management planning. Neither do they have plans to mitigate these impacts.”
“The optimal climate conditions of temperature and rainfall that support the maple forests of Ecozone 6 shift much further north under likely scenarios within just a few decades,” continues Miller. “Existing maple trees will be stressed by heat and drought and there will be poor to no regeneration of the forest. We need forestry management plans that mitigate these impacts.”
More specifically, it is the disruption of the relationship between trees and water, through drought, that will remove water from the trees’ vital functions. This disruption is predicted to destabilize the maple tree populations that surround us and that gives us the gift of maple syrup.
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I encourage you to remember this the next time you are enjoying a pancake dripping in sweet water. Remember that climate change may take away this staple of breakfast joys, limit cultural identity and ceremony, and diminish relationships between trees, water, and humans — unless we take action collectively.
Please let this increased awareness fuel your own climate action and your demands for climate action from our leaders.
This season, TRACKS is offering spring activity books and spring boxes that will both include teachings about maple sap from Anishinaabe and Eurocentric scientific perspectives. Check out their website at www.tracksprogram.ca to learn more about how you can order your own.
Evan looks on as his little sister Maisie tastes her first-ever maple syrup coated pancake at the Sandy Flat Sugar Bush in Warkworth. Without effective forestry management plans, climate change may make history of such sweet sugar bush memories for future generations growing up in southern Ontario. (Photo: Jackie Donaldson)
For more information about the roots of maple syrup within this region, watch the series of videos at the National Centre for Collaboration in Indigenous Education (NCCIE) hosted by First Nations University of Canada at www.nccie.ca/videos/ziinzibaakwadgummig-the-sugar-bush/ or view them below.
There are now nine confirmed COVID-19 variant of concern (VOC) cases in the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge (HKPR) District Health Unit region.
In a virtual media briefing on Wednesday (February 24), acting medical officer of health, Dr. Ian Gemmill, confirmed that the number of COVID-19 VOC cases in the region has risen from three to nine within the last week.
“These cases are well controlled,” Dr. Gemmill assured. “They are in isolation, and their contacts are in quarantine.”
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According to Dr. Gemmill, seven of these cases are in Northumberland County, and two are in the City of Kawartha Lakes. The sources of these cases have been tied to contacts with people outside of the health unit’s region.
The nine variant cases involve three clusters of related cases and one single case. While Dr. Gemmill said he feels confident that these cases are well controlled, he is worried about the continuing spread of coronavirus variants across Ontario.
“We are likely to see more of these VOCs in our region, so the need to take public health prevention measures continues to be important until more people are vaccinated,” Dr. Gemmill noted.
“I am hoping that the vaccine will be shown to protect against these variants. It looks like that is true at the moment, which is good.”
In terms of vaccine rollout, the health unit received around 4,500 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine earlier this week. These supplies are currently stored at Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay and Northumberland Hills Hospital in Coburg.
Dr. Gemmill said he is hopeful that the health unit will begin vaccinating long-term care facility staff, essential caregivers, and high-priority health care workers before the end of the week.
This vaccine distribution comes following the previous immunization of the 1,700 individuals living in the area’s long-term care homes who have already received a first dose of the Moderna vaccine.
“We now have the promise of a second dose of vaccine for them,” Dr. Gemmill said. “This is really good news for those folks. I’m really hopeful that this will be the end of outbreaks in long-term care homes.”
Dr. Gemmill added that the health unit is set to receive another supply of both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine in March.
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While Dr. Gemmill said nothing is finalized in terms of plans for mass distribution of vaccines once the supply is available, he expects pharmacies, family doctors, and mass clinics to be involved.
There has been a drop in cases and outbreaks in the region over the last 14 days.
“I think that we are really in good shape at this point, and I really do want to stay in good shape,” he said.
However, Dr. Gemmill explained that he is concerned that the drop in cases is due to the stay-at-home order in place a few weeks ago.
“I think that there is the potential if people don’t follow the guidelines and the restrictions that are in place, that we could end up with another rise and another lockdown,” Dr. Gemmill explained. “I’m still pleading with people to keep behaving in ways that will stop this virus from spreading until we get the vaccine in place.”
As of February 24, there are 32 active cases of COVID-19 in the health unit’s region, including 12 in Kawartha Lakes and 20 in Northumberland. The sole active case in Haliburton has now been resolved.
Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.
Today, Ontario is reporting 1,054 new cases, including 5 more cases of the B.1.1.7 UK variant for a total of 395. The seven-day average of daily cases in Ontario has increased by 29 to 1,084.
In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 14 new cases to report with an additional 15 cases resolved. The number of active cases across the region has decreased by 1 to 80.
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Most of today’s new cases are in Toronto (363) and Peel (186).
There are double-digit increases in York (94), Simcoe Muskoka (53), Windsor-Essex (50), Thunder Bay (45), Waterloo (44), Ottawa (40), Hamilton (38), Durham (35), Halton (26), Niagara (13), and Middlesex-London (10), with smaller increases in Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (9), Sudbury (8), Brant (7), and Eastern Ontario (6).
The remaining 17 health units are reporting 5 or fewer new cases, with 5 health units reporting no new cases at all.
Of today’s new cases, 56% are among people 39 and younger, with the highest number of cases (401) among people ages 20-39, followed by 322 cases among people ages 40-59.
With 1,291 more cases resolved since yesterday, the percentage of resolved cases has increased by 0.1% at 94.3%. The average positivity rate across Ontario has decreased by 1.8% from yesterday to 2.4%, meaning that 24 out of every 1,000 tests performed were positive for COVID-19 on February 23.
Ontario is reporting 9 new COVID-19 deaths today, including 2 in long-term care homes. Ontario has averaged 23 new daily deaths over the past week, a decrease of 1 from yesterday.
Hospitalizations have decreased by 43 from yesterday to 675, with the number of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs increasing by 4 to 287, and the number of patients with COVID-19 on ventilators decreasing by 4 to 182.
A total of 54,852 tests were completed yesterday, with the backlog of tests under investigation increasing by 12,449 to 41,251.
A total of 602,848 doses of vaccine have now been administered, an increase of 17,141 from yesterday, with 251,590 people fully vaccinated with both doses of vaccine, an increase of 4,548 from yesterday, representing 1.71% of Ontario’s population. An estimated 70-90% of the population must be immunized to achieve herd immunity.
There are 112 new cases in Ontario schools, a decrease of 63 from yesterday, including 89 student cases, 18 staff cases, and 5 cases among unidentified individuals. There are 27 new cases in licensed child care settings in Ontario, a decrease of 16 from yesterday, with 19 cases among children and 8 cases among staff.
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In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 14 new cases to report, including 5 in Peterborough, 4 in Hastings Prince Edward, 3 in Northumberland, and 2 in Kawartha Lakes. There are no new cases to report in Haliburton.
An additional 15 cases have been resolved, including 6 in Peterborough, 5 in Kawartha Lakes, 3 in Hastings Prince Edward, and 1 in Haliburton.
There are currently 80 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, a decrease of 1 from yesterday, including 34 in Peterborough, 20 in Northumberland, 14 in Hastings Prince Edward (2 in Quinte West, 8 in Belleville, and 4 in Tyendinaga & Deseronto), and 12 in Kawartha Lakes. There are no active cases in Haliburton.
Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 619 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (576 resolved with 9 deaths), 530 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (476 resolved with 55 deaths), 434 in Northumberland County (403 resolved with 11 deaths), 51 in Haliburton County (51 resolved with no deaths), and 402 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (382 resolved with 6 deaths). The most 2 recent 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).
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: 619 (increase of 5) Active cases: 34 (decrease of 1) Close contacts: 156 (decrease of 81) Deaths: 9 (no change) Resolved: 576 (increase of 6) Hospitalizations (total to date): 24 (no change)* Total tests completed: Over 43,200 (increase of 100) Outbreaks: Buckhorn Day Care and Nursery School (no change) Variants of concern cases: 1 (no change) Vaccine doses administered: 976 (as of February 19)
*As of February 24, 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: 1,015, including 530 in Kawartha Lakes, 434 in Northumberland, and 51 in Haliburton (increase of 5, including 2 in Kawartha Lakes and 3 in Northumberland)* Active cases: 32, including 12 in Kawartha Lakes and 20 in Northumberland (net decrease of 1) Probable cases: 1 in Kawartha Lakes (no change) High-risk contacts: 157, including 77 in Kawartha Lakes, 71 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton (increase of 4 in Northumberland)** 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: 930, including 476 in Kawartha Lakes, 403 in Northumberland, 51 in Haliburton (increase of 6, including 5 in Kawartha Lakes and 1 in Haliburton) Tests completed: 140,715 (increase of 1,309) Institutional outbreaks: Caressant Care McLaughlin Road long-term care home in Lindsay, Regency long-term care home in Port Hope, Warkworth Place in Warkworth (no change)
*The health unit states that total counts and counts for individual counties may fluctuate from previously reported counts as cases are transferred to or from the health unit based on case investigation details and routine data cleaning.
**This total includes an additional 8 high-risk contacts directly followed up through the Public Health Ontario contact tracing process that are missing the contacts’ county.
***As of February 24, Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay reports no patients are 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: 402 (increase of 4) Active cases: 14 (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: 382 (increase of 3) Tests completed: 60,861 (increase of 19) Vaccines administered: 1,946 (no change) Institutional outbreaks: None (no change)
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Province of Ontario
Confirmed positive: 296,173 (increase of 1,054) 7-day average of daily new cases: 1,084 (increase of 29) Resolved: 279,230 (increase of 1,291, 94.3% of all cases) Positivity rate: 2.4% (decrease of 1.8%) Hospitalizations: 675 (decrease of 43) Hospitalizations in ICU: 287 (increase of 4) Hospitalizations in ICU on ventilator: 182 (decrease of 4) Deaths: 6,893 (increase of 9) 7-day average of daily new deaths: 23 (decrease of 1) Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 3,860 (increase of 2) Total tests completed: 10,806,152 (increase of 54,852) Tests under investigation: 41,251 (increase of 12,449) Vaccination doses administered: 602,848 (increase of 17,141) People fully vaccinated (two doses): 251,590 (increase of 4,548), 1.71% of Ontario’s population (est. 70-90% required for herd immunity) Total COVID-19 variant cases: 395 of B.1.1.7 UK variant (increase of 5); 9 of B.1.351 South Africa variant (no change); 1 of P.1 Brazilian variant (no change)
COVID-19 cases in Ontario from January 24 – February 23, 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 24 – February 23, 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 24 – February 23, 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 24 – February 23, 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 24 – February 23, 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)
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