Peterborough police are asking for the public’s help in locating a missing person, 35-year-old Ryan Kelly of Peterborough.
UPDATE – On November 5, 2020, Peterborough police advised Ryan Kelly was located on Saturday, October 31 and is safe.
Kelly was last seen leaving his residence at 2 p.m. on Monday (October 26) and has not been in contact with his family since.
He is described as a Caucasian male, 5’8″ and 150 pounds, with blue eyes, brown hair balding in the front, and a goatee. He has an eye brow ring and an earring.
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Kelly was last seen wearing a green and orange coat and work boots with a grey helmet and possibly riding a CCM bicycle with a motor on it.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Peterborough Police Service at 705-876-1122 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS or www.stopcrimehere.ca.
The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit is encouraging people who use opioids to keep a naloxone kit on hand. Free kits are available for people who use opioids, as well as their family and friends, at participating pharmacies in Kawartha Lakes. (Photo: James Heilman / Wikipedia)
The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit is warning people who use drugs there may be potentially dangerous opioids in the community, following reports by Kawartha Lakes police of five overdose incidents in the last six days.
The overdoses are thought to be the result of a contaminated or poisoned drug supply or inconsistent or increased potency, causing more severe overdose reactions.
“We are very concerned about these recent overdose incidents and are encouraging everyone to be extra vigilant and aware,” says Catherine MacDonald, the health unit’s substances and harm reduction coordinator. “This alert is being issued because there are potentially toxic substances present in the community that are putting people’s health at risk.”
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Signs of an overdose include very large or very small pupils, slow or no breathing, cold and clammy skin, blue or purple fingernails or lips, and snoring or gurgling sounds. Often in drug overdoses, it is also difficult to wake up the person.
The health unit is reminding anyone who uses drugs (or know someone who does) to follow these safety tips: test a small amount of drug before you use, never use alone, ensure that 9-1-1 can be contacted in the event of an overdose, avoid mixing your drugs, and keep a naloxone kit on hand.
Naloxone is an emergency medicine that temporarily reverses the effects of an opioid overdose until the victim can get to hospital for treatment. Many local police and emergency responders already carry naloxone.
Free kits are also available to people who use opioids, as well as their family and friends, at participating pharmacies in Kawartha Lakes. To find exact locations for free naloxone kits, visit the Ontario government website at ontario.ca/page/where-get-free-naloxone-kit.
Public health nurse Simone Jackson wearing personal protective equipment as she prepares to open a swab to test a patient for COVID-19 in Peterborough Public Health's clinic. (Photo courtesy of Peterborough Public Health)
Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.
Today, Ontario is reporting 827 new COVID-19 cases, with most of the new cases in Toronto (355), Peel (169), and York (89). There are smaller increases in Ottawa (58), Durham (44), Windsor-Essex (16), Hamilton (14), Simcoe Muskoka (14), Brant County (11), Halton (10), and Middlesex-London (7). The remaining 23 public health units are reporting 5 or fewer cases, with 9 health units reporting no new cases at all.
Of today’s cases, 55% are among people under the age of 40. With 691 more cases resolved since yesterday, the percentage of resolved cases remains unchanged at 85.4%. The positivity rate has decreased by 0.3% to 3.5%, meaning that 3.5% of all tests performed were positive for COVID-19 on October 26.
There have been 4 new deaths, including 3 new deaths in long-term care homes. Hospitalizations have increased by 17 to 312, with 3 fewer patients in ICUs and 1 additional patient on a ventilator.
A total of 23,945 tests were completed yesterday, and the backlog of tests under investigation has increased by 5,033 to 22,636.
The number of new cases in Ontario schools today has jumped to 144, double yesterday’s increase, with 82 student cases, 12 staff cases, and 50 cases among unidentified individuals. Cases in licensed child care settings have also jumped to 26, an increase of 17 since yesterday, with 11 cases among children and 15 cases among staff.
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In the greater Kawarthas region, there is 1 new case to report in Northumberland. There are no new cases in Peterborough, Kawartha Lakes, Haliburton, or Hastings and Prince Edward counties. An additional 3 cases have been resolved in Peterborough, and an additional 1 case has been resolved in Hastings and Prince Edward counties.
None of the new cases in Ontario schools and child care settings are in the greater Kawarthas region.
There are currently 16 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, including 6 in Peterborough, 7 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties, 1 in Kawartha Lakes, and 2 in Northumberland.
Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 147 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (139 resolved with 2 deaths), 185 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (165 resolved with 32 deaths), 48 in Northumberland County (45 resolved with 1 death), 19 in Haliburton County (19 resolved with no deaths), and 75 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (63 resolved with 5 deaths). The most recent death was reported in Northumberland on September 8.
Province-wide, there have been 72,051 confirmed cases, an increase of 827 from yesterday, with 61,530 (85.4% of all cases) resolved, an increase of 691. There have been 3,103 deaths, an increase of 4 from yesterday, with 1,994 deaths in long-term care homes, an increase of 3 from yesterday. The number of hospitalizations has increased by 17 to 312, with 3 fewer patients admitted to ICUs and 1 additional patient on a ventilator. A total of 4,961,368 tests have been completed, an increase of 23,945 from yesterday, with 22,636 tests under investigation, an increase of 5,033 from yesterday.
This report is based on data supplied by the province’s integrated Public Health Information System (iPHIS), as well as any additional information supplied by health units. This information is at least 24 hours old, so it is not real-time data. Note that each health unit reports the information in a different way.
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: 147 (no change) Active cases: 6 (decrease of 3) Deaths: 2 (no change) Resolved: 139 (increase of 3) Hospitalizations (total to date): 9 (no change) Total tests completed: Over 33,950 (increase of 100) Institutional outbreaks: None (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: 252, including 185 in Kawartha Lakes, 48 in Northumberland, 19 in Haliburton (increase of 1, in Northumberland) Probable cases: 0 (no change) Hospitalizations (total to date): 15 (no change) Deaths: 33 (no change) Resolved: 229, including 165 in Kawartha Lakes, 45 in Northumberland, 19 in Haliburton (no change) Active cases: 3 (increase of 2, 1 in Kawartha Lakes and 1 in Northumberland) Institutional outbreaks: None (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 reports from Monday to Friday, excluding statutory holidays.
Confirmed positive: 75 (no change) Active cases: 7 (decrease of of 1) Deaths: 5 (no change) Hospitalized: 0 (no change) Hospitalized and in ICU: 0 (no change) Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 0 (no change) Resolved: 63 (increase of 1) Total tests completed: 45,341 (increase of 59) Institutional outbreaks: None (no change)
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Province of Ontario
Confirmed positive: 72,051 (increase of 827) Resolved: 61,530 (increase of 691, 85.4% of all cases) Hospitalized: 312 (increase of 17) Hospitalized and in ICU: 75 (decrease of 3) Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 52 (increase of 1) Deaths: 3,103 (increase of 4) Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 1,994 (increase of 3) Total tests completed: 4,961,368 (increase of 23,945) Tests under investigation: 22,636 (increase of 5,033)
New COVID-19 cases in Ontario from September 26 – October 26, 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 September 26 – October 26, 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)
Peterborough ultra runners Carlotta James and Tim Haines are raising funds in support of Butterflies and Their People, a non-profit organization that preserves the Cerro Pelón Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary in Macheros, Mexico, the destination of last year's Monarch Ultra Relay, co-founded by James. The epic 4,300-kilometre run from Canada to Mexico followed the migratory path of the monarch butterly, raising awareness of the plight of the threatened pollinator. (Photo: Butterflies and Their People)
Peterborough ultra runners Carlotta James and Tim Haines are running 50 kilometres on Sunday (November 1) to help protect monarch butterflies in Mexico.
Last week, the wife-and-husband team launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise awareness and funds for the protection of the Cerro Pelón Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary, located in Macheros, Mexico.
The butterfly sanctuary was the destination of last year’s Monarch Ultra Relay, an epic 4,300-kilometre and 47-day run from Canada to Mexico that followed the migratory path of the monarch butterfly.
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James co-founded the Monarch Ultra Relay in 2018, along with Peterborough filmmaker Rodney Fuentes, Elmira’s Clay Williams, and Toronto’s Galen Brown, to raise awareness of the plight of the threatened pollinator.
“When the Monarch Ultra team and I first visited the Cerro Pelón Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary in Macheros, Mexico in 2018, it was a dream come true for us,” James says. “After hiking over 3,000 meters to reach the monarch colonies in the Cerro Pelón mountains, I felt like I’d entered a secret kingdom.”
“Millions of monarch butterflies filled the skies, the trees and the forest floors, and seemed to be in constant activity,” James adds. “Surrounded by glimmers of orange and black wings reminded me of the strength and resilience of these incredible creatures in their ability to migrate thousands of miles.”
Forest guardians at the Cerro Pelón Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary in Macheros, Mexico. The guardians patrol the sanctuary to protect it from illegal logging. (Photo: Butterflies and Their People)
The Cerro Pelón Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary is a major ecotourism destination in Mexico. While economic desperation has always driven some local people to cut down trees in the sanctuary, now that the sanctuary is closed to visitors because of the pandemic, the situation is even worse with hundreds of locals who depend on ecotourism now out of work.
The butterfly sanctuary is preserved by Butterflies and Their People (butterfliesandtheirpeople.org), a non-profit organization based in Macheros that hires other locals to work as “forest guardians” to patrol and protect the sanctuary from illegal logging.
With their 50-kilometre ultra run, James and Haines are raising funds for Butterflies and Their People so the organization can continue to employ the sanctuary’s forest guardians, whose annual salary is around $4,000 to $5,000. While the couple have already met their initial goal of $3,000, additional funds will allow Butterflies and Their People to do more.
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“It’s heartening to see so much enthusiasm and energy in northern North America for monarch monitoring and conservation,” says Ellen Sharp, founder of Butterflies and Their People. “But if this passion does not spill over into effective protection of the overwintering grounds in Mexico, all these efforts will be for naught.”
James and Haines picked November 1st as the day of their ultra run as it’s a significant day in Mexico, part of the country’s Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) festival to honour the lives of the deceased. It’s also when migrating monarchs arrive at butterfly sanctuaries in Mexico.
“Peterborough and Macheros are inextricably linked,” James says. “Our two communities are connected because of the monarch migration. Monarch butterflies that are born in Peterborough in the late summer or early fall are the same ones who migrate to Mexico.”
Carlotta James running along the Trans Canada Trail in Peterborough. James co-founded the Monarch Ultra Relay in 2018, along with Peterborough filmmaker Rodney Fuentes, Elmira’s Clay Williams, and Toronto’s Galen Brown, to raise awareness of the plight of the threatened pollinator. (Photo: Rodney Fuentes)
James and Haines will run 50 kilometres along The Great Trail (formerly the Trans Canada Trail), beginning at 10 a.m. on Sunday morning at 100 Water Street in downtown Peterborough (the Depave garden site). They will run east towards Hastings, turning around at Cameron Line to head back to Peterborough.
Other local runners will also join them for different legs, and all runners will be physically distanced. Aid stations will be set up every 10 kilometres along the run and staffed by volunteers. The run will end at around 3:30 p.m. on Sunday afternoon.
VIDEO: Support monarch conservation – Butterflies and Their People
As for the second Monarch Ultra Relay Run in the fall of 2021, James says organizers have had to adjust their original plans due to the unpredictability of the pandemic.
Instead of running the same 4,300 kilometres journey from Peterborough to Macheros, participants will instead run around 2,100 kilometres in Ontario, along the Great Trail and Waterfront Trail.
However, like the original Monarch Ultra Relay Run, organizers will meet with students, teachers, mayors, councillors, nonprofits, and conservation organizations every day of the three-week relay run to raise awareness of the monarch butterfly’s plight.
"During the COVID-19 shutdown, I undertook a series of photographs that told a story of people living 'Within.' These photographs of artists are an extension of that project. We are all pursuing art in the face of unprecedented challenges. As restrictions continue to lift, most of Peterborough is able to return to work. That is not the case for our local artists; they continue to experience limitations and face challenges. This series is a testament to their resilience." Julie Gagne, Photographer (Photo: Julie Gagne)
On August 31st, the Electric City Culture Council (EC3) in Peterborough launched “Essential”, a photography project that raises awareness of the precarious situation of local artists and arts organizations during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Part of EC3’s Peterborough Arts Alive initiative, the Essential project is a series of 17 photos by local photographer Julie Gagne that depicts 20 local artists during the pandemic. Each of the photos feature an artist or artists in their home or workplace and is accompanied by an artist statement about their experience of the pandemic.
Since the beginning of September, kawarthaNOW has been publishing photos from the series twice a week. Today, we feature the final photo in the series: the artist herself, photographer Julie Gagne.
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Photographer Julie Gagne
Julie Gagne, Photographer – The Essential Project. (Photo by Julie Gagne, design by Rob Wilkes)
Here are all the photos from The Essential Project series:
The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on both individual artists and arts organizations in Peterborough. Performance venues and galleries have been closed, concerts cancelled, exhibitions postponed, entire seasons abandoned. Organizations and facilities are trying to grapple with the loss of revenue and an uncertain future. “Reopening” is not straightforward, to say the least.
Individual artists have lost their creative income and the opportunity to work together to create — something that is absolutely vital to them and to their audiences. Many have pivoted, and developed and presented some great virtual and digital projects. But nothing replaces live performance in front of a live audience and the catalytic energy that comes from being together to rehearse, discuss, and plan projects, to gather at an opening or artist talk.
Isolated at home, cut off from their communities and the lifeblood that is their artistic practice, local artists still found ways to keep our cultural life alive. Silenced and almost invisible, they kept working. But it hasn’t been easy.
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Local photographer Julie Gagne began photographing a number of Peterborough residents in their homes during the earlier stage of the pandemic and posted the photos on Facebook. The eloquent, haunting images of her “Within” portrait project included some artists, and those incredibly moving images caught the eye of EC3 executive director Su Ditta.
Julie’s photos made us think. We have all benefited from the work of artists during the pandemic: we’ve listened to music, read books, watched films, toured virtual exhibitions, tuned in to living room concerts. What has it been like for the artists? Will people remember how essential the arts were to getting through the pandemic when it comes to recovery funding and budget planning? Will arts organizations be supported in a robust recovery plan?
EC3 asked theatre artist Sarah McNeilly to curate and coordinate, and approached Julie Gagne to do a distinct series of photos that spoke to the experience of local artists and what art means to our lives, in good times and in bad. It’s essential.
This arts awareness project is both a witness to the struggles of, and a testament to the courage and contributions of this community during the COVID-19 lockdown. Our heartfelt thanks go out to Julie and everyone in the arts community who have kept us going.
Like many live performance venues, Lindsay Little Theatre at 55 George Street West in Lindsay has not seen any box office revenues since the pandemic hit. To keep the doors open for the day when live theatre can resume, the community theatre group has been running as series of small fundraising campaigns in partnership with local businesses and charities. (Photo: Lindsay Little Theatre)
Like many live performance venues, Lindsay Little Theatre at 55 George Street West in Lindsay has not seen any box office revenues since the pandemic hit. But the community theatre group hasn’t given up — they’ve taken a creative and interesting approach to keep the lights on for the day when audiences can return.
“We’ve had to be really inventive and come up with different ideas to make money,” says Marion Bays, Lindsay Little Theatre’s director of fundraising and sponsorship. “We’re trying to have some fundraising events going on every month.”
Fundraising is exhausting work, pandemic notwithstanding, and running a different fundraising campaign every month is an immense but necessary undertaking for the board of directors of Lindsay Little Theatre.
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“This is a fairly dire situation,” explains Katheryn Woolridge-Condon, former president and current director of events at Lindsay Little Theatre.
“We are about a half a year away from having to close Lindsay Little Theatre’s doors and that is not okay. We do so much good work for this community and we really want to keep doing it.”
“We have a building that we have a mortgage on, and that has to be paid every month along with building expenses,” Bays adds.
While the stage remains empty for now, Lindsay Little Theatre’s board of directors has been doing everything it can to raise funds so the theatre can pay the mortgage on its building at 55 George Street West in Lindsay and cover operating expenses. (Photo: Lindsay Little Theatre)
“Our board is so passionate,” Woolridge-Condon says. “We have a really great team, but the truth is we need the public’s help.”
Lindsay Little Theatre’s board understands that many individuals and businesses in the community are also struggling in some capacity, and demonstrates this in their approach to fundraising.
“In these trying times, we respect that the local community — local businesses especially — have gone through enough,” Bays says. “We don’t feel comfortable going to them and asking for money when they’re suffering too. So we’re trying to find effective ways and means to fundraise on a smaller scale.”
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And so far, Lindsay Little Theatre’s fundraising strategy has been successful.
In September, the theatre ran a bottle drive where people could drop off their empty bottles that they’d normally take to the beer store for deposit return, along with a clothing drive.
“The bottle drive has finished for September, but the clothing drive is still going on until January,” Bays says. “So if people have clothing they’d like to donate, they can drop them off at Lindsay Little Theatre or they can contact us through our website and we can come pick them up.”
Lindsay Little Theatre’s Katheryn Woolridge-Condon, director of events, and Marion Bays, director of fundraising and sponsorship. (Photos: Lindsay Little Theatre)
“We were surprised by the public turn-out and success,” Woolridge-Condon recalls of the bottle drive. “We are really grateful for all of the people who supported us with that drive, and especially for all of the volunteers who dedicated entire days of their time to help out.”
“And to the supporters that did come out, we’d like to thank them and to remind them to continue saving their bottles because we will be having another bottle drive in the new year,” Bays adds.
The overwhelming support for Lindsay Little Theatre has not just come from private individuals — many local businesses have helped however they can too.
One of Lindsay Little Theatre’s fundraisers is a clothing drive running until the end of November. (Graphic: Lindsay Little Theatre)
La Mantia’s Country Market in Lindsay, for example, allowed board members and volunteers to collect donations outside the store.
“That grocery store was so kind to us, it was really wonderful,” Woolridge-Condon says. “There’s such kindness out there and sometimes we need to see that when things are this awful.”
“It was so helpful,” says Bays of La Mantia’s support. “Even though we were just asking for loose change, it was a very successful day.”
Another one of Lindsay Little Theatre’s fundraisers, “Knit a Square”, also benefits the Humane Society of Kawartha Lakes. Knitters raise pledges to knit small squares, and the squares are stitched together to make small blankets for the animals at the shelter. (Graphic: Lindsay Little Theatre)
In the spirit of community, Lindsay Little Theatre is finding ways to “pay it forward” when it comes to their fundraising.
October’s fundraising campaign has been a “Knit a Square” event. Participants have been asked to knit an eight-by-eight inch square, in various colours, and get their friends and family to sponsor them.
“At the end of the month, the money will come back to Lindsay Little Theatre and the squares will all be stitched together to make small animal blankets, which will be donated to the Humane Society in Lindsay,” Bays explains. “It’s a win-win for both charities.”
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“I’m really excited about this one because we’re helping the Humane Society,” Woolridge-Condon says. “Aberdeen’s Wool Company has been wonderful supporting it — it’s really nice that other businesses in the community have joined us and helped get the word out to help us fundraise. We’re so grateful for the support.”
Although the Knit a Square event concludes at the end of October, Lindsay Little Theatre will be holding another one in November so local knitters will have another opportunity to support two charities at once.
Also in November, Lindsay Little Theatre will mount their first live production since the pandemic hit. Bubbled audiences have a chance to book the theatre for their own private show.
“Take a Break” is a 45-minute show featuring poems, prose, and story telling that runs on the afternoons of November 14 and 15, 2020 at Lindsay Little Theatre. To generate enough revenue with physically distanced audiences in the small venue, there will be four performances on each day with sanitization breaks in-between. (Graphic: Lindsay Little Theatre)
The 45-minute show, called Take a Break, will feature Lindsay Little Theatre members performing poems, prose, monologues, and some music. The theatre will run four 45-minute shows each afternoon on the 14th and 15th of November, with time scheduled in-between to fully sanitize the entire building. The cost is $10 per person.
“We’ve worked closely with public health for this show and have taken every precaution to ensure the safety of our artists and our audiences,” says Woolridge-Condon.
“We will be making sure that we adhere to all public health guidelines and can safely accommodate 10 people,” Bays notes. “People have to book tickets through email — they cannot book through the website — because we have to manually assign seats to make sure that we can keep to the physical distancing.”
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Building on the success of their numerous fundraising campaigns, Lindsay Little Theatre will finish 2020 with their biggest fundraiser yet: an evening of dinner theatre at the Lindsay’s popular brew-pub Pie Eyed Monk.
“I am so excited,” Katheryn exclaims. “The Pie Eyed Monk has teamed up with us so that we can provide an evening of two one-act plays by Norm Foster, My Narrator and The Death of Me, that will include a three-course meal.”
For three nights in December, for only $50 a person, patrons can enjoy an appetizer, dinner, dessert, and two one-act plays in the beautiful and exclusive event space above Pie Eyed Monk’s dining room.
For three nights in December, Lindsay Little Theatre will be partnering with the popular Pie Eyed Monk in Lindsay for an exclusive dinner theatre event that includes a 50/50 draw. (Graphic: Lindsay Little Theatre)
Tickets will go on sale starting in November. Pie Eyed Monk is handling all bookings so that they can arrange safe seating and accommodate dietary needs (vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free menu options will be available).
“We’re also going to do a 50/50 draw,” Bays adds. “The Pie Eyed Monk is selling tickets for that too, and you can buy a ticket even if you’re not going to the show — so when the shows are finished, you can win 50 per cent of the money raised from the 50/50 draw.”
“I can’t think of a better business partner,” says Woolridge-Condon of Pie Eyed Monk. “We’re so blessed. They’ve been so generous with us, even when it comes to rehearsal space. They’ve donated the their space to us every Sunday so we can rehearse there. They’ve gone above and beyond and we’re just thrilled to be in partnership with them.”
Lindsay Little Theatre persists thanks to the immense support they’ve garnered from individuals and businesses in their community. Moreover, they’ve demonstrated that a little can in fact go a long way.
Visit Lindsay Little Theatre’s website at lindsaylittletheatre.com to donate money for a charitable receipt or email info@lindsaylittletheatre.com to inquire about their ongoing clothing drive, Knit a Square, and the upcoming show Take a Break.
To find out when tickets will be available for December’s dinner theatre event, follow Lindsay Little Theatre and Pie Eyed Monk on Facebook for upcoming announcements.
Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.
Today, Ontario is reporting 851 new COVID-19 cases, a decrease from the 1,042 cases reported on Sunday and the 978 cases reported on Saturday.
Most of today’s new cases are in Toronto (281) and Peel (215), followed by York (90) and Ottawa (76). New cases have surged in Hamilton (41), with smaller increases in Simcoe Muskoka (28), Halton (27), Durham (23), Middlesex-London (11), Haldimand-Norfolk (10), Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (8), and Brant County (7). The remaining 22 public health units are reporting 5 or fewer cases, with 8 health units reporting no new cases at all.
For the first time in two months, more than half of today’s cases (52%) are in people over the age of 40. With 679 more cases resolved since yesterday, the percentage of resolved cases has decreased by 0.1% to 85.4%. The positivity rate has increased to 3.8%, meaning that 3.8% of all tests performed were positive for COVID-19 on October 25. This is an increase of 0.6% from yesterday’s positivity rate of 3.2%.
There have been 6 new deaths, including 2 new deaths in long-term care homes. Hospitalizations have increased by 17 to 295, but this increase is based on yesterday’s number of 278 that did not include data from 40 hospitals; it should be compared to the 294 hospitalized patients reported on October 23 (however, 40 hospitals also did not submit data for today’s number, so it may increase again tomorrow). Five additional patients with COVID-19 have been admitted to ICUs, but there are 3 fewer patients are on ventilators.
A total of 28,652 tests were completed yesterday, and the backlog of tests under investigation has decreased by 5,998 to 17,603.
The number of new cases in Ontario schools today is 72, the same number as the last report on October 23, with 39 student cases, 4 staff cases, and 29 cases among unidentified individuals. There are 9 new cases in licensed child care settings, an increase of 1 from the last report on October 23, with 3 cases among children and 6 cases among staff.
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In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 2 new cases to report in Peterborough; however, 3 additional cases have been resolved, leaving 9 active cases. There are 2 new cases to report in Northumberland; however, 1 additional case has been resolved and 1 previous case has been removed as the individual resided outside of the health unit’s jurisdiction, leaving the number of active cases unchanged at 1. There are 2 new cases to report in Hastings and Prince Edward counties; however, 1 additional case has been resolved, leaving 8 active cases. There are no new cases in Kawartha Lakes or Haliburton.
None of the new cases in Ontario schools and child care settings are in the greater Kawarthas region.
There are currently 19 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, including 9 in Peterborough, 8 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 147 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (133 resolved with 2 deaths), 185 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (165 resolved with 32 deaths), 47 in Northumberland County (45 resolved with 1 death), 19 in Haliburton County (19 resolved with no deaths), and 75 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (62 resolved with 5 deaths). The most recent death was reported in Northumberland on September 8.
Province-wide, there have been 71,224 confirmed cases, an increase of 851 from yesterday, with 60,839 (85.4% of all cases) resolved, an increase of 679. There have been 3,099 deaths, an increase of 6 from yesterday, with 1,991 deaths in long-term care homes, an increase of 2 from yesterday. The number of hospitalizations has increased by 17 to 295, but this increase is based on yesterday’s number of 278 that did not include data from 40 hospitals; it should be compared to the 294 hospitalized patients reported on October 23. Five additional patients have been admitted to ICUs, with 3 fewer patients on ventilators. A total of 4,937,423 tests have been completed, an increase of 28,652 from yesterday, with 17,603 tests under investigation, a decrease of 5,998 from yesterday.
This report is based on data supplied by the province’s integrated Public Health Information System (iPHIS), as well as any additional information supplied by health units. This information is at least 24 hours old, so it is not real-time data. Note that each health unit reports the information in a different way.
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: 147 (increase of 2) Active cases: 9 (decrease of 1) Deaths: 2 (no change) Resolved: 136 (increase of 3) Hospitalizations (total to date): 9 (no change) Total tests completed: Over 33,850 (increase of 150) Institutional outbreaks: None (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: 251, including 185 in Kawartha Lakes, 47 in Northumberland, 19 in Haliburton (increase of 2 in Northumberland)* Probable cases: 0 (no change) Hospitalizations (total to date): 15 (no change) Deaths: 33 (no change) Resolved: 229, including 165 in Kawartha Lakes, 45 in Northumberland, 19 in Haliburton (increase of 1, in Northumberland)* Active cases: 2 (increase of 2, 1 in Kawartha Lakes and 1 in Northumberland) Institutional outbreaks: None (no change)
*One previously reported case in Northumberland has been removed as the individual resided outside of the health unit’s area, so the net increase in new cases is 1.
Hastings Prince Edward Public Health
Hastings Prince Edward Public Health’s service area is Hastings County (including Bancroft) and Prince Edward County.
The health unit provides reports from Monday to Friday, excluding statutory holidays.
Confirmed positive: 75 (increase of 2) Active cases: 8 (increase of 1) Deaths: 5 (no change) Hospitalized: 0 (no change) Hospitalized and in ICU: 0 (no change) Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 0 (no change) Resolved: 62 (increase of 1) Total tests completed: 45,282 (increase of 314) Institutional outbreaks: None (no change)
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Province of Ontario
Confirmed positive: 71,224 (increase of 851) Resolved: 60,839 (increase of 679, 85.4% of all cases) Hospitalized: 295 (increase of 17)* Hospitalized and in ICU: 78 (increase of 5) Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 51 (decrease of 3) Deaths: 3,099 (increase of 6) Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 1,991 (increase of 2) Total tests completed: 4,937,423 (increase of 28,652) Tests under investigation: 17,603 (decrease of 5,998)
*There were 294 hospitalized patients on October 23. Around 40 hospitals did not submit data for yesterday’s report, so this increase is from yesterday’s under-reported number of 278 patients. However, around 40 hospitals also did not submit data for today’s report, so this 295 number may increase when reporting compliance increases.
New COVID-19 cases in Ontario from September 25 – October 25, 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 September 25 – October 25, 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)
Some of the 13,560 pounds of food collected for for Kawartha Food Share during the "Spare A Square #2" city-wide porch food drive on October 24, 2020. (Photo: Kawartha Food Share / Facebook)
The Peterborough community has come through once again for local people in need, donating 13,560 pounds of food and $4,710 in cash to Kawartha Food Share to help restock their empty shelves for the winter.
During the “Spare A Square #2” city-wide porch food drive on Saturday (October 24), Peterborough residents were asked to leave bags filled with non-perishable food items on the porches.
Beginning at 9 a.m., 200 volunteers drove around the city to collect the items and deliver them to Kawartha Food Share’s warehouse.
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“Once again, we are absolutely blown away with the support and generosity shown by our community,” Kawartha Food Share writes on Facebook. “We say it all the time, but we truly could not do what we do without you, Peterborough. Thank you so very much.”
If your bag wasn’t picked up, you can drop the donations in a collection bin located in all local grocery stores, or in the donation bins located outside of Kawartha Food Share’s warehouse at 665 Neal Drive in Peterborough.
During the food drive, people also donated $4,710 cash — for every $1 donated, Kawartha Food Share can purchase up to $6 worth of food. Cash donations also let Kawartha Food Share purchase food that is needed most.
Volunteers Susan Porter Dunkley and Anne Arnold picking up a donation in Peterborough’s East City for Kawartha Food Share during the “Spare A Square #2” city-wide porch food drive on October 24, 2020. (Photo: Jeannine Taylor / kawarthaNOW.com)
To make a cash donation to Kawartha Food Share, and for volunteer opportunities, visit www.kawarthafoodshare.com.
“Winter is Coming” food drive
Kawartha Food Share has also just launched its “Winter is Coming” food drive during the month of November. The food drive will take place across Peterborough County in Selwyn, North Kawartha, Trent Lakes, and Havelock-Belmont-Methuen.
Local politicians, including Peterborough-Kawartha MPP Dave Smith, the Warden of Peterborough County and the Mayors of Selwyn, North Kawartha, and Havelock, as well several council members, will be volunteering to collect donations at local grocery stores on the following dates:
Buckhorn Foodland (3329 Buckhorn Rd., Buckhorn) – Saturday, November 7th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
John’s Valu-Mart (871 Ward St., Bridgenorth) – Friday, November 13th from 2:30 to 5 p.m.
Lakefield Foodland (1 Queen St., Lakefield) – Saturday, November 14th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Havelock Foodland (38 Ottawa St. W., Havelock) – Saturday, November 21st from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Sayers Foods (132 Burleigh St., Apsley) – Saturday, November 28th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
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Volunteers will be taking all COVID-19 safety precautions and those making a donation are asked to wear a mask.
Kawartha Food Share assists more than 8,900 people every month through 11 food banks and 20 food cupboards in the city and county of Peterborough as well as through four meal programs and six housing projects.
Those people, including families with children, who rely on Kawartha Food Share every month are particularly vulnerable. And if people on limited incomes cannot get needed items at grocery stores, they will turn to a food bank.
Clocks move back an hour at 2 a.m. on Sunday, November 1, 2020 when daylight saving time ends. The good news is that it will be lighter in the morning when we get up to go to work or school; the bad news is that the sun will set at 5 p.m. (Stock photo)
It’s that time of year again: daylight saving time ends at 2 a.m. on Sunday, November 1st, when clocks move back an hour.
The good news is that it will be lighter in the morning when we get up to go to work or school; the bad news is that the sun will set at 5 p.m.
It’s also time to change the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and to check whether they need to be replaced (if they are more than 10 years old, they probably do).
Here’s what you should know about daylight saving time:
If you find daylight saving time annoying, you can blame New Zealand entomologist George Hudson. He first proposed “saving daylight” in 1895 so he could have more daylight to collect insects.
Although it’s commonly believed Benjamin Franklin came up with the idea for daylight saving time, it was actually New Zealand entomologist George Hudson who, in 1895, proposed a two-hour shift in the clocks (he wanted more daylight to collect insects).
“The effect of this alteration would be to advance all the day’s operations in summer two hours compared with the present system. In this way the early-morning daylight would be utilised, and a long period of daylight leisure would be made available in the evening for cricket, gardening, cycling, or any other outdoor pursuit desired,” Hudson wrote in 1898, explaining his original proposal.
A few years later, English outdoorsman William Willett also proposed advancing the clocks during the summer months (he wanted more daylight to golf).
The first governments to implement daylight saving time were Germany and Austria-Hungary in 1916, as a way to conserve coal during World War I. Britain and most other European countries adopted it shortly after, with the United States and Canada adopting it in 1918.
Daylight saving time used to end on the last Sunday of October (and begin on the first Sunday of April) but, in 2007, the U.S. decided to change it to the first Sunday of November (and the second Sunday in March) in an attempt to conserve energy.
To avoid issues with economic and social interaction with the U.S., the Canadian provinces that observe daylight saving time followed suit.
What are the health effects of changing time twice a year?
While the evidence is mixed, some research has found that “falling back” results in more accidents involving pedestrians, while “springing forward” increases the risk of heart attacks and traffic accidents.
In any case, moving clocks forward or backward changes our exposure to daylight and affects our circadian rhythm (the body’s natural internal clock).
In the fall, gaining an extra hour of sleep sounds like a good thing but it can actually make you feel “jet lagged”.
It can take up to a week to adjust your internal clock to the shift in daylight hours.
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Why don’t we just get rid of daylight saving time?
If Ottawa-West Nepean MPP Jeremy Roberts has his way, Ontario will no longer have a bi-annual time change, but not by getting rid of daylight saving time — he proposes making it permanent, giving us more light in the evening and less light in the morning.
In October 2020, Roberts tabled The Time Amendment Act in the Ontario legislature, “to make the time now called daylight saving time the standard time year-round”. The bill has already passed second reading.
However, researchers in chronobiology (the study of biological rhythms) disagree that daylight saving time should be made permanent. They also want to get rid of the bi-annual time change, but say we should be permanently adopting standard time rather than daylight saving time.
“Based on current chronobiology knowledge, permanent Standard Time (ST) would be a wiser, healthier choice,” the Canadian Society for Chronobiology writes on Twitter.
Chronobiologists say adopting permanent standard time would move sunrise closer to our body’s internal clock, while permanent daylight saving time would move it further away. It’s the light in the morning that is most important in resetting our biological clocks, they say.
And it’s not just the Canadian Society for Chronobiology advocating for the permanent adoption of standard time. The U.S.-based Society for Research on Biological Rhythms, the European Biological Rhythms Society, and the European Sleep Research Society have all issued statements supporting it.
How can we reduce the health effects of the time change?
Here are some suggestions for how you and your family can adapt more quickly to the time change:
Each night leading up to Sunday, try going to sleep 15 or 20 minutes later than normal (and waking up 15 or 20 minutes later than normal).
Don’t stay up extra late on Saturday night because you are gaining an hour of sleep. That’ll just mess up your sleep schedule even more.
Make sure you keep bedrooms dark in the morning (after daylight saving time ends, the mornings will be lighter earlier).
Eat a healthy breakfast when you first wake up, as food is one way to tell your body it’s the beginning of the day.
After the time change, expose yourself to daylight (or bright light indoors) during waking hours as much as possible, and avoid bright light when it’s dark outside.
Reduce screen time in the evening, especially an hour or two before bedtime.
Reduce your use of caffeine and alcohol during the day and increase your physical activity.
New COVID-19 cases in Ontario from September 24 - October 24, 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)
Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.
Today, Ontario is reporting 1,042 new COVID-19 cases, the highest single-day increase in the province since the pandemic began and eclipsing the previous record high of 978 new cases reported yesterday.
Cases continue to climb in the GTA, with most of today’s cases in Toronto (309) along with a surge of new cases in Peel (289) and York (117). There are smaller increases in Ottawa (80), Durham (52), Halton (31), Niagara (23), Waterloo (21), Eastern Ontario Health Unit (17), Simcoe Muskoka (16), Hamilton (13), Windsor-Essex (12), Middlesex-London (10), Chatham-Kent (9), and Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (9).
The remaining 19 public health units are reporting 5 or fewer cases, with only 6 health units reporting no cases at all.
Of today’s cases, 56% are among people under the age of 40. With 736 more cases resolved since yesterday, the percentage of resolved cases has decreased by 0.2% to 85.5%. The positivity rate is unavailable on weekends.
There have been 7 new deaths, with no new deaths in long-term care homes. Hospitalizations have decreased by 16 to 278, but this number is incomplete as 40 hospitals did not submit data for today’s report. Three fewer patients with COVID-19 are in ICUs, and 1 additional patient is on a ventilator. A total of 38,769 tests were completed yesterday, and the backlog of tests under investigation has decreased by 7,321 to 23,601.
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In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 4 new cases to report in Peterborough. One additional previous case has been resolved, leaving 10 active cases in Peterborough. Reports are unavailable on weekends for Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland, Haliburton, and Hastings and Prince Edward counties.
There are currently 19 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, including 10 in Peterborough, 7 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 145 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (133 resolved with 2 deaths), 185 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (165 resolved with 32 deaths), 46 in Northumberland County (44 resolved with 1 death), 19 in Haliburton County (19 resolved with no deaths), and 73 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (61 resolved with 5 deaths). The most recent death was reported in Northumberland on September 8.
Province-wide, there have been 70,373 confirmed cases, an increase of 1,042 from yesterday, with 60,160 (85.5% of all cases) resolved, an increase of 736. There have been 3,093 deaths, an increase of 7 from yesterday, with 1,989 deaths in long-term care homes (no change from yesterday). The number of hospitalizations has decreased by 16 to 278, but around 40 hospitals did not submit data for this report, so this number is incomplete. Three fewer patients are in ICUs, but 1 additional patient is on a ventilator. A total of 4,908,771 tests have been completed, an increase of 38,769 from yesterday, with 23,601 tests under investigation, a decrease of 7,321 from yesterday.
This report is based on data supplied by the province’s integrated Public Health Information System (iPHIS), as well as any additional information supplied by health units. This information is at least 24 hours old, so it is not real-time data. Note that each health unit reports the information in a different way.
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: 145 (increase of 4) Active cases: 10 (increase of 3) Deaths: 2 (no change) Resolved: 133 (increase of 1) Hospitalizations (total to date): 9 (no change) Total tests completed: Over 33,700 (no change) Institutional outbreaks: None (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. These numbers are from October 23.
Confirmed positive: 250, including 185 in Kawartha Lakes, 46 in Northumberland, 19 in Haliburton (increase of 2, 1 in Kawartha Lakes and 1 in Northumberland) Probable cases: 0 (no change) Hospitalizations (total to date): 15 (no change) Deaths: 33 (no change) Resolved: 228, including 165 in Kawartha Lakes, 44 in Northumberland, 19 in Haliburton (increase of 1, in Kawartha Lakes) Active cases: 2 (increase of 2, 1 in Kawartha Lakes and 1 in Northumberland) Institutional outbreaks: None (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 reports from Monday to Friday, excluding statutory holidays. These numbers are from October 23.
Confirmed positive: 73 (no change) Active cases: 7 (decrease of 3) Deaths: 5 (no change) Hospitalized: 0 (no change) Hospitalized and in ICU: 0 (no change) Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 0 (no change) Resolved: 61 (increase of 3) Total tests completed: 44,968 (increase of 524) Institutional outbreaks: None (no change)
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Province of Ontario
Confirmed positive: 70,373 (increase of 1,042) Resolved: 60,160 (increase of 736, 85.5% of all cases) Hospitalized: 278 (decrease of 16)* Hospitalized and in ICU: 73 (decrease of 3) Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 54 (increase of 1) Deaths: 3,093 (increase of 7) Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 1,989 (no change) Total tests completed: 4,908,771 (increase of 38,769) Tests under investigation: 23,601 (decrease of 7,321)
*As is often observed on weekends, a number of hospitals (approximately 40) did not submit data to the Daily Bed Census for October 23. The number of hospitalized patients may increase when reporting compliance increases.
New COVID-19 cases in Ontario from September 24 – October 24, 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 September 24 – October 24,2020. 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)
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