Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement for the southern Kawarthas region for strong wind gusts of 70 to 80 km/h on Sunday (November 15).
The special weather statement applies to southern Peterborough County, southern Kawartha Lakes, and all of Northumberland County.
A strengthening low pressure system is forecast to track across northeastern Ontario on Sunday, with winds strengthening throughout the day.
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The highest winds are expected to be ushered in with the passage of a cold front, where southwest winds gusting up to 80 km/h are forecast.
This front will move through southwestern Ontario beginning Sunday morning and through the Toronto to Barrie corridor in the afternoon.
Local power outages are possible. Strong winds may toss loose objects or cause tree branches to break.
Wind will slowly ease Sunday night into Monday morning.
Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.
Today, Ontario is reporting 1,396 new COVID-19 cases. This is the eighth straight day of more than 1,000 new daily cases, with the average number of daily cases over the past eight days at 1,311.
Most of today’s new cases are in Toronto (440), Peel (440), and York (155), with smaller increases in Halton (55), Waterloo (43), Hamilton (43), Ottawa (41), Durham (41), Simcoe Muskoka (27), Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (19), Windsor-Essex (17), Niagara (12), Brant County (10), Huron Perth (9), Sudbury (6), and Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington (6).
The remaining 18 health units are reporting 5 or fewer new cases, with only 4 health units reporting no new cases at all.
Of today’s cases, 52% are among people under 40 years of age, with 514 cases among people ages 20 to 39. With 1,018 more cases resolved since yesterday, the percentage of resolved cases has dropped by 0.2% to 83.6%. The average positivity rate across Ontario has increased by 0.2% to 4.5%, meaning that 45 out of every 1,000 tests performed were positive for COVID-19 on November 12.
For the eleventh day in a row, there has been a double-digit increase in the number of deaths, with 19 new deaths reported today, 10 of which were in long-term care facilities. Hospitalizations have increased by 21 to 452, with 8 more patients with COVID-19 in ICUs and 5 more patients on ventilators.
A total of 40,509 tests were completed yesterday, and the backlog of tests under investigation has increased by 2,530 to 44,507.
There are 116 new cases in Ontario schools, an increase of 13 from yesterday, with 56 student cases, 13 staff cases, and 47 cases among unidentified individuals. There are 22 cases in licensed child care settings, an increase of 12 from yesterday, with 11 cases among children and 11 cases among staff.
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There are 12 new cases to report in the greater Kawarthas region, including 4 in Peterborough, 4 in Northumberland, 3 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties, and 1 in Kawartha Lakes. There are no new cases in Haliburton. One additional case has been resolved in Peterborough.
In Northumberland County, an outbreak has been declared at Northumberland Hills Hospital in Cobourg after a second staff person tested positive for COVID-19 on November 13; the first case in a staff person at the hospital was confirmed on November 11, but an outbreak was not declared at that time. An outbreak at Warkworth Place was declared over on November 13; the outbreak was declared on October 29 after a symptomatic staff person tested positive for COVID-19.
None of the reported new cases in Ontario schools and child care settings are in the greater Kawarthas region.
There are now 26 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, including 15 in Peterborough, 6 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties, 2 in Kawartha Lakes, and 3 in Northumberland.
Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 170 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (151 resolved with 4 deaths), 189 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (168 resolved with 32 deaths), 57 in Northumberland County (51 resolved with 1 death), 22 in Haliburton County (22 resolved with no deaths), and 87 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (76 resolved with 5 deaths). The most recent death was reported in Peterborough on November 12.
Province-wide, there have been 91,180 confirmed cases, an increase of 1,396 from yesterday, with 76,238 cases resolved (83.6% of all cases), an increase of 1,018. There have been 3,312 deaths, an increase of 19 from yesterday, with 2,109 deaths in long-term care homes, an increase of 10 from yesterday. The number of hospitalizations has increased by 21 to 452, with 8 additional patients with COVID-19 in ICUs and 5 additional patients on ventilators. A total of 5,556,879 tests have been completed, an increase of 40,509 from yesterday, with 44,507 tests under investigation, an increase of 2,530 from yesterday.
The provincial data in this report is pulled from Ontario’s integrated Public Health Information System (iPHIS) at 4 p.m. the previous day. Health unit data is more current, and is usually reflected in the provincial data the following day.
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.
Confirmed positive: 170 (increase of 4) Active cases: 15 (increase of 3) Close contacts: 8 (decrease of 1) Deaths: 4 (no change) Resolved: 151 (increase of 1) Hospitalizations (total to date): 10 (no change) Total tests completed: Over 35,400 (increase of 50) Institutional outbreaks: Fairhaven (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 Friday, excluding statutory holidays.
Confirmed positive: 268, including 189 in Kawartha Lakes, 57 in Northumberland, 22 in Haliburton (increase of 5, including 1 in Kawartha Lakes and 4 in Northumberland) Active cases: 7, including 2 in Kawartha Lakes and 3 in Northumberland (increase of 5, including 1 in Kawartha Lakes and 4 in Northumberland) Probable cases: 0 (no change) High-risk contacts: 22, including 8 in Kawartha Lakes, 11 in Northumberland, and 3 in Haliburton (decrease of 2) Hospitalizations (total to date): 15, including 11 in Kawartha Lakes, 3 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton (no change) Deaths: 33 (no change) Resolved: 241, including 168 in Kawartha Lakes, 51 in Northumberland, 22 in Haliburton (no change) Institutional outbreaks: Northumberland Hills Hospital in Cobourg*
*An outbreak has been declared at Northumberland Hills Hospital in Cobourg after a second staff person tested positive for COVID-19 on November 13; the first case in a staff person at the hospital was confirmed on November 11, but an outbreak was not declared at that time. An outbreak at Warkworth Place was declared over on November 13; the outbreak was declared on October 29 after a symptomatic staff person tested positive for COVID-19.
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 reports from Monday to Friday, excluding statutory holidays.
Confirmed positive: 87 (increase of 3) Active cases: 6 (increase of 3) Deaths: 5 (no change) Hospitalized (total to date): 7 (no change) Hospitalized and in ICU (total to date): 2 (no change) Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator (total to date): 2 (no change) Resolved: 76 (no change) Total tests completed: 6,986 (increase of 53) Institutional outbreaks: None (no change)
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Province of Ontario
Confirmed positive: 91,180 (increase of 1,396) Resolved: 76,238 (increase of 1,018, 83.6% of all cases) Hospitalized: 452 (increase of 21) Hospitalized and in ICU: 106 (increase of 8) Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 67 (increase of 5) Deaths: 3,312 (increase of 19) Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 2,109 (increase of 10) Total tests completed: 5,556,879 (increase of 40,509) Tests under investigation: 44,507 (increase of 2,530)
New COVID-19 cases in Ontario from October 13 – November 12, 2020. 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 October 13 – November 12, 2020. 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)
Ontario Premier Doug Ford announces changes to the government's COVID-19 colour-coding system for Ontario health unit regions at a media conference at Queen's Park on November 13, 2020. The changes come a day after Ontario's top public health officials released new modelling data projecting Ontario could have 7,000 new daily COVID-19 cases by the end of December. (CPAC screenshot)
With Ontario’s top public health officials now projecting up to 7,000 daily COVID-19 cases in Ontario by the end of December, the Ontario government is lowering the thresholds of its colour-coded system for public health unit regions and moving additional health units into more restrictive levels.
Premier Doug Ford made the announcement on Friday afternoon (November 13) at a media conference along with health minister Christine Elliott and Ontario’s chief medical officer of health Dr. David Williams.
“Yesterday, our top doctors and health experts provided us with updated modelling, and what we saw was alarming,” Ford said. “If we don’t take action, if we don’t change course in a big way, Ontario’s on track for 6,500 new cases per day.”
“That’s 6,500 more people who will catch this awful virus each and every day, and based on current projections, intensive care units could be overwhelmed in six weeks. The impact on our hospitals would be absolutely devastating. As Premier, I can’t accept that and I won’t accept that.”
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For each of the five levels in its colour-coded system, the government will be lowering the thresholds that determine when a public health unit is moved into a more restrictive level. Since it released the colour-coded system on November 3rd, the government has been criticized that the thresholds were set at too high a level.
With the November 13th announcement, the thresholds will be lowered for weekly incidence rates, positivity rate, effective reproductive number (Rt), outbreak trends, and the level of community transmission.
As a result, the public health units for Toronto, Hamilton, Halton, and York will move into the Red-Control level.
Brant County, Durham, Eastern Ontario Health Unit, Niagara, Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph, and Waterloo will move into the Orange-Restrict level.
Huron Perth, Middlesex-London, Sudbury, Southwestern Public Health, and Windsor-Essex will move into the Yellow-Protect level.
The changes take effect at 12:01 a.m. on Monday (November 16), except for Toronto, which will move into the Red-Control level at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday (November 14).
The remaining health units in Ontario, including the three health units in the greater Kawarthas region (Peterborough Public Health, Hastings and Prince Edward Counties Public Health, and Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit), remain in the Green-Prevent level.
Adalsteinn Brown, dean of the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto, discusses updated COVID-19 modelling projections at a media conference at Queen’s Park on November 12, 2020. If current restrictions are not changed, Ontario is on track to see up to 7,000 new daily COVID-19 cases by the end of December. (Ontario Parliament screenshot)
The government’s decision to modify the framework comes one day after updated modelling projections presented at a media briefing on Thursday afternoon (November 12) by Dr. David Williams, Ontario’s chief medical officer of health, along with Adalsteinn Brown, dean of the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto, and Dr. Dirk Huyer, Ontario’s chief coronor and coordinator of the province’s COVID-19 response.
In a slide presentation during the media briefing, Brown compared Ontario’s COVID-19 situation to that of European countries.
When the data for the presentation was pulled together, Brown said, Ontario’s seven-day daily growth rate was at three per cent, already surpassing the growth rate in Germany that resulted in a four-week partial lockdown in that country on November 2nd. By the end of December, Ontario would exceed the growth rate in France — already in lockdown — with between 3,000 and 4,000 daily cases by the end of December.
“When we built these models a few days ago, three per cent was a reasonable way of capturing the average seven-day growth in total number of cases,” Brown explained. “Seven-day growth is actually probably closer to about four per cent right now, so it’s climbing up.”
At a five per cent daily growth rate, Ontario would see between 6,000 and 7,000 daily cases by the end of December — exceeding the growth rate in Germany, France, and the UK, and approaching the growth rate in the Netherlands.
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Brown emphasized that even small changes in the rate of growth result in large changes in the number of cases, and that Ontario’s growth rate could actually be higher than five per cent — resulting in even more than 7,000 daily cases.
“The three-day rate of growth a few days was about five per cent — it’s now six per cent,” Brown said. “So if the last few days is a reasonable point of extrapolation, it’s fair to say that the five per cent is a current, or maybe slightly optimistic, scenario.”
In addition to the growth rate, Brown said the number of cases in long-term care homes continues to accelerate, with a substantial increase in cumulative mortality — with 71 deaths in the past seven days.
“As case rates climb, we expect mortality to climb as well,” Brown said.
When it comes to hospitalizations, there has been a 61 per cent increase over the past three weeks, and a 167 per cent increase over the past six weeks.
“It is still a relatively low number of hospitalization compared to the total number of hospital beds in the province,” Brown noted. “But it’s important to keep in mind as well that our hospitals run very close to capacity at all times.”
Brown said there is some good news — the average length of stay in hospital for patients with COVID-19 has declined, especially for patients receiving ventilation in intensive care units (ICUs).
However, Brown added that the ICU occupancy in any of the modelling scenarios will exceed 150 beds within two or three weeks — the threshold for reducing access to care for non-COVID patients.
“Before the end of December though — within about six weeks — almost all of our scenarios take us well over 200 ICU beds being occupied, and in the worst-case scenario we get up close to 450 ICU beds occupied with COVID-19 patients.”
Brown said this would place significant limitations on the health system’s ability to react to additional patient needs and access to care.
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After Brown’s presentation, Dr. Dirk Huyer provided information on outbreaks and community transmission during the second wave of COVID-19 in Ontario.
He said there were 29 new outbreaks reported on November 12, including 18 outbreaks in the vulnerable sector and the school sector, six in the public-facing sector including retail and other settings where the public attend, and five in workplaces.
There has been a 57 per cent increase in the number of outbreaks over the past week, at 168, with 632 outbreaks over the past month. Outbreaks have been reported in 22 of Ontario’s 34 public health units, expanding beyond the vulnerable sector and schools.
“It’s important to remember that, while outbreaks are something that’s identifiable, it’s 10 per cent of the cases,” Huyer said.
Huyer added that, while outbreaks are not representative of community transmission, they provide a proxy of community spread in social settings.
Data provided by the Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table shows that 40 to 60 per cent of cases are due to community transmission, but the source of the infection is unknown. However, evidence shows social gatherings in public and private settings must be responsible, including settings as indoor dining at restaurants.
“The increased number of cases and the increased number of contacts make it very challenging to be able to identify the source,” Huyer said.
“Because trying to understand the complexities of case management, with many people that you intersect with, makes it very difficult to sort backwards and try to figure out where the transmission actually occurred, and then also challenging to be able to contact and connect with all of those who might have been in contact in a high-risk situation, which is important to stop the spread.”
Huyer added that many of the outbreaks have been associated with specific social gatherings, including Halloween parties, weddings, and places of worship, where people get infected and then spread the virus in other settings.
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In his concluding remarks, Dr. Williams said that, after eight months of the pandemic, Ontarians are tired of the restrictions and want to get together with others, but social gatherings are feeding the spread of the virus.
“This is a critical time for our province. We know how difficult these past few months have been for everyone — Ontario’s communities, businesses, and families. But the challenge is we need to get these numbers down, to protect the health and safety of Ontarians and to protect our health care system from being overwhelmed, especially as we enter respiratory virus season and flu season.”
Williams said “time is of the essence” when it comes to taking action to address the growth rate.
In response to a reporter’s question, Brown said the growth rate would continue as projected if existing restrictions were not modified.
When another reporter asked if additional restrictions should be implemented in the province’s hotspots, Brown’s answer was straightforwards.
“If the goal is to reduce the number of cases, and the goal is to reduce the impact on the health system, then yes.”
Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) is located at 1 Hospital Drive in Peterborough. (Photo: PRHC)
The COVID-19 assessment centre at Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) is expanding to double its capacity and to assess patients with moderate respiratory symptoms who might otherwise go to the hospital’s emergency department.
According to a media release from the hospital on Friday (November 13), the expansion in the capacity and scope of the assessment centre is in response to the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and to prepare for “an anticipated seasonal surge in patient volumes in our community.”
The expanded centre will double the medical assessment and testing capacity to accommodate as many as 200 people every day, and will divert away from the emergency department those patients with moderate respiratory symptoms who require a physician assessment.
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While the assessment centre will be moving into a larger space, it will still be in the same location at the northwest corner of the hospital. It will also provide improved accessibility for patients, the hospital states.
To accommodate the move into the new space, the centre will be closed next Tuesday (November 17) and will reopen the following day at noon.
The booking process and screening criteria will remain the same at the expanded centre.
The PRHC assessment centre is for people who have COVID-19 symptoms and need to be assessed by a doctor. Contact the centre directly by phone at 705-876-5086 to determine whether an appointment is required. This phone line is staffed daily from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
People with severe COVID-19 symptoms should call 911 or go to the hospital’s emergency department.
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People with mild COVID-19 symptoms, or who meet the other criteria for COVID-19 testing, and don’t need to be assessed by a doctor can book an appointment at the testing centre at Northcrest Arena (100 Marina Blvd., Peterborough).
For people without COVID-19 symptoms, testing is available by appointment at Shoppers Drug Mart (741 Lansdowne St. W., Peterborough).
On the heels of another record increase of COVID-19 cases in Ontario, Premier Doug Ford urges Ontarians to follow public health advice at a media conference at Heddle Shipyards in Hamilton on November 12, 2020. (CPAC screenshot)
Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.
For the third day in a row, Ontario is reporting a record increase of COVID-19 cases, with 1,575 new cases today — breaking yesterday’s record of 1,426 new cases. This is the seventh straight day of more than 1,000 new daily cases, with the average number of daily cases over the past week now standing at 1,299.
At a media conference at Heddle Shipyards in Hamilton, Ontario Premier Doug Ford urged Ontarians to follow public health advice, including staying home if you’re sick and avoiding large gatherings.
“We’re seeing the numbers all over the world, all over Canada, and right here in Ontario — they’re climbing, and they’re going in the wrong direction,” Ford said. “It’s concerning, it’s alarming, and we have to stay on high alert.”
“I’m asking people to be responsible,” Ford added. “We’ve now learned that eight sick people all attended two separate weddings. No-one is immune to this virus, but a small chance to see friends and family led to 17 confirmed cases. When we do the contact tracing and follow-up, some of these people have been in contact with 50 people. Do the math — that’s 850 people.”
“This is how the virus spreads when we don’t follow simple public health advice,” Ford added. “We’ve implemented new protocols to keep people safe, protocols that allow us to celebrate life’s special moments like weddings, but they depend on each of us doing our part. If you’re sick, please stay at home and get tested. Keep two metres apart. Wear a mask. And please don’t gather in large groups. I know we’re all tired of this pandemic, but we need to stay strong, we need to stick together. That’s how we’ll get through this.”
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Most of today’s new cases are in Toronto (472), Peel (448), and York (155), with smaller increases in Ottawa (91), Durham (61), Waterloo (58), Halton (54), Windsor-Essex (39), Hamilton (30), Niagara (27), Middlesex-London (23), Simcoe Muskoka (20), Southwestern Public Health (14), Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (14), Chatham-Kent (13), Eastern Ontario Health Unit (12), Huron Perth (10), and Sudbury (8).
The remaining 16 health units are reporting 5 or fewer new cases, with only 5 health units reporting no new cases at all.
Of today’s cases, 51% are among people 40 years of age and older, but the highest number of cases (533) are among people ages 20 to 39. With 917 more cases resolved since yesterday, the percentage of resolved cases has dropped by 0.4% to 83.8%. The positivity rate has decreased by 0.8% to 4.3%, meaning that 43 out of every 1,000 tests performed were positive for COVID-19 on November 11.
For the tenth day in a row, there has been a double-digit increase in the number of deaths, with 18 new deaths reported today, 12 of which were in long-term care facilities. Hospitalizations have increased by 7 to 431, with 10 more patients with COVID-19 in ICUs and 5 more patients on ventilators.
A total of 39,559 tests were completed yesterday, and the backlog of tests under investigation has increased by 7,517 to 41,977.
There are 103 new cases in Ontario schools, a decrease of 95 from yesterday, with 51 student cases, 14 staff cases, and 38 cases among unidentified individuals. There are 10 cases in licensed child care settings, a decrease of 9 from yesterday, with 5 cases among children and 5 cases among staff.
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In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 2 new cases to report in Peterborough, 2 new cases in Hastings and Prince Edward counties, and 1 new case in Northumberland (a previous case transferred from another health unit).
There is 1 new death in Peterborough, after a second resident at Fairhaven long-term care facility who tested positive for COVID-19 died.
Two additional cases have been resolved in Northumberland, and an additional case resolved in Haliburton (all cases in Haliburton are now resolved).
There are no new cases in Kawartha Lakes or Haliburton, and none of the reported new cases in Ontario schools and child care settings are in the greater Kawarthas region.
There are currently 17 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, including 12 in Peterborough, 3 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties, 1 in Kawartha Lakes, and 1 in Northumberland.
Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 166 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (150 resolved with 4 deaths), 188 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (168 resolved with 32 deaths), 53 in Northumberland County (51 resolved with 1 death), 22 in Haliburton County (22 resolved with no deaths), and 84 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (76 resolved with 5 deaths). The most recent death was reported in Peterborough on November 12.
Province-wide, there have been 89,784 confirmed cases, an increase of 1,575 from yesterday, with 75,220 cases resolved (83.8% of all cases), an increase of 917. There have been 3,293 deaths, an increase of 18 from yesterday, with 2,099 deaths in long-term care homes, an increase of 12 from yesterday. The number of hospitalizations has increased by 7 to 431, with 10 additional patients with COVID-19 in ICUs and 5 additional patients on ventilators. A total of 5,516,370 tests have been completed, an increase of 39,559 from yesterday, with 41,977 tests under investigation, an increase of 7,517 from yesterday.
The provincial data in this report is pulled from Ontario’s integrated Public Health Information System (iPHIS) at 4 p.m. the previous day. Health unit data is more current, and is usually reflected in the provincial data the following day.
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.
Confirmed positive: 166 (increase of 2) Active cases: 12 (increase of 1) Close contacts: 9 (decrease of 1) Deaths: 4 (increase of 1) Resolved: 150 (no change) Hospitalizations (total to date): 10 (no change) Total tests completed: Over 35,350 (increase of 100) Institutional outbreaks: Fairhaven (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 Friday, excluding statutory holidays.
Confirmed positive: 263, including 188 in Kawartha Lakes, 53 in Northumberland, 22 in Haliburton (increase of 1 in Northumberland)* Active cases: 2, including 1 in Kawartha Lakes and 1 in Northumberland (net decrease of 2) Probable cases: 0 (no change) High-risk contacts: 22, including 8 in Kawartha Lakes, 11 in Northumberland, and 3 in Haliburton (decrease of 2) Hospitalizations (total to date): 15, including 11 in Kawartha Lakes, 3 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton (no change) Deaths: 33 (no change) Resolved: 241, including 168 in Kawartha Lakes, 51 in Northumberland, 22 in Haliburton (increase of 3, including 2 in Northumberland and 1 in Haliburton) Institutional outbreaks: Warkworth Long Term Care (no change)
*One previously identified case for a neighbouring health unit has been assigned to Northumberland County based on where the person resided when they were identified as a case.
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 reports from Monday to Friday, excluding statutory holidays.
Confirmed positive: 84 (increase of 2) Active cases: 3 (increase of 2) Deaths: 5 (no change) Hospitalized (total to date): 7 (no change) Hospitalized and in ICU (total to date): 2 (no change) Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator (total to date): 2 (no change) Resolved: 76 (no change) Total tests completed: 6,933 (increase of 121) Institutional outbreaks: None (no change)
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Province of Ontario
Confirmed positive: 89,784 (increase of 1,575) Resolved: 75,220 (increase of 917, 83.8% of all cases) Hospitalized: 431 (increase of 7) Hospitalized and in ICU: 98 (increase of 10) Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 62 (increase of 5) Deaths: 3,293 (increase of 18) Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 2,099 (increase of 12) Total tests completed: 5,516,370 (increase of 39,559) Tests under investigation: 41,977 (increase of 7,517)
New COVID-19 cases in Ontario from October 12 – November 11, 2020. 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 October 12 – November 11, 2020. 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)
Fairhaven is a municipal long-term care home facility located at 881 Dutton Road in Peterborough. (Photo: Fairhaven)
An outbreak of COVID-19 at Fairhaven Long-Term Care in Peterborough has resulted in the death of a second resident in just two days, and the isolation of five additional residents who have tested positive for the virus.
During the weekly Peterborough Public Health briefing held Thursday (November 12), Fairhaven executive director Lionel Towns confirmed all of the infected residents, who reside in the Westview 2 Area, are isolated in Fairhaven’s Great Room — which was converted earlier into an isolation unit sealed off from the rest of the facility.
“Fairhaven has lost two of our residents which has devastated our staff and, of course, their families during this already bleak period,” said Towns.
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“Out of an abundance of caution, all residents in the Westview 2 Area are in isolation and all of our support staff are cohorted with this home area. For the remainder of the home, there is a strict plan of cohorting of staff. Our goal is stop the spread not just within the Westview 2 Area but also the other home areas.”
“We’re not expecting any more (positive cases) but there could be,” Towns added. “We feel we’re on the right track to capping the number but the virus is incredibly heinous. We’re trying now to protect people based on when they could have been exposed.”
The effect of the pandemic, and now the outbreak, on both Fairhaven staff and residents is clear, said Towns.
“They’re scared and they’re tired of the pandemic, wishing they were out of the isolation that they’re feeling and going back to pre-pandemic times. They’re missing interactions with each other and their families. It’s very tough on them. There’s no way of sugarcoating it. There’s a lot of fear.”
In an email sent Wednesday morning to residents’ families, Towns noted “the terrible darkness” in the aftermath of the death of a second Fairhaven resident Tuesday night, crediting his staff for their “immense bravery and dedication” as they care for residents day to day.
“We went through several months of nothing and now we’re in the middle of one (an outbreak),” added Towns.
“Everybody’s a bit numb. We felt we had prepared extremely well. There was a lot of confidence amongst staff and our residents and their families. Frustrating is too weak a word.”
“We’ve had to look at the situation and try to move two steps forward and implement plans to ensure people are safe depending on what we think could happen.”
In addition to the five active Fairhaven resident cases, a caregiver also tested positive. Towns confirmed that individual is not a Fairhaven employee but provided no further details.
Westview 2 is the same unit that was visited by the caregiver, who tested positive on October 31st, prompting Peterborough Public Health to declare an outbreak at the home.
The two deaths that have resulted from this outbreak bring to four the number of COVID-related deaths in Peterborough Public Health’s catchment area of Peterborough city and county, Curve Lake, and Hiawatha.
As of 4 p.m. Wednesday (November 11), the region has seen a total of 164 total positive cases — an increase of 12 since last week. There are a total of 11 active cases, including the eight associated with the Fairhaven outbreak. In addition, public health staff are currently following 10 close contacts who are at higher risk of contracting the virus due to their contact with an infected person.
While Peterborough Medical Officer of Health Dr. Rosana Salvaterra admits to being “worried” in regards to the Fairhaven outbreak, she expressed her “full confidence in Fairhaven.”
“They (Fairhaven staff) have always taken infection prevention control very seriously. There is optimism that we can bring this under control but, at same time, recognizing the extreme vulnerability of these residents.”
A 40-year-old Peterborough man has been arrested and charged with several charges including uttering threats after a nationwide police investigation.
The man is accused of sending threats through email to various libraries, schools, and hotels across Ontario and in Vancouver on Monday and Tuesday (November 9 and 10).
Peterborough police began an investigation after receiving information the emails were being sent from an address in Peterborough.
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At around 10:10 p.m. on Tuesday morning, investigators executed a search warrant on a Rubidge Street residence.
As a result of the investigation, 40-year-old Joshua Kimble of Rubidge Street was arrested and charged with eight counts of conveying a false message, eight counts of public mischief, and two counts of uttering threats to cause death and or bodily harm.
Kimble was held in custody and attended court on Wednesday. He was remanded in custody and will appear in court again on Friday, November 13th.
Police have found a three-year-old child who became lost in the woods on Thursday morning (November 12) in Selwyn Township.
The child had been playing with other children in a wooded area behind a residence on Highway 28 prior to becoming separated from the group
Peterborough County OPP were called at around 10 a.m. on Thursday and — along with members of the Central Region Emergency Response Team, Central Region Canine Unit, and the Curve Lake Detachment of the Anishinabek Police Service — conducted a search of the area.
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At around 10:35 a.m., the child was found in good condition and transported out of the woods.
Paramedics assessed the child, who did not require medical attention.
An OPP helicopter had been called in to assist in the search, but was cancelled before it arrived.
If you have a birdfeeder in your backyard, you can get chickadees to come to you by temporarily removing the feeder and instead holding seeds in your hand. This is a fun way to connect with your natural surroundings in late fall and throughout the winter. (Photo: Leif Einarson)
Each week, GreenUP provides a story related to the environment. This week’s story is by Leif Einarson, Communications and Marketing Specialist at GreenUP.
It’s no coincidence that Mental Health Awareness Day falls on November 4th.
This can be a challenging time of year for taking care of our mental health, and the ongoing pandemic does not help.
If you find yourself feeling down, here are a few happiness suggestions to consider.
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1. Awe walks in nature
We already know that spending time in nature benefits to our mental and emotional health.
How exactly do we find “green space” in November, you might ask? Right now, things are more brown and bare than green.
A recent study, however, demonstrates that benefits of time spent in nature have more to do with our intentions than the seasons. The study compared two groups of adults. Both groups were asked to take 15 minute walks every day for eight weeks. The first group was given no instructions about how to take those walks, but the second group was told to find “awe” or “wonder” in their natural surroundings.
Late fall is a great time of year to enjoy getting cozy in your space and in nature. GreenUP’s Vern and Beige have been busy “tucking in” all the trees at the Ecology Park Nursery with a cozy blanket of fall leaves. (Photo: Leif Einarson)
As a result, that second group demonstrated “greater joy” during their walks and “measurably broader smiles” than the first group. The second group also demonstrated “greater decreases in daily distress over time” as well as greater increases in positive emotions and feelings of social connection.
Two great ways to enjoy awe walks at this time of year are by wondering at silence and darkness.
There is something soothing about the silence of a forest or wetland in late fall. The leafless trees are quiet. Most songbirds have migrated. The frogs are hibernating.
In his lovely book Nature’s Year in the Kawarthas, local naturalist Drew Monkman describes November beautifully as a “hush upon the land.” I think that silence is a gift, especially in troubled times.
“Nature’s Year” by local naturalist Drew Monkman is an almanac of the key events occurring in the natural world over the course of a year in the Kawartha Lakes district. An excellent resource to enjoy awe in nature in any season, the book is available for $34.99 at the GreenUP Store and is also available in hardcopy and as an electronic resource at the Peterborough Public Library. (Photo: Leif Einarson)
In 2011, the World Health Organization reported on a 10-year study of environmental noise in Western Europe. They concluded that “there is overwhelming evidence that exposure to environmental noise has adverse effects on the health of the population,” including cardiovascular disease, cognitive impairment in children, sleep disturbance, tinnitus, and annoyance.
That WHO study ranked traffic noise as second only to air pollution amongst environmental threats to public health.
Take some time to get away from traffic noise. Go for a bike ride (or drive) away from busy roads for a quiet hike and be in awe of the silence and peacefulness.
Like noise pollution, light pollution can also adversely affect our health by disrupting our sleep. Luckily in Peterborough we can more easily enjoy darkness than our big-city neighbours closer to Toronto. Stargazing is good even in backyards and parks just outside downtown Peterborough.
The night sky is awesome right now. After the time change, clear evenings are perfect for awe walks in a nearby park. Stop, look up, and feel awe at the billions of stars in the Milky Way.
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2. Feed the birds
As well as learning to feed chickadees from your hand, you can even put seeds in your hat to attract them, as GreenUP’s Leif Einarson demonstrates. (Photo: Leif Einarson)
Another way you can experience awe in nature at this time of year is by connecting with birds in your backyard or nearby nature areas.
The black-capped chickadee is a great bird to connect with at this time of year and throughout the winter.
You can learn more about the chickadee in this Bird of the Month profile at the Pathways to Stewardship & Kinship website.
If you want to get really close, check out Jacob’s “Speaking Chickadee” video below from March 27th, where he shows how you can feed chickadees from your hand!
Meik Wiking, CEO of the Happiness Research Institute, explains the benefits of “hygge” like so: “Hygge is about an atmosphere and an experience, rather than about things. It is about being with the people we love, a feeling of home, and a feeling that we are safe and shielded from the world so we can allow ourselves to let our guard down.”
We have had our guard up against COVID-19 for months. We may not be able to gather with all the people we love, but we can still do simple things in our spaces to get cozy and enjoy some “hygge.”
Our natural neighbours are also getting cozy right now. I was excited to discover a fun Squirrel Nest Game in the Pathway to Stewardship & Kinship e-newsletter last month. In this game, you build nests of dry leaves and use a thermometer to see which one works best. We had lots of fun building and testing our nests.
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4. Travel vicariously
With travel limited because of COVID-19, it feels nice to reflect upon past adventures and dream of possible future adventures.
One fun way I’ve enjoyed dreaming of travels is by following the journeys of different animals that call Ontario home during the summer but migrate elsewhere during our winter. Following these journeys vicariously also builds my appreciation for how important it is that we respect and protect local habitats, and how remarkably inter-connected our global ecosystems are.
Each year, as we watch the milkweed grow and bloom, we marvel at the amazing metamorphosis and multi-generational migrations of monarch butterflies.
Last year I enjoyed travelling vicariously with the incredible Monarch Ultra Relay that followed the 4000-plus-kilometre migratory path of monarch butterflies from Peterborough to the rare oyamel fir forests in the mountains of Mexico.
Each fall the monarch butterflies that underwent metamorphosis in Peterborough join others from across eastern North America in the rare oyamel fir forests in the mountains of Mexico. This photo by Rodney Fuentes of the Monarch Ultra shows the butterflies bunched together as densely as 15,000 per branch in the Cerro Pelon Sanctuary. (Photo: Rodney Fuentes / Monarch Ultra)
If you’re feeling wanderlust, I recommend you take a scroll back through the 2019 dispatches of the Monarch Ultra at themonarchultra.com. That journey is a remarkable celebration of a species unlike any other on this planet.
It is also a celebration of sharing cultures and collective efforts to protect this species across three nations.
Enjoy your daily 15 minutes of awe in nature this November, and try to keep it going right through into 2021. I hope it brings you happiness and good health.
If you or someone you know is in crisis or needs help, the Four County Crisis Line is available 24/7 at 705-745-6484 or toll-free at 1-866-996-0991. The Four County Crisis Line provides free, confidential mental health crisis intervention support over the phone, for people 16 years and over. They will assist you in dealing with an immediate crisis, and provide support and referrals to appropriate resources.
Poet Justin Million, the 2020 Downtown Artist in Residence, performing at "An Afternoon of Spoken Word & Poetry #2" outside The Theatre on King in downtown Peterborough on November 7, 2020. The event was part of Artsweek SHIFT: Downtown, which Million curated, and featured poets and spoken word artists including Jon Hedderwick, Elizabeth Jenkins, Shaun Phua, Nick Taylor, and more. (Photo: Andy Carroll)
On Thursday, November 5th, the Electric City Culture Council (EC3), in partnership with the Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA) and Leslie Menagh of Madderhouse Textile Studios, announced that local poet Justin Million is the 2020 Downtown Artist in Residence.
Million’s residency will see him creating new work and performing and hosting workshops and studio hours out of Madderhouse Textile Studios at 383 Water Street from mid-November until the end of December.
Million ought to be an intimidating person to encounter. He’s a powerhouse intellectual with graduate credentials from Carleton University and an impressive 20 publications of his poetry — so far. That said, in addition to teaching creative writing workshops, the local poet could also teach courses on humility.
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As an artist and as a human being, Million is unreservedly genuine. His work, paradoxically simple and complex — serious and satirical — and reminiscent at times of cult-poet Charles Bukowski, offers his readers and audiences a level of accessibility that can only be described as generosity.
Since returning to home to Peterborough in 2015, Million has become a force in the local arts-scene, founding two widely successful event series: the Show and Tell Poetry Series and KEYBOARDS!.
Recently, he’s also curated part of EC3’s Artsweek Shift: Downtown, bringing spoken word, poetry readings, and “Menacing Beauty: the John Climenhage Storefront Project” to various locations downtown Peterborough.
Poet Justin Million, the 2020 Downtown Artist in Residence, performing at the Show and Tell Poetry Series Showcase at The Garnet in downtown Peterborough in April 2019. (Photo: Andy Carroll)
“Show and Tell Poetry Series started in 2015 at Curated, Melinda Richter’s oddity shop in the Charlotte Mews,” Million recalls, “I had just moved back to Peterborough and I didn’t know anyone. I ended up going to a reading there and said I was interested in starting a poetry reading series and Melinda — without knowing me at all — suggested that I do it at Curated.”
“So I started doing Show and Tell Poetry Series and I met a lot of really great people there, including my lovely partner Elisha Rubacha, and then from there we moved to The Garnet, which became our long-time home base, and that’s where I started KEYBOARDS!”
KEYBOARDS! — a live typewriter show — offered audiences a unique experience. Million would encourage audiences to talk among themselves while he harvested snippets of their conversations to craft his improvisational typewritten poems live on stage. The poet would ring a bell, read the unedited work aloud, and place the only existing copy of the found-poetry on a stool for audience members to purchase by donation.
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“People were shocked to be included in a genre that they consider to be high art,” explains Million of the iconic KEYBOARDS! happenings. “Most people who don’t avidly read poetry always say that they don’t understand it, but they also think that poetry is important.”
“I think that’s due to how we’re taught poetry,” he muses. “We’re taught that there’s some secret in a poem, and if you can’t decipher the secret of this 100-year-old poem then you’re an idiot. Which is ridiculous because most of my favourite poems are so accessible that — literally — if you can read, then you can understand the poem.”
Poet Justin Million, the 2020 Downtown Artist in Residence, at the farewell performance of KEYBOARDS! at The Garnet in downtown Peterborough in August 2018. In 2016, Million founded the spontaneous poetry event, which took place on the last Sunday of each month at The Garnet in downtown Peterborough. During 30 events, he created around 500 poems. (Photo: Andy Carroll)
This year was on track to be a banner one for Million, with the release of his highly anticipated first trade book slated for March 21st. However, as is the case for many of us, our year of the virus threw a proverbial wrench in his plans.
“This was my first trade book, perfect-bound by a real publisher — a life goal accomplished,” recalls Million, who was due to launch the book at Ottawa’s international poetry festival, Versefest, which Million helped to found 10 years ago.
“They were going to give me the treatment like I’ve never had. They were going to put me up in a hotel and give me a festival pass, an open bar pass, and a per diem — poets don’t get that kind of treatment!”
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“There was so much wrapped up in this book being launched and then it didn’t happen, which was particularly crushing,” Million adds. “But compared to what’s happening to other people all over the world, it was nothing. I mean, people are dying.”
Million’s grace in the face of loss gives poetic justice to his recent appointment as Peterborough’s 2020 Downtown Artist in Residence.
The program will provide Million with mentorship, a stipend, some production expenses and studio space, along with support for public engagement and audience participation in the downtown, allowing the poet to concentrate on his art practice.
Poet Justin Million, the 2020 Downtown Artist in Residence, performing at The Hi How Are You Revue at the Twisted Wheel in downtown Peterborough in September 2019. (Photo: Andy Carroll)
To execute the program quickly and efficiently, EC3 made the residency eligible only to artists who had been previously been nominated for, but had not won, a Peterborough Arts Award — an annual initiative launched by EC3 in 2018 and championed by Bill Lockington of LLF Lawyers where $2,000 awards are presented to six individuals who have shown outstanding achievement in the arts.
For the inaugural awards, Million was nominated as outstanding emerging artist and, the following year, as outstanding mid-career artist.
“I like to refer to myself as the Susan Lucci of the Peterborough Arts Awards,” Million laughs. “I’ve been nominated twice and haven’t won — I think Drew Hayden Taylor and I are the only two that have been nominated twice and are yet to win, so I’m in pretty decent company there.”
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With the 2020 edition of the Peterborough Arts Awards postponed due to the pandemic, Million considers his designation as 2020 Downtown Artist in Residence an appropriate substitute.
“This residency is basically an arts award,” he continues. “It made the application process that much more streamlined because EC3 didn’t have to vet all of the artists, because they’ve already been vetted for the arts award. In that sense they could launch the program and get things started that much faster.”
“The thing I’m looking forward to the most is the studio space — I’ve never had a studio. Ever. I’ll be able to walk into that room, close the door, and be as creative as I want to. I’ll get the chance to explore.”
“I’m also really looking forward to being able to up my game, so to speak, in terms of experimenting more with projections. I think there’s a lot of possibility to do that kind of bigger-ticket projection work at night in Peterborough so that larger audiences can see it.”
Poet Justin Million (right), the 2020 Downtown Artist in Residence, speaking during the “Writing off the Edge: Precarious Poetry and Prose” discussion, part of the 2017 Precarious Festival in Peterborough. Also pictured are Narthan Adler (left) and Elisha Rubacha (centre), who is also Million’s partner and a writer and publisher. (Photo: Andy Carroll)
The 2020 Downtown Artist in Residence program will also benefit the Peterborough community writ large.
“Community is made manifest in a live event,” explains Million. “You can feel what community means in the odd comfort of a shared experience.”
“It’s the same thing as when you’re watching a hockey game — I’m a big hockey fan. A typical playoff Hockey Night in Canada begins with a Joel Plaskett song and then Ron MacLean reads a Walt Whitman poem — that’s not a coincidence — art creates a narrative that elevates life experiences.”
“By supporting people in your community that are making art, you’re essentially elevating your own story. You are becoming part of it and you’re allowing that narrative to continue, which only makes your community bigger and better — it’s celebrating yourself in a way that is not born of hubris or misplaced pride.”
Poetry — indeed all the arts — can be an effective means not only for community-building and narrative-shaping, but also for better conceptualizing the challenges we face; thus, it can also play a role in helping us cope with such challenges.
Justin Million’s book “Ejecta: The Uncollected KEYBOARDS! Poems “, available from Apt 9 Press, contains 132 poems from Million’s KEYBOARDS! events that were not collected by members of the audience at the end of the events. (Photo: Apt 9 Press)
“Poetry is concision-based, so you can take a gigantic idea and take a corner of it and write that corner out to the point where it actually speaks to the whole,” explains Million.
Through the voice of poets, the “makers” as the Greek origin of the word indicates, we hear our own voices. Peterborough is blessed to have Justin Million as the 2020 Downtown Artist in Residence — to have the opportunity to embrace his poetic voice and to hear our own voices in it.
Visit EC3’s website at ecthree.org for updates regarding the 2020 Downtown Artist in Residence program or follow them on Facebook.
To buy a copy of Justin Million’s first trade book, Ejecta: The Uncollected KEYBOARDS! Poems, visit the Apt 9 Press shop on Etsy.
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