Medical officer of health Dr. Rosana Salvaterra emphasizing the importance of physical distancing during a media briefing at Peterborough Public Health on March 23, 2020, just after the pandemic was declared. (Photo: Peterborough Public Health)
As provincial COVID-19 infection numbers continue to show improvement, the number of new cases in the Peterborough region is heading in the opposite direction — and at the worst possible time with the Victoria Day long weekend almost here.
During a Peterborough Public Health media briefing held Tuesday (May 18), medical officer of health Dr. Rosana Salvaterra said last week’s new case count of 91 — the second highest one-week total of the pandemic — included 40 new cases detected in people under age 29.
“We’ve examined the characteristics of our cases since April 1 and have found that the majority are among 20 to 29 year olds with indoor social gatherings and household spread playing a significant role in increasing the number of cases,” Dr. Salvaterra said.
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“They don’t have sick pay so they tend to go to work when they’re not feeling well, and many of them live together — sharing bathrooms and kitchens — so they’re in close contact in close quarters,” Dr. Salvaterra said.
“It’s a good thing that vaccination opened up today (Tuesday) for everyone 18 years of age and over. We definitely need to target those 20 to 29 year olds, especially those who are sharing their accommodations with others, to bring our case numbers down.”
As of yesterday at 4:30 p.m., the number of active cases in Peterborough city and county and Curve Lake and Hiawatha First Nations was reported as 103 — an increase of 14 since Friday. Meanwhile, the number of close contacts of positive cases being monitored by public health staff has also risen, now at 315, up 30 since late last week. There are currently four active outbreaks.
“We aren’t near to being a hotspot but we are near to being overwhelmed and that’s not good,” said Dr. Salvaterra.
“If you overwhelm public health and we aren’t able to get to the cases within 24 hours and we’re not able to isolate their close contacts right away, we will have more spread. We need to protect our public health capacity so we are able to respond same day to our cases.”
Dr. Salvaterra also reported another COVID-related death — the 18th death in the Peterborough region since the pandemic began. Similar to the three most recent previous deaths, the person who died had received their first dose of vaccine. However, Dr. Salvaterra noted the person had underlying health conditions who was exposed to the virus via a close contact.
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A good portion of Dr. Salvaterra’s remarks centred on the pending Victoria Day long weekend and the challenge that will present during a time when local infection numbers are on the rise.
“I’m very concerned about what appears to be a growing trend in socialization that will lead to even more cases,” said Dr. Salvaterra.
“Trailer parks and campgrounds are off limits. If you’re travelling to a secondary residence for essential maintenance, you must go alone and the trip should be less than 24 hours. This is not the season opener for the cottage. Longer stays at your seasonal residence are only permitted if you are relocating for the summer, and that should start with the first 14 days spent alone.”
“We’ve seen a spike in COVID-19 cases after every long weekend. Let’s make this a long weekend where we actually see cases go down instead of up.”
VIDEO: 2021 May Long Weekend
On the enforcement front, Peterborough County OPP Constable Joe Ayotte confirmed police will be extra watchful for illegal gatherings this coming weekend.
“We’ve created a detachment-level initiative in regards to Burleigh Falls,” Ayotte said, referring to the large gatherings there that were a significant issue last summer. “We will be beefing up patrols in that area. We’ve received complaints about camping on Crown land, so we’ve increased patrols of those areas.”
With some 7,000 doses of Pfizer arriving locally this week along with an increase in the regular Moderna allocation, Dr. Salvaterra said the goal remains to administer first doses to 65 per cent of local residents by May 31. That said, she urged those who are trying to book an appointment to be patient.
“Because of the size of the population that is now eligible, we can’t possibly meet that demand,” Dr. Salvaterra said. “We are loading up new appointments as we confirm the allocation of vaccine for clinics. We’re trying not to put up all the clinics at once, to give Peterborough residents more opportunity to find something closer to home.”
“They are free to travel to get the vaccine but, if they want to stay close to home, I advise there will be more appointments scheduled and posted. They will be able to book, but may be waiting a few weeks as we’re completely booked for the rest of the month and are now booking into June.”
Area residents are directed to phone the provincial call centre at 1-833-943-3900 to book their COVID vaccination appointments when they are in the age group that has become eligible. The line is open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days per week. Eligible residents can also book their appointments online by visiting ontario.ca/bookvaccine.
In addition, eligible residents who are waiting for their first dose of vaccine can apply to be on a vaccine standby list. Residents who sign up may be called if doses are leftover at the end of a mass vaccination clinic run by Peterborough Public Health.
The purpose of the standby list is to avoid wasting vaccine doses. This list fills and then closes temporarily, reopening as additional applicants are needed. Residents are encouraged to check the standby application list at the Peterborough Public Health website at www.peterboroughpublichealth.ca regularly for openings.
Also commenting during Tuesday’s briefing were Peterborough-Kawartha MP Maryam Monsef, Peterborough County Warden J. Murray Jones, and Peterborough board of health chair and Selwyn mayor Andy Mitchell.
A recent anti-lockdown protest in front of Peterborough City Hall. (Photo: Tyler Berry / No More Lockdowns Peterborough Facebook group)
Police forces in the greater Kawarthas region issued a total of nine tickets on Saturday (May 15) under the Reopening Ontario Act.
In Peterborough, police issued three tickets in connection with an anti-lockdown protest at Confederation Square in downtown Peterborough on Saturday.
Peterborough police are also investigating an outdoor religious gathering at Nicholls Oval park that was held on Saturday. Hill City Baptist Church, led by pastor Alex Kloosterman, has been holding weekly services at the park. He was fined for organizing a service the previous Saturday.
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In Cobourg, police issued one ticket in connection with an anti-lockdown protest in front of Victoria Hall on Saturday. After police spoke with protestors and requested they disperse to comply with the stay-at-home order, one protestor who refused to comply was fined.
Cobourg police, along with city by-law officers, also spoke to organizers of the downtown farmers’ market to address the large number of people attending the market. No fines were issued.
In Port Hope, police issued tickets to four men on Saturday after they were discovered fishing along the Ganaraska River.
The four anglers were charged because they had travelled from the GTA to fish in Port Hope. In April, the municipality temporarily restricted access to all its lands bordering the Ganaraska River to discourage out-of-town anglers.
Each intake of the Starter Company Plus program, administered by Peterborough & the Kawarthas Business Advisory Centre with funding from the Ontario government, provides five weeks of business training to 12 entrepreneurs starting or running a business in the City or County of Peterborough. The program, delivered completely online this summer and fall, will see half of the participants each receive a $5,000 microgrant based on the strength of their business plans and business pitches to a panel of community judges. (Photo: Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development)
Another 24 entrepreneurs in Peterborough & the Kawarthas will soon be equipped with the knowledge and skills for small business success when the Starter Company Plus program returns this summer and fall.
Applications for the summer intake of the popular program, offered by the Peterborough & the Kawarthas Business Advisory Centre (BAC) with funding from the Ontario government, open on May 17 and close June 13. For entrepreneurs not ready to apply this summer, applications for the fall intake for the program will open on September 1 and close September 26.
As of May 2021, Starter Company Plus has supported 163 entrepreneurs since it was first offered in Peterborough & the Kawarthas in 2017, many of whom have launched a new business or expanded an existing one. (Infographic: Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development)
Not only will all the successful applicants to the program receive business training at no cost to them, but half of them will each receive a $5,000 microgrant based on the strength of their business plans and business pitches to a panel of community judges.
Anyone aged 18 and older not in school who is interested in either starting a new business with the City or County of Peterborough, or expanding an existing one that’s been operating for five years or less, is eligible to apply. The full eligibility criteria can been found at peterboroughed.ca/starter.
Since Starter Company Plus was first offered in Peterborough & the Kawarthas in spring 2017, 163 entrepreneurs have benefited from the program, resulting in the launch of 84 new businesses and the expansion of 49 existing ones.
Even more impressive is the $1.2 million in funding and financing subsequently secured by entrepreneurs who have participated in the program.
During each intake of Starter Company Plus, which runs for five weeks, 12 successful applicants will participate in virtual sessions covering a wide variety of topics including market research, digital marketing, small business financing, and hiring practices.
VIDEO – Starter Company Plus 2021: Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development
“On the very first day we go around the room — the Zoom room — and everyone introduces themselves and tells everyone why they’re here and what their business idea is or, if the business is already open, what their business is,” explains Hillary Manion, the BAC Entrepreneurship Officer who leads the program.
“From there we start working on what we call their elevator pitch — what you tell people in 30 seconds when they ask what you do. From that first day of introducing themselves, they work up to a 10-minute video at the end of the five weeks. At the beginning a lot of people struggle to talk for 30 seconds but, by the end of the five weeks, most of them have a hard time keeping their video to 10 minutes.”
Hillary Manion of Peterborough & the Kawarthas Business Advisory Centre hosts a virtual session of the aspiring to experienced entrepreneurs participating in the winter 2021 intake of the Starter Company Plus program. (Photo: Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development)
As valuable as that business pitch is, the big takeaway is the development of a comprehensive business plan based on the Lean Model Canvas, a proven strategic management template used for developing new business models and documenting existing ones.
“A business plan is a road map,” Manion says. “It helps you set out all of the steps you need to take. It helps you set your goals, and it also helps identify the resources you need to reach those goals.”
“But it’s not something you write once at the beginning of the program and forget about. It’s something you need to review regularly, especially if you are a start-up. Your business is a living, breathing thing — it’s something that’s going to change.”
For the participants in each intake of Starter Company Plus, the strength of their business plan is also key for a potential financial reward at the end of the program that will help them launch or grow their business. After successfully completing the program, each entrepreneur will submit their final business plan and pitch their business to a panel of community judges for a chance to receive one of six $5,000 microgrants.
Katelin Turcotte, owner of home-based preventative foot care and education business Wilde Beauty, received a $5,000 mircogrant in December 2019 after participating in the Starter Company Plus program. (Photo: Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development)
Katelin Turcotte is a graduate of Starter Company Plus who received one of those microgrants. In the late summer of 2019, she was opening Wilde Beauty, a home-based preventative foot care and education business that sees her monitor high-risk clients via regular foot care maintenance. She applied to Starter Company Plus and was accepted.
“I really didn’t know what I was getting into,” Turcotte admits. “I knew I was going to be with other people starting businesses and there was going to be lots of support but, as I dove deeper into it, I found it to be very useful. It made me feel a little more normal, like I wasn’t just having my own mini-panic attack about starting a new business.”
The business plan and pitch components of the program, adds Turcotte, were invaluable.
“The pitch part pushes your knowledge and reveals if you put the time in to figure everything out. Are you really passionate about it? Are you doing it because you really want to, or just because you want to make money?”
Like all businesses, Wilde Beauty has been adversely affected by the pandemic, forcing Turcotte to adjust her original business plan — something she knew how to do thanks to Starter Company Plus.
“During the first lockdown, I shifted everything to an online store and started doing virtual consultations,” says Turcotte, adding “There are a lot of feet out there that still need helping.”
To those who are considering applying for the upcoming Starter Company Plus intake, Turcotte’s advice is to “go for it” — pandemic or not.
“It’s easy to say ‘I’ll wait until things get better’ but really this is the perfect time to do it,” she says.
Six participants of the winter 2021 intake of Starter Company Plus each received a $5,000 microgrant to help launch or expand their businesses. Clockwise from top left: E. Tristan Pulham (pictured) and Tyler O’Conner of Elemental Tree Care, Lia Gomez Lowe of Full Bloom Health, Mike Frampton of Tragically Dipped Donuts, Sandy Spremo and Scott D. Bain of the K9 Clipper, Fenna Renee Green of Daily Development, and Christine Jaros of VerminiX Pest Control Company. (Photos courtesy of Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development)
Like the entrepreneurs it helps, the BAC has also changed the way it offers its services because of the pandemic — pivoting the Starter Company Plus program from an in-person model to a completely online one. According to Manion, the shift to a virtual model has resulted in some clear benefits.
“It has given us an opportunity to expand the offering and expand the training,” she says, noting the upcoming intake will be the third one held virtually.
“We’re able to bring in guest speakers and experts in their field. Having Zoom calls is a little bit more flexible for everyone. In terms of the information we’re able to share, we’re able to cover a lot more topics. We talk a lot more about digital marketing now than we did a year-and-a-half ago.”
Manion adds that the program now also includes a stress management and wellness aspect, “because entrepreneurs often don’t take care of themselves as well as they probably could, especially in the beginning stages because they’re trying to handle everything on their own.’
The pandemic has also led to a new focus for Starter Company Plus participants: resiliency and flexibility in their business models.
“When our last intake graduated in November, we thought everyone was going to run out and start their businesses — and then we ran into another lockdown,” Manion recalls. “A lot of those businesses have had to fall back on their business plans and find ways to continue going forward.”
Noting that between 30 and 50 applications are reviewed for each intake, Manion says those not accepted into Starter Company Plus are invited and encouraged to benefit from the other support services offered by the BAC.
Hillary Manion, the Entrepreneurship Officer at the Peterborough & the Kawarthas Business Advisory Centre who leads the Starter Company Plus program. (Photo: Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development)
“Our team reaches out to every applicant,” Manion explains. “We are more than happy to work one-on-one with anyone who applies for the program.”
“Whether you are accepted into Starter Company Plus or not, you can still become a client of the Business Advisory Centre. Our services are free and confidential. A lot of the topics we cover in Starter Company Plus are also available in our live online workshops or through e-learning.”
On a personal level, Manion admits to becoming “very emotional” when she reflects on how Starter Company Plus has been a springboard to small business success for participants.
“I’m like a proud mama bear at the end of the program, especially when I see those participants who struggled with their 30-second elevator pitch on the first day become so confident and well spoken when delivering their business pitch at the end of the program,” she says.
“I grew up in a small business. My parents were entrepreneurs. I know there are so many people out there who would be strong entrepreneurs but just need that help to get going. If I can be part of the team who gives them that start, that’s very satisfying.”
For more information on Starter Company Plus and to apply for upcoming intakes when applications open, visit peterboroughed.ca/starter.
This story was created in partnership with Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development.
Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.
Ontario is reporting 2,170 new cases today, with triple-digit increases in 5 of Ontario’s 34 health units. The seven-day average of daily cases has decreased to 2,352 and the proportion of active cases continues to decline for the 28th day in a row.
Hospitalizations have increased, and the number of hospitalizations may actually be higher as more than 10% of hospitals did not submit data for today’s report. Both the number of ICU patients and the number of patients on ventilators have decreased. Ontario is reporting only 4 deaths today, well below the seven-day average of 23, with no new deaths in long-term care homes.
In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 47 new cases to report (including 15 in Hastings Prince Edward, 12 in Northumberland, 9 in Peterborough, 9 in Kawartha Lakes, and 2 in Haliburton), with an additional 48 cases resolved and the number of active cases across the region remaining unchanged at 241. See below for details from each health unit in the region.
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Most of the new cases reported today are in Toronto (566), Peel (556), York (215), Durham (120), and Hamilton (101).
There are double-digit increases reported today in Halton (91), Ottawa (90), Waterloo (75), Simcoe Muskoka (59), Niagara (59), Windsor-Essex (32), Middlesex-London (30), Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (21), Porcupine (20), Peterborough (20), Brant (17), Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge (16), Southwestern (13), Lambton (11), Eastern Ontario (10), and Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington (10), with smaller increases in Sudbury (7) and Renfrew (7).
The remaining 11 health units are reporting 5 or fewer new cases, with 3 health units (Thunder Bay, Algoma, and Timiskaming) reporting no new cases at all.
Of today’s new cases, 61% are among people 39 and younger, with the highest number of cases (878) among people ages 20-39 followed by 598 cases among people ages 40-59 and 434 cases among people 19 and under.
With 2,953 more cases resolved since yesterday, the percentage of resolved cases has increased by 0.2% to at 93.3% — the 28th straight day the percentage of resolved cases has increased. The average positivity rate across Ontario has increased by 1.1% to 7.9%, meaning that 78 out of every 1,000 tests performed were positive for COVID-19 on May 16.
Ontario is reporting 4 new COVID-19 deaths today, with no new deaths in long-term care homes. Ontario has averaged 23 new daily deaths over the past week, a decrease of 2 from yesterday.
Hospitalizations have increased by 28 to 1,320, but more than 10% of hospitals did not submit data for today’s report so the actual number of hospitalizations may be higher. The number of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs has decreased by 6 to 779 and the number of patients with COVID-19 on ventilators has fallen by 16 to 536.
A total of 24,498 tests were completed yesterday, with the backlog of tests under investigation decreasing by 3,599 to 8,960.
A total of 7,177,145 doses of vaccine have now been administered, an increase of 112,330 from yesterday, and 432,760 people have been fully vaccinated with both doses of vaccine, an increase of 3,124 from yesterday.
The number of fully vaccinated people represents 2.94% of Ontario’s population, an increase of 0.02% from yesterday, with fully and partially vaccinated people representing 48.71% of the total population, an increase of 0.76% from yesterday. An estimated 70-90% of the population must be immunized to achieve herd immunity.
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In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 47 new cases to report, including 15 in Hastings Prince Edward, 12 in Northumberland, 9 in Peterborough, 9 in Kawartha Lakes, and 2 in Haliburton.
There is 1 new hospitalization in Kawartha Lakes.
There are 39 new regional cases of variants of concern, including 12 in Peterborough, 10 in Kawartha Lakes, 8 in Hastings Prince Edward, 6 in Northumberland, and 3 in Haliburton.
An additional 48 cases have been resolved, including 16 in Kawartha Lakes, 12 in Peterborough, 9 in Northumberland, 7 in Hastings Prince Edward, and 4 in Haliburton.
There are currently 241 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region (no net change from yesterday), including 103 in Peterborough, 62 in Hastings Prince Edward (15 in Quinte West, 21 in Belleville, 2 in Tyendinaga & Deseronto, 5 in Prince Edward County, 16 in Central Hastings, and 3 in North Hastings), 36 in Kawartha Lakes, 32 in Northumberland, and 8 in Haliburton.
Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 1,395 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (1,274 resolved with 18 deaths), 823 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (744 resolved with 56 deaths), 881 in Northumberland County (833 resolved with 16 deaths), 119 in Haliburton County (110 resolved with 1 death), and 1,067 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (995 resolved with 10 deaths). The most recent death was reported in Peterborough on May 16.
The provincial data in this report is pulled from Ontario’s integrated Public Health Information System (iPHIS) at 4 p.m. the previous day, as well as from systems in Toronto, Ottawa, and Middlesex-London at 2 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: 1,395 (increase of 8)* Total variants of concern cases: 570 (increase of 12) Active cases: 103 (decrease of 4) Close contacts: 315 (increase of 22) Deaths: 18 (no change) Resolved: 1,274 (increase of 12) Hospitalizations (total to date): 61 (no change)** ICU admissions (total to date): 13 (no change) Total tests completed: Over 51,500 (increase of 200) Total vaccine doses administered (residents and non-residents): 66,045 (increase of 5,618 as of May 14) Number of residents who have received first dose: 60,524 Number of residents fully vaccinated: 4,575 (increase of 154 as of May 14) Outbreaks: Unidentified congregate living facility #3 in Peterborough, Helping Hands Day Care in Peterborough County, Unidentified workplace #9 in Peterborough County (no change)
*The health unit is reporting 9 new cases in the last 24 hours. The total case count has increased by 8 because 1 case has been removed from a previous day.
**As of May 17, Peterborough Regional Health Centre is reporting 12 patients currently hospitalized with COVID-19 (no change) and a total of 73 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. As the health unit does not issue a report on Sundays, these numbers are for both May 16 and 17.
Confirmed positive: 1,823, including 823 in Kawartha Lakes, 881 in Northumberland, and 119 in Haliburton (increase of 23, including 9 in Kawartha Lakes, 12 in Northumberland, and 2 in Haliburton)* Total variants of concern cases: 522, including 210 in Kawartha Lakes, 279 in Northumberland, and 33 in Haliburton (increase of 19, including 10 in Kawartha Lakes, 6 in Northumberland, and 3 in Haliburton) Active cases: 76, including 36 in Kawartha Lakes, 32 in Northumberland, and 8 in Haliburton (net decrease of 5) Probable cases: 3, including 2 in Kawartha Lakes and 1 in Northumberland (decrease of 3 in Kawartha Lakes) Hospitalizations (total to date): 67, including 36 in Kawartha Lakes, 29 in Northumberland, and 3 in Haliburton (increase of 1 in Kawartha Lakes)** Deaths (including among probable cases): 73, including 56 in Kawartha Lakes, 16 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton (no change) Resolved: 1,687, including 744 in Kawartha Lakes, 833 in Northumberland, and 110 in Haliburton (increase of 29, including 16 in Kawartha Lakes, 9 in Northumberland, and 4 in Haliburton) Tests completed: 184,448 Vaccine doses administered to residents: 85,785 (increase of 6,353 as of May 17) Number of residents fully vaccinated: 4,877 (increase of 415 as of May 17) Outbreaks: Staples and Swain Law Office in Lindsay, OPP Offender Transport Lindsay, Dairy Queen in Lindsay (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.
**As of May 17, Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay reports 6 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: 1,067 (increase of 15) Confirmed variants of concern cases: 424 (increase of 8) Active cases: 62 (increase of 9) Deaths: 10 (no change) Currently hospitalized: 14 (no change) Currently hospitalized and in ICU: 6 (no change) Currently hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 5 (no change) Resolved: 995 (increase of 6) Tests completed: 139,595 (no change) Vaccine doses administered: 73,234 (no change) Number of people fully vaccinated: 5,756 (no change) Outbreaks: Quinte 5 at QHC Belleville General Hospital, ICU of QHC Belleville General Hospital, Unidentified child care facility in Belleville, Unidentified workplace in Belleville, Unidentified workplace in Central Hastings, Community outbreak in Hastings Highlands in North Hastings (no change)
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Province of Ontario
Confirmed positive: 511,486 (increase of 2,170) COVID-19 variants of concern (VOC) cases: 108,801 of B.1.1.7 UK variant (increase of 1,260); 679 of B.1.351 South Africa variant (increase of 2); 2,021 of P.1 Brazilian variant (increase of 38) VOC R(t): 0.87 (decrease of 0.05 as May 8)* 7-day average of daily new cases: 2,352 (decrease of 78) Positivity rate: 7.9% (increase of 1.1%) Resolved: 477,128 (increase of 2,953), 93.3% of all cases (increase of 0.2%) Hospitalizations: 1,320 (increase of 28)** Hospitalizations in ICU: 779 (decrease of 6) Hospitalizations in ICU on ventilator: 536 (decrease of 16) Deaths: 8,489 (increase of 4) 7-day average of daily new deaths: 23 (decrease of 2) Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 3,939 (no change) Total tests completed: 14,795,044 (increase of 24,498) Tests under investigation: 8,960 (decrease of 3,599) Vaccination doses administered: 7,177,145 (increase of 112,330), 48.71% of Ontario’s population (increase of 0.76%)*** People fully vaccinated (two doses): 432,760 (increase of 3,124), 2.94% of Ontario’s population (increase of 0.02%)***
*R(t) is a virus’s effective reproduction number, which is the average number of new infections caused by a single infected individual at a specific time (t) in a partially immunized population. To successfully eliminate a disease from a population, R(t) needs to be less than 1.
**The number of hospitalizations may actually be higher as more than 10% of hospitals did not submit data for today’s report.
***An estimated 70-90% of the population must be immunized to achieve herd immunity.
COVID-19 cases in Ontario from April 16 – May 16, 2021. The red line is the number of new cases reported daily, and the dotted green line is a five-day rolling average of new cases. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)COVID-19 tests completed in Ontario from April 16 – May 16, 2021. The red line is the daily number of tests completed, and the dotted green line is a five-day rolling average of tests completed. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)COVID-19 hospitalizations and ICU admissions in Ontario from April 16 – May 16, 2021. The red line is the daily number of COVID-19 hospitalizations, the dotted green line is a five-day rolling 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 rolling average of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)COVID-19 deaths in Ontario from April 16 – May 16, 2021. The red line is the cumulative number of daily deaths, and the dotted green line is a five-day rolling average of daily deaths. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in Ontario from April 16 – May 16, 2021. The red line is the cumulative number of daily doses administered, and the dotted green line is a five-day rolling average of daily doses. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)
Police are continuing their search for a 68-year-old Ajax resident who went missing on Mink Lake in Hastings Highlands on Sunday night (May 16).
Shortly after 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, Bancroft OPP responded to a report of an unoccupied boat circling on Mink Lake, located around 30 kilometres north of Bancroft.
Bancroft OPP, including an OPP helicopter, and Hastings Highlands Fire Department conducted a search of the area but the person was not located.
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Police are continuing their search on Monday, joined by the OPP Underwater Search and Recover Team.
Last Wednesday (May 13), Haliburton Highlands OPP reported the death of a 63-year-old woman after a possible drowning in Loon Lake, about 12 kilometres southwest of the town of Haliburton in Haliburton County.
The original version of this story identified the missing Ajax resident as a woman. Police did not supply the gender of the missing person.
The Ontario government has announced it is expanding eligibility for COVID-19 vaccines to those 18 years and older in 2021 as of Tuesday morning (May 18) — a week ahead of schedule.
As of 8 a.m. on Tuesday, individuals aged 18 and over in 2021 across Ontario will be eligible to book a COVID-19 vaccine appointment through the provincial booking system at ontario.ca/bookvaccine and the call centre at at 1-833-943-3900.
Originally, those 30 years and older were going to become eligible the week of May 17, with those 18 years and older the following week.
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The government says it decided to expand eligibility earlier than planned because 2.2 million doses are scheduled to arrive this week, including doses originally scheduled for next week that are arriving early to accommodate the Victoria Day long weekend.
Youth who are currently 17 years old but turn 18 in 2021 will only be eligible for the Pfizer vaccine, as it is the only COVID-19 vaccine Health Canada has authorized for use in those aged 12 to 17.
As the Pfizer vaccine may not be available at all mass immunization clinics, the provincial booking system will note which clinics are not offering vaccines for those who are 17 years old.
For youth 12 to 17 years of age, individual public health units may choose to also offer the Pfizer vaccine to them in pop-up and mobile clinics, as well as for walk-in appointments. This will include First Nations, Inuit and Métis clinics that offer the Pfizer vaccine.
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The province also says it is continuing to work with public health units, First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities and boards of education to ensure all Ontario youth between 12 and 17 years of age will be eligible to book an appointment through the provincial booking system for their first dose of the Pfizer vaccine beginning the week of May 31.
Eligible family members of youth between 12 and 17 who have not yet received a vaccine will also be eligible to book an appointment.
More than 55 per cent of Ontario’s population aged 18 and over have now received at least one dose and more than 432,000 Ontarians are fully immunized, including 96 per cent of long-term care residents.
Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.
Ontario is reporting 2,199 new cases today, with triple-digit increases in 5 of Ontario’s 34 health units. The seven-day average of daily cases has decreased to 2,430 and the proportion of active cases continues to decline for the 27th day in a row.
Hospitalizations have decreased dramatically, but the number of hospitalizations may actually be higher as more than 10% of hospitals did not submit data for today’s report. There is no change in the number of ICU patients and a small decrease in the number of patients on ventilators. Ontario is reporting 30 deaths today, with 1 new death in a long-term care home for the second day in a row.
Ontario has now administered more than 7 million doses of vaccine, with 48% of Ontario’s total population having received at least one dose.
In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 15 new cases to report, including 13 in Peterborough and 2 in Hastings Prince Edward. There is 1 new COVID-related death in Peterborough, the region’s 18th death. Active cases in Peterborough have increased by 4 to 107 and active cases in Hastings Prince Edward have decreased by 10 to 53. Numbers for Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland, and Haliburton are unavailable as the health unit does not issue updates on Sundays.
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Most of the new cases reported today are in Toronto (633), Peel (547), York (172), Durham (143), and Hamilton (129).
There are double-digit increases reported today in Ottawa (74), Halton (74), Niagara (59), Windsor-Essex (50), Waterloo (48), Middlesex-London (43), Simcoe Muskoka (42), Porcupine (37), Brant (18), Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (18), Southwestern (14), Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge (13), Haldimand-Norfolk (11), and Eastern Ontario (10), with smaller increases in Hastings Prince Edward (9), Huron Perth (7), Lambton (7), Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington (6), Renfrew (6), and Peterborough (6).
The remaining 9 health units are reporting 5 or fewer new cases, with 1 health unit (Timiskaming) reporting no new cases at all.
Of today’s new cases, 62% are among people 39 and younger, with the highest number of cases (904) among people ages 20-39 followed by 596 cases among people ages 40-59 and 451 cases among people 19 and under.
With 3,079 more cases resolved since yesterday, the percentage of resolved cases has increased by 0.2% to at 93.1% — the 27th straight day the percentage of resolved cases has increased. The average positivity rate across Ontario has increased by 0.6% to 6.8%, meaning that 68 out of every 1,000 tests performed were positive for COVID-19 on May 15.
Ontario is reporting 30 new COVID-19 deaths today, with 1 new death in a long-term care home for the second day in a row. Ontario has averaged 25 new daily deaths over the past week, a decrease of 3 from yesterday.
Hospitalizations have fallen by 254 to 1,292, but more than 10% of hospitals did not submit data for today’s report so the actual number of hospitalizations may be higher. The number of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs remains unchanged at 785 and the number of patients with COVID-19 on ventilators has decreased by 8 to 552.
A total of 33,142 tests were completed yesterday, with the backlog of tests under investigation decreasing by 6,974 to 12,559.
A total of 7,064,815 doses of vaccine have now been administered, an increase of 139,583 from yesterday, and 429,636 people have been fully vaccinated with both doses of vaccine, an increase of 6,676 from yesterday.
The number of fully vaccinated people represents 2.92% of Ontario’s population, an increase of 0.05% from yesterday, with fully and partially vaccinated people representing 47.95% of the total population, an increase of 0.95% from yesterday. An estimated 70-90% of the population must be immunized to achieve herd immunity.
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In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 15 new cases to report, including 13 in Peterborough and 2 in Hastings Prince Edward. Numbers for Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland, and Haliburton are unavailable as the health unit does not issue updates on Sundays; numbers for today will be included in tomorrow’s update.
An outbreak at unidentified workplace in Peterborough County was declared on May 16.
There is 1 new COVID-related death in Peterborough, the region’s 18th death.
There is 1 new regional case of a variant of concern, in Hastings Prince Edward.
An additional 19 cases have been resolved, including 12 in Hastings Prince Edward and 7 in Peterborough.
There are currently 241 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, a decrease of 6 from yesterday, including 107 in Peterborough, 53 in Hastings Prince Edward (13 in Quinte West, 23 in Belleville, 1 in Tyendinaga & Deseronto, 5 in Prince Edward County, 8 in Central Hastings, and 3 in North Hastings), 42 in Kawartha Lakes, 30 in Northumberland, and 9 in Haliburton.
Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 1,387 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (1,262 resolved with 18 deaths), 813 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (728 resolved with 56 deaths), 870 in Northumberland County (824 resolved with 16 deaths), 116 in Haliburton County (106 resolved with 1 death), and 1,052 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (989 resolved with 10 deaths). The most recent death was reported in Peterborough on May 16.
The provincial data in this report is pulled from Ontario’s integrated Public Health Information System (iPHIS) at 4 p.m. the previous day, as well as from systems in Toronto, Ottawa, and Middlesex-London at 2 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: 1,387 (increase of 13) Total variants of concern cases: 558 (no change) Active cases: 107 (increase of 4) Close contacts: 293 (increase of 5) Deaths: 18 (increase of 1) Resolved: 1,262 (increase of 7) Hospitalizations (total to date): 61 (no change)* ICU admissions (total to date): 13 (no change) Total tests completed: Over 51,300 (no change) Total vaccine doses administered (residents and non-residents): 66,045 (increase of 5,618 as of May 14) Number of residents who have received first dose: 60,524 Number of residents fully vaccinated: 4,575 (increase of 154 as of May 14) Outbreaks: Unidentified congregate living facility #3 in Peterborough, Helping Hands Day Care in Peterborough County, Unidentified workplace #9 in Peterborough County (increase of 1)**
*As of May 13, Peterborough Regional Health Centre is reporting 12 patients currently hospitalized with COVID-19 (decrease of 1) and a total of 73 patients transferred from other areas as a result of a provincial directive (no change).
**An outbreak at unidentified workplace in Peterborough County was declared on May 16.
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. These numbers are from May 15; numbers for May 16 and 17 will be included in Monday’s report.
Confirmed positive: 1,799, including 813 in Kawartha Lakes, 870 in Northumberland, and 116 in Haliburton (increase of 12, including 8 in Kawartha Lakes and 4 in Northumberland)* Total variants of concern cases: 503, including 200 in Kawartha Lakes, 273 in Northumberland, and 30 in Haliburton (increase of 4, including 3 in Northumberland and 1 in Haliburton) Active cases: 81, including 42 in Kawartha Lakes, 30 in Northumberland, and 9 in Haliburton (decrease of 9, including 6 in Kawartha Lakes, 2 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton) Probable cases: 6, including 5 in Kawartha Lakes and 1 in Northumberland (no change) Hospitalizations (total to date): 66, including 34 in Kawartha Lakes, 29 in Northumberland, and 3 in Haliburton (no change)** Deaths (including among probable cases): 73, including 56 in Kawartha Lakes, 16 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton (no change) Resolved: 1,658, including 728 in Kawartha Lakes, 824 in Northumberland, and 106 in Haliburton (increase of 19, including 12 in Kawartha Lakes, 6 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton) Tests completed: 187,864 (increase of 432) Vaccine doses administered: 79,432 (increase of 7,067 as of May 10) Number of people fully vaccinated: 4,462 (increase of 191 as of May 10) Outbreaks: Staples and Swain Law Office in Lindsay, OPP Offender Transport Lindsay, Dairy Queen in Lindsay (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.
**As of May 14, Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay reports 6 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 (decrease of 2).
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: 1,052 (increase of 2) Confirmed variants of concern cases: 416 (increase of 1) Active cases: 53 (decrease of 10) Deaths: 10 (no change) Currently hospitalized: 14 (decrease of 1) Currently hospitalized and in ICU: 6 (no change) Currently hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 5 (no change) Resolved: 989 (increase of 12) Tests completed: 139,595 (increase of 3,412) Vaccine doses administered: 73,234 (no change) Number of people fully vaccinated: 5,756 (no change) Outbreaks: Quinte 5 at QHC Belleville General Hospital, ICU of QHC Belleville General Hospital, Unidentified child care facility in Belleville, Unidentified workplace in Belleville, Unidentified workplace in Central Hastings, Community outbreak in Hastings Highlands in North Hastings (no change)
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Province of Ontario
Confirmed positive: 509,316 (increase of 2,199) COVID-19 variants of concern (VOC) cases: 107,541 of B.1.1.7 UK variant (increase of 1,498); 677 of B.1.351 South Africa variant (increase of 52); 1,983 of P.1 Brazilian variant (increase of 130) VOC R(t): 0.87 (decrease of 0.05 as May 8)* 7-day average of daily new cases: 2,430 (decrease of 146) Positivity rate: 6.8% (increase of 0.6%) Resolved: 474,175 (increase of 3,079), 93.1% of all cases (increase of 0.2%) Hospitalizations: 1,292 (decrease of 254)** Hospitalizations in ICU: 785 (no change) Hospitalizations in ICU on ventilator: 552 (decrease of 8) Deaths: 8,485 (increase of 30) 7-day average of daily new deaths: 25 (decrease of 3) Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 3,939 (increase of 1) Total tests completed: 14,770,546 (increase of 33,142) Tests under investigation: 12,559 (decrease of 6,974) Vaccination doses administered: 7,064,815 (increase of 139,583), 47.95% of Ontario’s population (increase of 0.95%)*** People fully vaccinated (two doses): 429,636 (increase of 6,676), 2.92% of Ontario’s population (increase of 0.05%)***
*R(t) is a virus’s effective reproduction number, which is the average number of new infections caused by a single infected individual at a specific time (t) in a partially immunized population. To successfully eliminate a disease from a population, R(t) needs to be less than 1.
**The number of hospitalizations may actually be higher as more than 10% of hospitals did not submit data for today’s report.
***An estimated 70-90% of the population must be immunized to achieve herd immunity.
COVID-19 cases in Ontario from April 15 – May 15, 2021. The red line is the number of new cases reported daily, and the dotted green line is a five-day rolling average of new cases. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)COVID-19 tests completed in Ontario from April 15 – May 15, 2021. The red line is the daily number of tests completed, and the dotted green line is a five-day rolling average of tests completed. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)COVID-19 hospitalizations and ICU admissions in Ontario from April 15 – May 15, 2021. The red line is the daily number of COVID-19 hospitalizations, the dotted green line is a five-day rolling 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 rolling average of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)COVID-19 deaths in Ontario from April 15 – May 15, 2021. The red line is the cumulative number of daily deaths, and the dotted green line is a five-day rolling average of daily deaths. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in Ontario from April 15 – May 15, 2021. The red line is the cumulative number of daily doses administered, and the dotted green line is a five-day rolling average of daily doses. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)
The Ganaraska River is one of Ontario's most popular fishing destinations, with a steelhead and rainbow trout run in the spring and a chinook salmon run in the late summer and early fall. (Photo: Port Hope Tourism)
Port Hope police charged four men on Saturday (May 15) under the province’s Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act for visiting Port Hope to fish.
Over the past month, police have been patrolling the Ganaraska River — a popular fishing destination — to enforce a municipal decision to temporarily restrict access to all its lands bordering the river from Molson Street South to Lake Ontario.
The municipality closed the lands on April 23rd, coinciding with the opening weekend of trout fishing, to discourage out-of-town anglers.
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The four men, who appeared to be hiding from police, had travelled from North York, Toronto, Woodbridge, and Markham to fish in Port Hope. Each man received a $880 ticket.
“Port Hope Police will not be stopping a pedestrian or vehicle solely for the purpose of asking where you are from, but we will lay charges if found in contravention of the stay-at-home-orders,” states a police media release.
An intact section of the historic Edgewood dry stone wall in Bobcaygeon. A group of Bobcaygeon volunteers are raising funds to restore the 400-foot wall, built in 1891, for its 130th anniversary in 2021. (Photo: Heritage Evaluation Report, September 2020)
A group of volunteers in Bobcaygeon is working to restore a local historical landmark and are seeking community donations to help fund the project.
When European settlers arrived in Ontario in the 19th century, they brought with them the ancient tradition of dry stone walls — walls constructed from stones without any mortar to hold them together.
Very few dry stone walls are left standing in the Kawarthas, with one notable exception being the Edgewood dry stone wall at 28 Boyd Street in Bobcaygeon.
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The wall was commissioned by W.T.C. “Willy” Boyd, the son of 19th-century lumber baron Mossom Boyd, as an aesthetic wall around the family’s former Edgewood estate built in 1891.
While the estate itself was demolished in 2005 (Case Manor long-term care home now stands in its place), a 400-foot stretch of the dry stone wall along Boyd Street remains intact, although sections of the wall are deteriorating and require repair.
In 2020, a group of volunteers known as Environmental Action Bobcaygeon was successful in having the wall protected through a heritage designation, and is now working to restore the wall this summer for its 130th milestone anniversary.
A view of the full length of the historic Edgewood dry stone wall from County Road 36 in Bobcaygeon. The wall used to surround the Boyd family’s Edgewood estate, which was torn down in 2005 and replaced with Case Manor long-term care home. (Photo: Heritage Evaluation Report, September 2020)
The group has engaged John Shaw Rimmington — a renowned dry stone wall builder and teacher who is also president of the Dry Stone Walling Across Canada organization — to work on the project and to train some volunteers.
While Environmental Action Bobcaygeon has already received several grants and donations towards the estimated $70,000 project cost, including $10,000 from the Bobcaygeon Horticultural Society, it is seeking community donations to the Edgewood Stone Wall Fund at www.edgewoodstonewall.com.
“Now is the time for Bobcaygeon to come together again to help restore and protect the Edgewood wall from further erosion and damage,” says campaign lead Ann Adare. “You can donate to the project at four levels, each representative of one of the unique aspects of dry stone wall construction. All donors will be recognized for their contributions over $25, no matter what level.”
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Building a dry stone wall (also known as a drystack wall) requires a high degree of skill as the builder need to fit stones together in such a way that they are kept in place and the wall remains stable. Common in Britain, Scotland, and Ireland, dry stone walls were usually built using field stone by farmers in rural areas for livestock fencing or to mark property boundaries.
The Edgewood stone wall is an example of a double stack wall, the most common type of dry stone wall. Flat stones are used to create two separate walls, with larger stones spanning the two walls to add strength and stability.
The voids between the two walls are filled with smaller stones called hearting stone, with cap stones (also known as cope stones) placed at the top of the finished triangular-shaped wall.
Dry stone wall terminology. Donation levels for the Edgewood Stone Wall restoration project mirror the dry stone wall construction process, ranging from $25 to $499 for the foundation stone level all the way to $5,000 or more for the cope stone level. All donation levels receive a tax receipt, with higher donations receiving additional recognition. (Graphic: The Stone Trust)
In 2018, UNESCO added the art of dry stone wall construction to its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, in part stating “Such structures testify to the methods and practices used by people from prehistory to today to organize their living and working space by optimising local natural and human resources.”
In the 19th century, it was common for wealthy families such as the Boyds to construct large estates with picturesque landscape design reflecting a rustic aesthetic, including dry stone walls. Both W.T.C. Boyd’s Edgewood estate and his father’s adjacent estate featured dry stone walls as part of the landscape design.
The Edgewood estate was designed by Peterborough architect John E. Belcher, a friend of the Boyd family, who may also have been involved in the landscape design. While it is unknown who actually built the dry stone wall, it’s believed the Boyd family brought over a stone mason from Scotland.
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It’s also believed some of the stone used for the wall came from the construction of the Trent Severn Canal, and that the Boyd family paid local farmers $1 for every load of stone they brought to the Edgewood site.
“With our community’s help, we can ensure our important and beautiful structures live on and preserve our history for future generations,” says Environmental Action Bobcaygeon co-president Richard Fedy.
Environmental Action Bobcaygeon is working in partnership with the Community Foundation of Kawartha Lakes to facilitate community donations. The foundation is providing financial management and team expertise to assist with fundraising efforts for the restoration project.
A section of the historic Edgewood dry stone wall requiring restoration. The wall used to surround the Boyd family’s Edgewood estate, which was torn down in 2005 and replaced with Case Manor long-term care home, pictured in the background. (Photo: Heritage Evaluation Report, September 2020)
As some stones have been lost over the years, the restoration project will need additional stone to restore the wall.
The current owners of the Mossum Boyd property have donated some of the stone from the dry stone walls around their property, which have largely deteriorated, so the heritage of the Edgewood wall can be maintained.
Both Mossom Boyd’s estate and the Edgewood estate of his son, W.T.C. “Willy” Boyd, were surrounded by dry stone walls. The current owners of the Mossom Boyd estate have donated stones from the deteriorated walls to be used to restore the Edgewood wall. (Photo: Boyd Heritage Museum)
Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.
Ontario is reporting 2,584 new cases today, the sixth straight day of increases under 3,000, with 6 of Ontario’s 34 health units reporting triple-digit increases. The seven-day average of daily cases has decreased to 2,576 and the proportion of active cases continues to decline for the 26th day in a row.
Hospitalizations continue to decrease, with a small increase in the number of ICU patients and no change in the number of patients on ventilators. Ontario is reporting 24 deaths today, with 1 new death in a long-term care home.
Ontario administered a record 154,104 vaccine doses yesterday, with 47% of Ontario’s total population now having received at least one dose.
In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 36 new cases to report, with Peterborough reporting 15 new cases for the second day in a row. There are 9 new cases in Hastings Prince Edward, 8 in Kawartha Lakes, and 4 in Northumberland. With an additional 44 cases resolved, active cases have declined across the region by 10 to 247 — except in Peterborough, where they have increased by 4 to 103. See below for detailed information from each health unit in the region.
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Most of the new cases reported today are in Toronto (689), Peel (584), York (252), Durham (157), Hamilton (115), and Ottawa (108).
There are double-digit increases reported today in Halton (91), Waterloo (78), Middlesex-London (71), Niagara (70), Simcoe Muskoka (68), Windsor-Essex (51), Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (36), Porcupine (25), Eastern Ontario (22), Huron Perth (21), Brant (19), Peterborough (17), Lambton (17), Haldimand-Norfolk (16), Grey Bruce (13), and Southwestern (12), with smaller increases in Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington (9), Leeds, Grenville & Lanark (9), Northwestern (7), and Sudbury (7).
The remaining 8 health units are reporting 5 or fewer new cases, with 1 health unit (Renfrew) reporting no new cases at all.
Of today’s new cases, 63% are among people 39 and younger, with the highest number of cases (1,121) among people ages 20-39 followed by 652 cases among people ages 40-59 and 517 cases among people 19 and under.
With 3,063 more cases resolved since yesterday, the percentage of resolved cases has increased by 0.1% to at 92.9% — the 26th straight day the percentage of resolved cases has increased. The average positivity rate across Ontario has increased by 0.1% to 6.2%, meaning that 62 out of every 1,000 tests performed were positive for COVID-19 on May 14.
Ontario is reporting 24 new COVID-19 deaths today, with 1 new death in a long-term care home. Ontario has averaged 28 new daily deaths over the past week (no change from yesterday).
Hospitalizations have decreased by 36 to 1,546, with the number of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs increasing by 8 to 785 and the number of patients with COVID-19 on ventilators remaining at 560.
A total of 42,320 tests were completed yesterday, with the backlog of tests under investigation decreasing by 2,704 to 19,533.
A total of 6,925,232 doses of vaccine have now been administered, a record increase of 154,104 from yesterday, and 422,960 people have been fully vaccinated with both doses of vaccine, an increase of 7,429 from yesterday.
The number of fully vaccinated people represents 2.87% of Ontario’s population, an increase of 0.05% from yesterday, with fully and partially vaccinated people representing 47% of the total population, an increase of 1.05% from yesterday. An estimated 70-90% of the population must be immunized to achieve herd immunity.
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In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 36 new cases to report, including 15 in Peterborough, 9 in Hastings Prince Edward, 8 in Kawartha Lakes, and 4 in Northumberland. There are no new cases in Haliburton.
There are 11 new regional cases of variants of concern, including 5 in Hastings Prince Edward, 3 in Northumberland, 2 in Peterborough, and 1 in Haliburton.
There is 1 new hospitalization in Peterborough.
An additional 44 cases have been resolved, including 14 in Hastings Prince Edward, 12 in Kawartha Lakes, 11 in Peterborough, 6 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton. An outbreak at Sunshine Daycare in Peterborough was declared resolved on May 15.
There are currently 247 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, a decrease of 10 from yesterday, including 103 in Peterborough, 63 in Hastings Prince Edward (13 in Quinte West, 28 in Belleville, 2 in Tyendinaga & Deseronto, 6 in Prince Edward County, 8 in Central Hastings, and 6 in North Hastings), 42 in Kawartha Lakes, 30 in Northumberland, and 9 in Haliburton.
Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 1,375 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (1,255 resolved with 17 deaths), 813 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (728 resolved with 56 deaths), 870 in Northumberland County (824 resolved with 16 deaths), 116 in Haliburton County (106 resolved with 1 death), and 1,051 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (978 resolved with 10 deaths). The most recent death was reported in Northumberland on May 12.
The provincial data in this report is pulled from Ontario’s integrated Public Health Information System (iPHIS) at 4 p.m. the previous day, as well as from systems in Toronto, Ottawa, and Middlesex-London at 2 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: 1,375 (increase of 15) Total variants of concern cases: 558 (increase of 2) Active cases: 103 (increase of 4) Close contacts: 288 (decrease of 16) Deaths: 17 (no change) Resolved: 1,255 (increase of 11) Hospitalizations (total to date): 61 (increase of 1)* ICU admissions (total to date): 13 (no change) Total tests completed: Over 51,300 (increase of 100) Total vaccine doses administered (residents and non-residents): 66,045 (increase of 5,618 as of May 14) Number of residents who have received first dose: 60,524 Number of residents fully vaccinated: 4,575 (increase of 154 as of May 14) Outbreaks: Unidentified congregate living facility #3 in Peterborough, Helping Hands Day Care in Peterborough County (decrease of 1)**
*As of May 13, Peterborough Regional Health Centre is reporting 12 patients currently hospitalized with COVID-19 (decrease of 1) and a total of 73 patients transferred from other areas as a result of a provincial directive (no change).
**An outbreak at Sunshine Daycare in Peterborough was declared resolved on May 15.
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: 1,799, including 813 in Kawartha Lakes, 870 in Northumberland, and 116 in Haliburton (increase of 12, including 8 in Kawartha Lakes and 4 in Northumberland)* Total variants of concern cases: 503, including 200 in Kawartha Lakes, 273 in Northumberland, and 30 in Haliburton (increase of 4, including 3 in Northumberland and 1 in Haliburton) Active cases: 81, including 42 in Kawartha Lakes, 30 in Northumberland, and 9 in Haliburton (decrease of 9, including 6 in Kawartha Lakes, 2 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton) Probable cases: 6, including 5 in Kawartha Lakes and 1 in Northumberland (no change) Hospitalizations (total to date): 66, including 34 in Kawartha Lakes, 29 in Northumberland, and 3 in Haliburton (no change)** Deaths (including among probable cases): 73, including 56 in Kawartha Lakes, 16 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton (no change) Resolved: 1,658, including 728 in Kawartha Lakes, 824 in Northumberland, and 106 in Haliburton (increase of 19, including 12 in Kawartha Lakes, 6 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton) Tests completed: 187,864 (increase of 432) Vaccine doses administered: 79,432 (increase of 7,067 as of May 10) Number of people fully vaccinated: 4,462 (increase of 191 as of May 10) Outbreaks: Staples and Swain Law Office in Lindsay, OPP Offender Transport Lindsay, Dairy Queen in Lindsay (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.
**As of May 14, Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay reports 6 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 (decrease of 2).
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: 1,051 (increase of 9) Confirmed variants of concern cases: 416 (increase of 5) Active cases: 63 (decrease of 5) Deaths: 10 (no change) Currently hospitalized: 15 (decrease of 2) Currently hospitalized and in ICU: 6 (decrease of 1) Currently hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 5 (no change) Resolved: 978 (increase of 14) Tests completed: 136,183 (no change) Vaccine doses administered: 73,234 (increase of 1,554) Number of people fully vaccinated: 5,756 (increase of 540) Outbreaks: Quinte 5 at QHC Belleville General Hospital, ICU of QHC Belleville General Hospital, Unidentified child care facility in Belleville, Unidentified workplace in Belleville, Unidentified workplace in Central Hastings, Community outbreak in Hastings Highlands in North Hastings (no change)
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Province of Ontario
Confirmed positive: 507,117 (increase of 2,584) COVID-19 variants of concern (VOC) cases: 106,043 of B.1.1.7 UK variant (increase of 2,179); 625 of B.1.351 South Africa variant (increase of 31); 1,853 of P.1 Brazilian variant (increase of 107) VOC R(t): 0.87 (decrease of 0.05 as May 8)* 7-day average of daily new cases: 2,576 (decrease of 40) Positivity rate: 6.2% (increase of 0.1%) Resolved: 471,096 (increase of 3,063), 92.9% of all cases (increase of 0.1%) Hospitalizations: 1,546 (decrease of 36) Hospitalizations in ICU: 785 (increase of 8) Hospitalizations in ICU on ventilator: 560 (no change) Deaths: 8,455 (increase of 24) 7-day average of daily new deaths: 28 (no change) Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 3,938 (increase of 1) Total tests completed: 14,737,404 (increase of 42,320) Tests under investigation: 19,533 (decrease of 2,704) Vaccination doses administered: 6,925,232 (increase of 154,104), 47.00% of Ontario’s population (increase of 1.05%)** People fully vaccinated (two doses): 422,960 (increase of 7,429), 2.87% of Ontario’s population (increase of 0.05%)**
*R(t) is a virus’s effective reproduction number, which is the average number of new infections caused by a single infected individual at a specific time (t) in a partially immunized population. To successfully eliminate a disease from a population, R(t) needs to be less than 1.
**An estimated 70-90% of the population must be immunized to achieve herd immunity.
COVID-19 cases in Ontario from April 14 – May 14, 2021. The red line is the number of new cases reported daily, and the dotted green line is a five-day rolling average of new cases. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)COVID-19 tests completed in Ontario from April 14 – May 14, 2021. The red line is the daily number of tests completed, and the dotted green line is a five-day rolling average of tests completed. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)COVID-19 hospitalizations and ICU admissions in Ontario from April 14 – May 14, 2021. The red line is the daily number of COVID-19 hospitalizations, the dotted green line is a five-day rolling 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 rolling average of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)COVID-19 deaths in Ontario from April 14 – May 14, 2021. The red line is the cumulative number of daily deaths, and the dotted green line is a five-day rolling average of daily deaths. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in Ontario from April 14 – May 14, 2021. The red line is the cumulative number of daily doses administered, and the dotted green line is a five-day rolling average of daily doses. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)
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