A 76-year-old Peterborough resident is dead after an accident in North Kawartha Township on Easter Sunday (April 4).
At around 2 p.m. on Sunday, Peterborough County OPP and emergency crews responded to a report of an ATV collision on an unmarked trail near Anstruther Lake Road.
According to police, the 76-year-old driver from Peterborough lost control of their ATV while travelling down a steep embankment.
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The vehicle collided with several trees. The driver, who was wearing a helmet, died as a result of injuries suffered in the collision.
A post-mortem examination will be conducted in Toronto.
Police, who have not released the identity of the driver, continue to investigate the cause of the collision.
Champlain Annex is a student residence at Trent University in Peterborough. (Photo: Trent University)
Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.
Today’s update is smaller than usual, as provincial data is unavailable on Easter Sunday. Sunday’s provincial data will be included in Monday’s update.
Two regional health units are supplying reports on Easter Sunday: Peterborough Public Health and Hastings Prince Edward Public Health. Information from Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit will be provided on Monday.
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In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 17 new cases to report, including 10 in Hastings Prince Edward and 7 in Peterborough.
A new outbreak was declared at Champlain Annex at Trent University in Peterborough on April 3, after three positive cases were confirmed in the Annex residence building on Water Street, across from the Symons Campus.
A new outbreak at Thomas A. Stewart Secondary School in Peterborough was declared on April 4 (details unavailable).
There are 21 new regional cases of presumed variants of concern, including 14 in Hastings Prince Edward and 7 in Peterborough.
An additional 14 cases have been resolved, including 8 in in Hastings Prince Edward. and 6 in Peterborough. An outbreak at Gzowski College student residence at Trent University was declared over on April 3.
There are currently 251 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, an increase of 1 from yesterday, including 107 in Hastings Prince Edward (39 in Quinte West, 35 in Belleville, 9 in Tyendinaga & Deseronto, 8 in Prince Edward County, 12 in Central Hastings, and 2 in North Hastings), 75 in Peterborough, 33 in Northumberland, 28 in Kawartha Lakes, and 8 in Haliburton.
Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 918 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (833 resolved with 10 deaths), 602 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (532 resolved with 55 deaths), 516 in Northumberland County (471 resolved with 12 deaths), 73 in Haliburton County (64 resolved with 1 death), and 574 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (457 resolved with 6 deaths). The most recent death was reported in Peterborough on March 16.
Peterborough Public Health’s service area is the City and County of Peterborough and the Hiawatha and Curve Lake First Nations.
The health unit provides daily reports, including on weekends, excluding statutory holidays.
Confirmed positive: 918 (increase of 7) Total variants of concern cases: 216 (increase of 6) Active cases: 75 (increase of 1) Close contacts: 244 (increase of 19) Deaths: 10 (no change) Resolved: 833 (increase of 6) Hospitalizations (total to date): 31 (no change)* Total tests completed: Over 47,100 (increase of 150) Outbreaks: Empress Gardens retirement home in Peterborough, Unidentified workplace #1 in Peterborough, Unidentified workplace #2 in Peterborough, Champlain Annex at Trent University in Peterborough, Thomas A. Stewart Secondary School in Peterborough (net increase of 1)** Vaccine doses administered: 30,433 (last updated April 1)
*As of April 1, Peterborough Regional Health Centre is reporting fewer than 10 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 (no change) and 25 patients transferred from other areas as a result of a provincial directive (increase of 1).
**An outbreak at Gzowski College student residence at Trent University was declared over on April 3. A new outbreak was declared at Champlain Annex at Trent University in Peterborough on April 3, after three positive cases were confirmed in the Annex residence building on Water Street, across from the Symons Campus. A new outbreak at Thomas A. Stewart Secondary School in Peterborough was declared on April 4.
Hastings Prince Edward Public Health
Hastings Prince Edward Public Health’s service area is Hastings County (including Bancroft) and Prince Edward County.
The health unit provides daily reports, including on weekends, excluding statutory holidays.
Confirmed positive: 574 (increase of 10) Confirmed variants of concern cases: 58 (increase of 14) Active cases: 107 (no change) Deaths: 6 (no change) Currently hospitalized: 3 (no change) Currently hospitalized and in ICU: 2 (no change) Currently hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator (total to date): 0 (no change) Resolved: 457 (increase of 8) Tests completed: 114,430 Vaccine doses administered: 33,877 (increase of 598) Number of people fully vaccinated: 2,097 (increase of 8) Outbreaks: Unidentified workplace in Trenton, Unidentified setting in Belleville, Unidentified child care facility in Belleville, Unidentified workplace in Quinte West (no change)
Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.
Holiday reporting
A provincial report will not be available on Easter Sunday. Sunday numbers will be reported in Monday’s update. Depending on the availability of reports from local health unit reports, kawarthaNOW may or may not issue a COVID-19 update on Easter Sunday.
With the provincial shutdown taking effect today, Ontario is reporting 6,098 new COVID-19 cases over the past two days, including 3,089 yesterday and 3,009 today. Since April 1, the seven-day average of daily cases has increased by 211 to 2,552.
Over the past two days, there are 89 more confirmed cases of the B.1.1.7 UK variant and 3 more confirmed cases of the B.1.351 South Africa variant.
The third wave is intensifying in the greater Kawarthas region. With 69 new cases to report and an additional 22 cases resolved, the number of active cases across the region has spiked by 52 from yesterday to 250. See below for detailed numbers from each regional health unit.
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Most of today’s new cases are in Toronto (954), Peel (434), York (348), Ottawa (205), Hamilton (146), Middlesex-London (145), and Durham (138).
There are double-digit increases today in Halton (91), Niagara (77), Simcoe Muskoka (72), Waterloo (65), Windsor-Essex (45), Eastern Ontario (44), Lambton (34), Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (31), Brant (27), Sudbury (25), Southwestern (16), Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge (15), Chatham-Kent (14), Leeds, Grenville & Lanark (12), Hastings Prince Edward (11), and Northwestern (10), with smaller increases in Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington (9), Peterborough (9), Haldimand-Norfolk (7), Thunder Bay (6), and Algoma (6).
The remaining 6 health units are reporting 5 or fewer new cases, with all health units reporting at least 1 case.
Of today’s new cases, 58% are among people 39 and younger, with the highest number of cases (1,093) among people ages 20-39 followed by 805 cases among people ages 40-59.
With 3,744 more cases resolved over the past two days, the percentage of resolved cases has decreased by 0.5% to 91.5%. The average positivity rate across Ontario has increased by 0.4% to 5.0%, meaning that 50 out of every 1,000 tests performed were positive for COVID-19 on April 2.
Ontario is reporting 39 new COVID-19 deaths over the past two days, including 23 yesterday and 16 today, with no new deaths in long-term care homes over the past two days. Ontario has averaged 17 new daily deaths over the past week, an increase of 1 from April 1.
On Friday, the number of hospitalizations increased by 46 to 1,162. Today, hospitalizations have decreased by 366 to 796, but this number excludes data from more than 10% of hospitals so the actual number of hospitalizations may be higher. Over the past two days, the number of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs has increased by 18 to 451 and the number of patients with COVID-19 on ventilators increasing by 2 to 261.
A total of 101,513 tests were completed over the past two days, with the backlog of tests under investigation decreasing by 17,008 to 25,049.
A total of 2,424,063 doses of vaccine have now been administered, an increase of 147,750 over the past two days, with 321,469 people fully vaccinated with both doses of vaccine, an increase of 3,754 from April 1.
The number of fully vaccinated people now represents 2.18% of Ontario’s population, an increase of 0.02% from April 1, with fully and partially vaccinated people representing 16.45% of the population, an increase of 1.0% from April 1. An estimated 70-90% of the population must be immunized to achieve herd immunity.
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In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 69 new cases to report, including 22 in Hastings Prince Edward, 20 in Peterborough, 14 in Northumberland, 7 in Haliburton, and 6 in Kawartha Lakes.
An outbreak at an unidentified workplace in Quinte West was declared on April 2.
There are 29 new regional cases of presumed variants of concern, including 14 in Northumberland, 12 in Kawartha Lakes, and 3 in Hastings Prince Edward.
There is 1 new hospitalization in Kawartha Lakes and 1 in Hastings Prince Edward.
An additional 22 cases have been resolved, including 8 in Peterborough, 6 in Kawartha Lakes, 4 in Northumberland, and 4 in Hastings Prince Edward.
There are currently 250 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, an increase of 52 from yesterday, including 107 in Hastings Prince Edward (38 in Quinte West, 36 in Belleville, 10 in Tyendinaga & Deseronto, 7 in Prince Edward County, 13 in Central Hastings, and 1 in North Hastings), 74 in Peterborough, 33 in Northumberland, 28 in Kawartha Lakes, and 8 in Haliburton.
Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 911 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (827 resolved with 10 deaths), 602 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (532 resolved with 55 deaths), 516 in Northumberland County (471 resolved with 12 deaths), 73 in Haliburton County (64 resolved with 1 death), and 565 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (449 resolved with 6 deaths). The most recent death was reported in Peterborough on March 16.
The provincial data in this report is pulled from Ontario’s integrated Public Health Information System (iPHIS) at 4 p.m. the previous day, as well as from systems in Toronto, Ottawa, and Middlesex-London at 2 p.m. the previous day. Data from local health units is more current and is usually reflected in the provincial data the following day. There may be discrepancies between the Ontario data reported today (which is from yesterday) and the local health unit data reported today (which is from today).
Peterborough Public Health’s service area is the City and County of Peterborough and the Hiawatha and Curve Lake First Nations.
The health unit provides daily reports, including on weekends, excluding statutory holidays.
Confirmed positive: 911 (increase of 19)* Total variants of concern cases: 206 (no change) Active cases: 74 (increase of 11) Close contacts: 225 (decrease of 13) Deaths: 10 (no change) Resolved: 827 (increase of 8) Hospitalizations (total to date): 31 (increase of 1)** Total tests completed: Over 46,950 (increase of 150) Outbreaks: Gzowski College student residence at Trent University, Empress Gardens retirement home in Peterborough, Workplace #1 in City of Peterborough, Workplace #2 in City of Peterborough (no change) Vaccine doses administered: 30,433 (last updated April 1)
*The health unit is reporting 20 cases in the last 24 hours, with 1 previous case removed from the total case count.
**As of April 1, Peterborough Regional Health Centre is reporting fewer than 10 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 (no change) and 25 patients transferred from other areas as a result of a provincial directive (increase of 1).
Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit
The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit’s service area is the City of Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland County, and Haliburton County.
The health unit provides reports from Monday to Saturday, excluding Sundays and statutory holidays. No report was issued on Good Friday; these numbers include April 2 and 3.
Confirmed positive: 1,191, including 602 in Kawartha Lakes, 516 in Northumberland, and 73 in Haliburton (increase of 27, including 6 in Kawartha Lakes, 14 in Northumberland, and 7 in Haliburton)* Cases with N501Y mutation: 76, including 33 in Kawartha Lakes and 43 in Northumberland (increase of 26, including 12 in Kawartha Lakes and 14 in Northumberland)** Active cases: 69, including 28 in Kawartha Lakes, 33 in Northumberland, and 8 in Haliburton (increase of 18, including 2 in Kawartha Lakes, 9 in in Northumberland, and 7 in Haliburton) Probable cases: 3, including 1 in Kawartha Lakes and 2 in Northumberland (increase of 2 in Kawartha Lakes) High-risk contacts: 207, including 56 in Kawartha Lakes, 105 in Northumberland, and 15 in Haliburton (increase of 62)*** Hospitalizations (total to date): 51, including 31 in Kawartha Lakes, 17 in Northumberland, and 3 in Haliburton (increase of 1 in Kawartha Lakes)**** Deaths (including among probable cases): 68, including 55 in Kawartha Lakes, 12 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton (no change) Resolved: 1,067, including 532 in Kawartha Lakes, 471 in Northumberland, 64 in Haliburton (increase of 10, including 6 in Kawartha Lakes and 4 in Northumberland) Tests completed: 164,133 (increase of 694) Vaccine doses administered: 23,198 (last updated on March 29) Number of people fully vaccinated: 2,618 (last updated on March 29) Outbreaks: Golden Plough Lodge in Cobourg (no change)
*The health unit states that total counts and counts for individual counties may fluctuate from previously reported counts as cases are transferred to or from the health unit based on case investigation details and routine data cleaning.
**The N501Y mutation has been identified in variants of concern including the B.1.1.7 UK variant, the B.1.351 South Africa variant, and the P.1 Brazilian variant.
***This total includes an additional 31 high-risk contacts directly followed up through the Public Health Ontario contact tracing process that are missing the contacts’ county.
****As of April 1, Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay reports 1 patient hospitalized with COVID-19 (decrease of 1).
Hastings Prince Edward Public Health
Hastings Prince Edward Public Health’s service area is Hastings County (including Bancroft) and Prince Edward County.
The health unit provides daily reports, including on weekends, excluding statutory holidays.
Confirmed positive: 565 (increase of 22) Confirmed variants of concern cases: 44 (increase of 3) Active cases: 107 (increase of 18) Deaths: 6 (no change) Currently hospitalized: 3 (increase of 1) Currently hospitalized and in ICU: 2 (no change) Currently hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator (total to date): 0 (no change) Resolved: 449 (increase of 4) Tests completed: 82,939 (no change) Vaccine doses administered: 33,280 (increase of 519) Number of people fully vaccinated: 2,089 (increase of 154) Outbreaks: Unidentified workplace in Trenton, Unidentified setting in Belleville, Unidentified child care facility in Belleville, Unidentified workplace in Quinte West (increase of 1)*
*An outbreak at an unidentified workplace in Quinte West was declared on April 2.
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Province of Ontario
April 3, 2021
Confirmed positive: 358,558 (increase of 3,009) COVID-19 variants of concern (VOC) confirmed cases: 2,042 of B.1.1.7 UK variant (increase of 20); 70 of B.1.351 South Africa variant (no change); 102 of P.1 Brazilian variant (decrease of 1) VOC R(t): 1.24 (no change, last updated March 30)* 7-day average of daily new cases: 2,552 (increase of 79) Resolved: 327,940 (increase of 1,819), 91.5% of all cases (decrease of 0.2%) Positivity rate: 5.0% (increase of 0.4%) Hospitalizations: 796 (decrease of 366)** Hospitalizations in ICU: 451 (increase of 16) Hospitalizations in ICU on ventilator: 261 (decrease of 10) Deaths: 7,428 (increase of 16) 7-day average of daily new deaths: 17 (no change) Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 3,901 (no change) Total tests completed: 12,734,913 (increase of 59,117) Tests under investigation: 25,049 (decrease of 14,174) Vaccination doses administered: 2,424,063 (increase of 59,567), 16.45% of Ontario’s population (increase of 0.40%)*** People fully vaccinated (two doses): 321,469 (increase of 1,119), 2.18% of Ontario’s population (increase of 0.01%)***
*R(t) is a virus’s effective reproduction number, which is the average number of new infections caused by a single infected individual at a specific time (t) in a partially immunized population. To successfully eliminate a disease from a population, R(t) needs to be less than 1.
**As more than 10% of hospitals did not submit data for this report, the actual number of hospitalizations may be higher than reported.
***An estimated 70-90% of the population must be immunized to achieve herd immunity.
April 2, 2021
Confirmed positive: 355,549 (increase of 3,089) COVID-19 variants of concern (VOC) confirmed cases: 2,022 of B.1.1.7 UK variant (increase of 69); 70 of B.1.351 South Africa variant (increase of 3); 103 of P.1 Brazilian variant (increase of 7) VOC R(t): 1.24 (decrease of .09, last updated March 30)* 7-day average of daily new cases: 2,473 (increase of 132) Resolved: 326,121 (increase of 1,925), 91.7% of all cases (decrease of 0.3%) Positivity rate: 4.6% (decrease of 0.2%) Hospitalizations: 1,162 (increase of 46) Hospitalizations in ICU: 435 (increase of 2) Hospitalizations in ICU on ventilator: 271 (increase of 12) Deaths: 7,412 (increase of 23) 7-day average of daily new deaths: 17 (increase of 1) Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 3,901 (no change) Total tests completed: 12,675,796 (increase of 62,333) Tests under investigation: 39,223 (decrease of 2,834) Vaccination doses administered: 2,364,496 (increase of 88,183), 16.05% of Ontario’s population (increase of 0.60%)** People fully vaccinated (two doses): 320,350 (increase of 2,635), 2.17% of Ontario’s population (increase of 0.01%)**
*R(t) is a virus’s effective reproduction number, which is the average number of new infections caused by a single infected individual at a specific time (t) in a partially immunized population. To successfully eliminate a disease from a population, R(t) needs to be less than 1.
**An estimated 70-90% of the population must be immunized to achieve herd immunity.
COVID-19 cases in Ontario from March 3 – April 2, 2021. The red line is the number of new cases reported daily, and the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of new cases. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)COVID-19 tests completed in Ontario from March 3 – April 2, 2021. The red line is the daily number of tests completed, and the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of tests completed. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)COVID-19 hospitalizations and ICU admissions in Ontario from March 3 – April 2, 2021. The red line is the daily number of COVID-19 hospitalizations, the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of hospitalizations, the purple line is the daily number of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs, and the dotted orange line is a five-day moving average of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)COVID-19 deaths in Ontario from March 3 – April 2, 2021. The red line is the cumulative number of daily deaths, and the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of daily deaths. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in Ontario from March 3 – April 2, 2021. The red line is the cumulative number of daily doses administered, and the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of daily doses. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)
In the hilarious fringe theatre hit "Three Men on a Bike", David Difrancesco, Matt Pilipiak, and Victor Pokinko play a trio of hapless upper-middle class gentlemen who get caught up in the great European bicycling craze at the end of the 19th century. The play, running July 6th to 17th, is one of eight productions planned at Globus Theatre at the Lakeview Arts Barn in Bobcaygeon this summer. (Photo: Pea Green Theatre Group)
Pandemic willing, Globus Theatre at Lakeview Arts Barn in Bobcaygeon has announced it is proceeding with a summer season, extended by an additional four weeks to accommodate the reduced audience capacity limits of COVID-19.
The non-profit theatre company’s summer season — planned to begin on Thursday, May 20th and conclude on Saturday, September 4th — includes two staged readings, four plays, and two musical shows. All productions will have COVID-19 health and safety measures in place, including additional spacing between patrons.
Of course, whether the indoor summer season begins on May 20th as planned depends on what happens with the pandemic over the six weeks. If the province is no longer in shutdown and the City of Kawartha Lakes moves back into anything other than the ‘Red-Control’ or ‘Grey-Lockdown’ levels of Ontario’s COVID-19 response framework, indoor events can proceed with a maximum of 50 people.
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“Great consideration was afforded to what we could produce safely,” says Globus Theatre’s artistic director Sarah Quick, pointing to the theatre company’s abbreviated season in 2020 as an “excellent learning experience as to how best to provide quality entertainment in a safe setting.”
“We are continuing with our limited audiences of 50,” Quick adds. “This means that even if allowed to open to higher numbers as the summer progresses, we will not. You can be assured that you will be distanced from your fellow theatre lovers regardless of a loosening in restrictions.”
The first show of the season is scheduled for May 20th, when Ellen Denny will present a staged reading of her new play Pleasureville, about a woman who moves from the city to a small town and opens a sex shop. Denny is the co-creator of february: a love story, which debuted outdoors at the Lakeview Arts Barn this past February.
How tables will be spaced at the Lakeview Arts Barn in Bobcaygeon for Globus Theatre’s summer 2021 productions. (Photo courtesy of Globus Theatre)
The first full production of the season would take place from May 25th to June 5th, when audience favourite Leisa Way and her Wayward Wind Band return to the Lakeview Arts Barn with Early Morning Rain: The Legend of Gordon Lightfoot, a concert celebrating the hits of one of Canada’s greatest singer-songwriters.
On June 11th and 12th, Armon Ghaeinizadeh and Justine Christensen deliver a staged reading of Broken Glass, a modern reimagining of Tennessee William’s The Glass Menagerie with live musical accompaniment.
From June 16th to July 3rd, Globus Theatre presents a play by audience favourite Norm Foster. Here on the Flight Path, starring Sarah Quick and Globus’ artistic producer James Barrett, has been described as Foster’s funniest play. It follows John Cummings who, over the course of three years, has three very different women as neighbours. As he interacts with them on the balcony of his apartment, each has a unique impact on his life.
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From July 6th to July 17th, Victor Pokinko and Matt Pilipiak reprise their roles from the award-winning Three Men in a Boat, which was performed at the Lakeview Arts Barn in July 2015, in the hilarious sequel Three Men on a Bike. Pokinko and Pilipiak, this time joined by David Difrancesco, play three upper-middle class gentlemen who get caught up in the great European bicycling craze at the end of the 19th century.
From July 21st to August 7th, Globus switches gears from comedy to murder mystery with the original production The Great Cottage Catastrophe. In the idyllic town of “Doncaygeon”, a hot cottage country real estate market results in bidding wars &mash; and murder. In this interactive play, audience members help solve the whodunit.
From August 11th to 28th, Globus remounts the audience favourite Shirley Valentine by Willy Russell, starring Sarah Quick as the lovable Brit in the hopeful and inspiration show.
Located at the Lakeview Arts Barn in Bobcaygeon, Globus Theatre is a registered not-for-profit charitable organization mandated to provide professional theatre to the local Kawartha Lakes community and visitors. (Photo courtesy of Globus Theatre)
The summer season closes with Gabs Sings Babs, featuring award-winning stage and cabaret performer Gabi Epstein sharing her own journey of self-discovery through reimagined versions of her idol Barbra Streisand’s greatest hits. The production runs from September 1st to September 4th.
Tickets will go on sale for donors on Tuesday, April 6th, and for the general public on Thursday, April 6th. Tickets can be booked by calling the box office at 705-738-2037.
Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.
Holiday reporting
Provincial reports will not be available on Good Friday or Easter Sunday. Friday numbers will be reported in Saturday’s update, and Sunday numbers will be reported in Monday’s update.
Today’s update is briefer than usual, as provincial data is unavailable on Good Friday. Friday’s data will be provided in Saturday’s report.
Two regional health units are supplying reports on Good Friday: Peterborough Public Health and Hastings Prince Edward Public Health. Information from Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit will be provided on Saturday.
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In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 27 new cases to report, including 14 in Hastings Prince Edward and 13 in Peterborough.
An outbreak at an unidentified child care facility in Belleville was declared on April 1.
There are 11 new regional cases of presumed variants of concern in Hastings Prince Edward.
There is 1 new hospitalization in Peterborough and 1 new hospitalization and ICU admission in Hastings Prince Edward.
An additional 11 cases have been resolved, including 6 in Hastings Prince Edward and 5 in Peterborough.
There are currently 198 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, an increase of 8 from yesterday, including 84 in Hastings Prince Edward (24 in Quinte West, 37 in Belleville, 7 in Tyendinaga & Deseronto, 5 in Prince Edward County, 10 in Central Hastings, and 1 in North Hastings), 63 in Peterborough, 26 in Kawartha Lakes, 24 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton.
Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 892 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (819 resolved with 10 deaths), 594 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (526 resolved with 55 deaths), 503 in Northumberland County (467 resolved with 12 deaths), 66 in Haliburton County (64 resolved with 1 death), and 543 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (445 resolved with 6 deaths). The most recent death was reported in Peterborough on March 16.
Peterborough Public Health’s service area is the City and County of Peterborough and the Hiawatha and Curve Lake First Nations.
The health unit provides daily reports, including on weekends, excluding statutory holidays.
Confirmed positive: 892 (increase of 13) Total variants of concern cases: 206 (no change) Active cases: 63 (increase of 8) Close contacts: 238 (increase of 18) Deaths: 10 (no change) Resolved: 819 (increase of 5) Hospitalizations (total to date): 31 (increase of 1)* Total tests completed: Over 46,800 (increase of 150) Outbreaks: Gzowski College student residence at Trent University, Empress Gardens retirement home in Peterborough, Workplace #1 in City of Peterborough, Workplace #2 in City of Peterborough (no change) Vaccine doses administered: 30,433 (last updated April 1)
*As of April 1, Peterborough Regional Health Centre is reporting fewer than 10 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 (no change) and 25 patients transferred from other areas as a result of a provincial directive (increase of 1).
Hastings Prince Edward Public Health
Hastings Prince Edward Public Health’s service area is Hastings County (including Bancroft) and Prince Edward County.
The health unit provides daily reports, including on weekends, excluding statutory holidays.
Confirmed positive: 543 (increase of 14) Confirmed variants of concern cases: 41 (increase of 11) Active cases: 89 (increase of 5) Deaths: 6 (no change) Currently hospitalized: 2 (increase of 1) Currently hospitalized and in ICU: 2 (increase of 1) Currently hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator (total to date): 0 (no change) Resolved: 445 (increase of 6) Tests completed: 109,915 Vaccine doses administered: 32,761 (increase of 1,522) Number of people fully vaccinated: 1,935 (decrease of 2) Outbreaks: Unidentified workplace in Trenton, Unidentified setting in Belleville, Unidentified child care facility in Belleville (increase of 1)*
*An outbreak at an unidentified child care facility in Belleville was declared on April 1.
BWXT Nuclear Energy Canada Inc. in Peterborough and Toronto manufactures nuclear fuel bundles for use in CANDU nuclear reactors, supplying both the Pickering and Darlington nuclear power plants. The carcinogenic heavy metal beryllium is used during the fuel bundle manufacturing process. The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission has approved a 10-year operating licence for BWXT that also authorizes the company to move its fuel pellet manufacturing operation from Toronto to Peterborough. (Photo: BWXT Nuclear Energy Canada Inc.)
As a follow-up to its recent issuance of a new operating licence to Peterborough-based BWXT Nuclear Energy Canada Inc., the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) hosted a webinar Wednesday (March 31) that summarized its findings as they pertain to beryllium levels in soil and air samples.
In July 2020, CNSC staff conducted soil sampling for beryllium in the vicinity of BWXT in Building 21 of the former Hitachi GE nuclear facility where uranium fuel pellets may one day be manufactured.
In mid December, based on the results of the sampling that concluded “there is no risk to the environment and human health” for properties in the facility’s vicinity, CNSC granted BWXT a 10-year licence effective January 1st, 2021.
While pellet manufacturing isn’t being done now at the Peterborough facility, BWXT sought a licence in the event the production of pellets is moved to the city from Toronto within the next 10 years.
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As reviewed during the webinar by Kiza Sauvé, the director of CNSC’s Health Sciences and Environmental Compliance Division, beryllium — a carcinogenic heavy metal — is naturally present in soil but activities that add to its level include the burning of coal, fuel oil, and petroleum-based substances.
“The most restrictive criteria for beryllium concentration in soil is 4 milligrams per kilogram,” noted Sauvé, adding “the natural background range for soil not contaminated by industrial sources is up to 2.5 milligrams per kilogram.”
“All of the concentrations of beryllium in soil measured in the CNSC’s independent environmental monitoring program sampling campaigns during 2014 to 2020 are within the (natural) background range.”
BWXT manufactures nuclear fuel bundles for use in CANDU nuclear reactors — one of three licenced suppliers of fuel bundles in Canada, supplying both the Pickering and Darlington nuclear power plants.
BWXT’s Toronto plant produces natural and depleted uranium dioxide pellets. The company’s Peterborough plant uses the pellets and in-house manufactured zirconium alloy tubes to assemble fuel bundles (pictured) for nuclear power reactors. The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission has approved a 10-year operating licence for BWXT that also authorizes the company to move its fuel pellet manufacturing operation to Peterborough. (Photo: BWXT Nuclear Energy Canada Inc.)
Sauvé explained that brazing — a metal joining process used to connect nuclear fuel bundle components — employs beryllium as a fusing agent. That results in the creation of airborne beryllium particles that present an occupational hazard for workers.
To mitigate the risk, the space is maintained under negative pressure so all airborne particles are collected and removed via a filtration system before the air is emitted to the atmosphere.
“Beryllium emissions from BWXT’s Peterborough operation are at a level that could not result in a change in beryllium soil concentrations,” concludes the CNSC report.
Despite that assurance, and what appears to be strong evidence that backs it up, a Peterborough-based organization is moving ahead with its legal challenge of the CSNC decision to issue BWXT its 10-year licence.
Citizens Against Radioactive Neighbourhoods (CARN), represented by the Canadian Environmental Law Association (CELA), has filed an application for a judicial review of the decision. Along with beryllium contamination, the group objects to the potential production of uranium dioxide pellets at BWXT’s Peterborough plant.
According to CARN spokesperson Bill Templeton, at issue is the facility’s manufacturing process being simply too close to Prince of Wales Public School on Mongahan Road at Sherbrooke Street, as well being adjacent to residential neighbourhoods both north and south of the site.
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“If this were happening in an industrial park on the outskirts of the city or, better yet, on vacant land quite far from Peterborough, it wouldn’t be an issue,” said Templeton.
“The reason our shorts are in a knot is we can’t find anywhere else in the world where this situation exists: that they make nuclear fuel pellets next to an elementary school.”
“When you and I drive along the 401, we see Darlington, we see Pickering in the distance. We notice there are huge empty fields around them. That’s on purpose. Where are those empty fields here?”
Of note, added Templeton, is the fact that one of the CNSC five panel members — Dr. Sandor Demeter — voted against the BWXT licence application.
“He has concerns … he says there are some risks here,” said Templeton.
“As long as there’s doubt, as long as there are risks, why not err on the side of caution? His voice was overruled. He’s one of five but he was the only one (of the panel members) with a medical/health background who’s qualified to judge about the impact on human health.”
Citizens Against Radioactive Neighbourhoods (CARN) is challenging the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission’s approval of BWXT Nuclear Energy Canada Inc.’s 10-year operating licence, due to the proximity of the company’s Peterborough plant (pictured) to Prince of Wales Public School and adjacent residential neighbourhoods. Along with concerns about beryllium contamination, CARN objects to the possible production of uranium dioxide pellets at the Peterborough plant. (Photo: BWXT Nuclear Energy Canada Inc.)
Templeman said the CNSC is “a captured regulator”, adding “they want to see the nuclear industry go forward. Of course, it’s their stock and trade. They did not get independent testing done of the beryllium issue. They (CNSC staff) are qualified but they’re evaluating their own work.”
According to a release from CARN, it’s seeking an order declaring that “the CNSC’s issuance of a licence permitting pelleting in Peterborough unlawful, and the licence conditions allowing for this change to be deemed invalid and of no effect.”
Asked by kawarthaNOW during the webinar if CARN’s challenge will in any way impact the issuing of the licence, CNSC’s Nuclear Processing Facilities Division Director Andrew McCallister, said, in a word, “No.”
“The judicial review has not imposed a stay on the licence activities or the associated work by CNSC staff,” he clarified, adding “We’re continuing to ensure that that BWXT’s Peterborough operations continue to operate in a safe manner.”
For the complete CNSC decision as it pertains to the BWXT licence application, visit .
As of Friday (April 2), all residents of the greater Kawarthas region aged 70 and over in 2021 can make COVID-19 vaccination appointments through the provincial booking system.
On Thursday afternoon, the Ontario government announced expanded booking eligibility in 10 public health unit regions, including all three in the greater Kawarthas region: Peterborough Public Health, Hastings Prince Edward Public Health, and the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit.
Appointments at local mass immunization clinics can be made online at ontario.ca/bookvaccine.
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The government also announced the AstraZeneca vaccine will be available at 350 more pharmacies across the province, including selected pharmacies in the greater Kawarthas region. The AstraZeneca vaccine is available by appointment to those 55 or older in 2021.
Residents of the greater Kawarthas region can contact the pharmacies below to make an appointment. You will have to join a waitlist if the selected pharmacy has not yet received its vaccine doses.
As of April 2, 2021, there are no pharmacies in Haliburton County offering the AstraZeneca vaccine. For the most up-to-date list of pharmacies offering vaccination appointments, visit covid-19.ontario.ca/vaccine-locations.
Severn Court Student Residence at 555 Wilfred Drive in Peterborough provides off-campus student housing primarily to Fleming College students, as well as students of Seneca College Aviation and Trent University. (Photo: Severn Court Management Company / Facebook)
Peterborough police have concluded their investigation into the February 20th gatherings at Severn Court Student Residence that led to a major COVID-19 outbreak without laying any charges or issuing any fines.
“We, unfortunately, do not have enough evidence to reasonably lay charges for the events that allegedly transpired on or around February 20,” said medical officer of health Dr. Rosana Salvaterra during a Peterborough Public Health media briefing on Thursday (April 1).
“It’s unclear, from what we know, where those gatherings were, who hosted the gatherings, and if everyone who attended has disclosed that they were there,” she added. “And we have no proof that the indoor capacity limits, which at the time were 10 people, were exceeded at any of those parties. We just don’t have enough good evidence to be able to take any further action at this time.”
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Following Dr. Salvaterra’s comments in the briefing, Peterborough police issued an email confirming the investigation has ended.
“A lot of the information was related to health information and it was not clear as to what happened and what rules were breached given the restrictions at the time,” the email reads. “Peterborough police attempted to access that information through a search warrant. That request was declined. Peterborough police will not be proceeding any further with the investigation.”
The outbreak at Severn Court Student Residence, a privately owned student housing complex near Fleming College, resulted in almost 60 cases and the death of a 31-year-old student. That student, who refused to participate in the gatherings because he was afraid of being infected, was subsequently hospitalized after becoming seriously ill.
Meanwhile, with the Ontario government’s announcement on Thursday of a four-week province-wide shutdown to contain the spread of variants of concern, Dr. Salvaterra noted the variants now account for 67 per cent of all Ontario COVID-19 cases, and are associated with a 63 per cent increased risk for hospitalization, a 103 per cent increased risk of ICU admission, and a 56 per cent increased risk of death.
The grim news of yet another lockdown is in stark contrast to what has been good progress made on the local vaccination front.
According to Dr. Salvaterra, 30,433 local residents have received at least their first dose of vaccine — 6,124 more than one week ago. She said 84 per cent of residents age 80 and up have received their first dose,n vaccinated, 40 per cent of those aged 70 to 79, and 30 per cent of those aged 60 to 69.
In addition to those encouraging numbers, Dr. Salvaterra noted a new shipment of AstraZeneca is expected to arrive as early as this weekend.
“This will be made available to people aged 55 and up,” she said, noting three pharmacies in the region will receive a supply of AstraZeneca soon with more to come on board at a later date.
The three pharmacies, all located in the City of Peterborough, are Costco Pharmacy (485 The Parkway), High Street Guardian Pharmacy (815 High Street, Unit 9), and Wal-Mart Pharmacy (1002 Chemong Road). Vaccinations at each location are by appointment only.
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Turning to the local status of cases, there are currently 55 active cases in the region. March, with 225 new cases detected, represented the largest one-month case count locally since the pandemic began. Of even greater concern are the 206 variants of concern cases — a jump of 41 since last week.
Meanwhile, the outbreak picture has improved somewhat, with an outbreak at the Brock Mission declared resolved, and two ongoing outbreaks — at Trent University’s Gzowksi College and Empress Gardens Retirement Residence in downtown Peterborough — described by Dr. Salvaterra as “stable”.
However, two workplace outbreaks which have resulted in eight total cases were declared Wednesday (March 31), with one of the two being a business where there was customer interaction.
Also commenting during Thursday’s media briefing were Peterborough-Kawartha MP Maryam Monsef, Peterborough Mayor Diane Therrien, Peterborough County Warden J. Murray Jones, and Peterborough board of health chair and Selwyn mayor Andy Mitchell.
Mayor Therrien spoke specifically to the just-announced shutdown, making it clear she feels it doesn’t go nearly far enough to make a difference one month from now.
“This is not a full lockdown,” she said. “Big box stores are allowed to continue to operate with impunity. Small businesses and self-employed people are going to be the ones to suffer. Front-line essential workers still don’t adequate access to paid sick days, and schools will remain open. This isn’t going to get us to COVID zero.”
“If you’re going to do a lockdown, to prevent the spread in a meaningful way, it needs to be tough across the board and enforced,” Mayor Therrien added. “Without that happening, I’m worried that we’re setting ourselves up for another wave and shutdown and an unsustainable pattern going forward.”
Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.
Easter weekend reporting
Provincial reports will not be available on Good Friday or Easter Sunday. Friday numbers will be reported in Saturday’s update, and Sunday numbers will be reported in Monday’s update. Depending on the availability of reports from local health unit reports, kawarthaNOW may or may not be issuing a COVID-19 update on Good Friday or Easter Sunday.
Today, Ontario is reporting 2,557 new cases, with the seven-day average of daily cases increasing by 35 to 2,341. There are 55 more confirmed cases of the B.1.1.7 UK variant and 4 more confirmed cases of the P.1 Brazilian variant.
In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 39 new cases to report and an additional 3 cases resolved, with the number of active cases across the region increasing by 36 from yesterday to 190. See below for detailed numbers from each regional health unit.
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Most of today’s new cases are in Toronto (743), Peel (484), York (311), Ottawa (131), Hamilton (119), and Durham (107).
There are double-digit increases in Halton (82) Simcoe Muskoka (73), Middlesex-London (71), Waterloo (46), Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (43), Eastern Ontario (37), Windsor-Essex (37), Niagara (34), Hastings Prince Edward (30), Lambton (30), Thunder Bay (27), Brant (27), Haldimand-Norfolk (16), Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge (15), Chatham-Kent (14), Grey Bruce (14), Sudbury (13), and Southwestern (13), with smaller increases in Peterborough (9) and Leeds, Grenville & Lanark (7).
The remaining 8 health units are reporting 5 or fewer new cases, with all health units reporting at least 1 case.
Of today’s new cases, 57% are among people 39 and younger, with the highest number of cases (941) among people ages 20-39 followed by 738 cases among people ages 40-59.
With 1,814 more cases resolved since yesterday, the percentage of resolved cases has decreased by 0.1% to 92.0%. The average positivity rate across Ontario has increased by 0.3% to 4.8%, meaning that 48 out of every 1,000 tests performed were positive for COVID-19 on March 31.
Ontario is reporting 23 new COVID-19 deaths today, with no new deaths in long-term care homes. Ontario has averaged 16 new daily deaths over the past week, an increase of 1 from yesterday.
The number of hospitalizations has increased by 5 to 1,116, with the number of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs increasing by 37 to 433 and the number of patients with COVID-19 on ventilators increasing by 7 to 259.
A total of 62,290 tests were completed yesterday, with the backlog of tests under investigation increasing by 1,591 to 42,057.
A total of 2,276,313 doses of vaccine have now been administered, an increase of 84,060 from yesterday, with 317,715 people fully vaccinated with both doses of vaccine, an increase of 1,895 from yesterday.
The number of fully vaccinated people now represents 2.16% of Ontario’s population, an increase of 0.02% from yesterday, with fully and partially vaccinated people representing 15.45% of the population, an increase of 0.57% from yesterday. An estimated 70-90% of the population must be immunized to achieve herd immunity.
There are 249 new cases in Ontario schools, a decrease of 73 from yesterday, including 211 student cases, 36 staff cases, and 2 case among unidentified people. There are 59 new cases in licensed child care settings in Ontario, a decrease of 22 from yesterday, including 38 cases among children and 21 cases among staff.
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In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 39 new cases to report, including 16 in Hastings Prince Edward, 8 in Peterborough, 8 in Kawartha Lakes, 6 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton.
Outbreaks at Golden Plough Lodge in Cobourg and an unidentified setting in Belleville were declared on March 31.
There are 21 new regional cases of presumed variants of concern, including 10 in Hastings Prince Edward, 7 in Peterborough, 3 in Kawartha Lakes, and 1 in Northumberland.
An additional 3 cases have been resolved, including 2 in Hastings Prince Edward and 1 in Peterborough.
There are currently 190 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, an increase of 36 from yesterday, including 84 in Hastings Prince Edward (24 in Quinte West, 37 in Belleville, 7 in Tyendinaga & Deseronto, 5 in Prince Edward County, 10 in Central Hastings, and 1 in North Hastings), 55 in Peterborough, 26 in Kawartha Lakes, 24 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton.
Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 879 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (814 resolved with 10 deaths), 594 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (526 resolved with 55 deaths), 503 in Northumberland County (467 resolved with 12 deaths), 66 in Haliburton County (64 resolved with 1 death), and 530 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (439 resolved with 6 deaths). The most recent death was reported in Peterborough on March 16.
The provincial data in this report is pulled from Ontario’s integrated Public Health Information System (iPHIS) at 4 p.m. the previous day, as well as from systems in Toronto, Ottawa, and Middlesex-London at 2 p.m. the previous day. Data from local health units is more current and is usually reflected in the provincial data the following day. There may be discrepancies between the Ontario data reported today (which is from yesterday) and the local health unit data reported today (which is from today).
Peterborough Public Health’s service area is the City and County of Peterborough and the Hiawatha and Curve Lake First Nations.
The health unit provides daily reports, including on weekends, excluding statutory holidays.
Confirmed positive: 879 (increase of 4)* Total variants of concern cases: 206 (increase of 7) Active cases: 55 (increase of 3) Close contacts: 220 (increase of 22) Deaths: 10 Resolved: 814 (increase of 1) Hospitalizations (total to date): 30 (no change)** Total tests completed: Over 46,650 (increase of 300) Outbreaks: Gzowski College student residence at Trent University, Empress Gardens retirement home in Peterborough, Workplace #1 in City of Peterborough, Workplace #2 in City of Peterborough (no change) Vaccine doses administered: 30,433 (increase of 6,124 since March 25)
*The health unit is reporting 8 new cases in the last 24 hours. As 4 cases have been removed from previous days, the total case count has only increased by 4.
**As of April 1, Peterborough Regional Health Centre is reporting fewer than 10 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 (no change) and 25 patients transferred from other areas as a result of a provincial directive (increase of 1).
Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit
The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit’s service area is the City of Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland County, and Haliburton County.
The health unit provides reports from Monday to Saturday, excluding Sundays and statutory holidays.
Confirmed positive: 1,163 including 594 in Kawartha Lakes, 503 in Northumberland, and 66 in Haliburton (increase of 15, including 8 in Kawartha Lakes, 6 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton)* Cases with N501Y mutation: 50, including 21 in Kawartha Lakes and 29 in Northumberland (increase of 4, including 3 in Kawartha Lakes and 1 in Northumberland)** Active cases: 51, including 26 in Kawartha Lakes, 24 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton (increase of 17, including 20 in Kawartha Lakes, 6 in in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton) Probable cases: 1 (increase of 1 in Kawartha Lakes) High-risk contacts: 145, including 46 in Kawartha Lakes, 75 in Northumberland, and 4 in Haliburton (net increase of 15)*** Hospitalizations (total to date): 50, including 30 in Kawartha Lakes, 17 in Northumberland, and 3 in Haliburton (no change)**** Deaths (including among probable cases): 68, including 55 in Kawartha Lakes, 12 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton (no change) Resolved: 1,057, including 526 in Kawartha Lakes, 467 in Northumberland, 64 in Haliburton (no change) Tests completed: 163,439 (increase of 654) Vaccine doses administered: 23,198 (last updated on March 29) Number of people fully vaccinated: 2,618 (last updated on March 29) Outbreaks: Golden Plough Lodge in Cobourg (increase of 1)*****
*The health unit states that total counts and counts for individual counties may fluctuate from previously reported counts as cases are transferred to or from the health unit based on case investigation details and routine data cleaning.
**The N501Y mutation has been identified in variants of concern including the B.1.1.7 UK variant, the B.1.351 South Africa variant, and the P.1 Brazilian variant.
***This total includes an additional 20 high-risk contacts directly followed up through the Public Health Ontario contact tracing process that are missing the contacts’ county.
****As of April 1, Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay reports 1 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 (decrease of 1).
*****An outbreak was declared at Golden Plough Lodge in Cobourg on March 31.
Hastings Prince Edward Public Health
Hastings Prince Edward Public Health’s service area is Hastings County (including Bancroft) and Prince Edward County.
The health unit provides daily reports, including on weekends, excluding statutory holidays.
Confirmed positive: 530 (increase of 16) Confirmed variants of concern cases: 30 (increase of 10) Active cases: 84 (increase of 13) Deaths: 6 (no change) Currently hospitalized: 1 (no change) Currently hospitalized and in ICU: 1 (increase of 1) Currently hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator (total to date): 0 (no change) Resolved: 439 (increase of 2) Tests completed: 82,939 (increase of 8) Vaccine doses administered: 31,239 (increase of 2,766) Number of people fully vaccinated: 1,933 (decrease of 13) Outbreaks: Unidentified workplace in Trenton, Unidentified setting in Belleville (increase of 1)*
*An outbreak at an unidentified setting in Belleville was declared on March 31.
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Province of Ontario
Confirmed positive: 352,460 (increase of 2,557) COVID-19 variants of concern (VOC) confirmed cases: 1,953 of B.1.1.7 UK variant (increase of 55); 67 of B.1.351 South Africa variant (decrease of 2); 96 of P.1 Brazilian variant (increase of 4) VOC R(t): 1.33 (decrease of .02, last updated March 27)* 7-day average of daily new cases: 2,341 (increase of 35) Resolved: 324,196 (increase of 1,814), 92.0% of all cases (decrease of 0.1%) Positivity rate: 4.8% (increase of 0.3%) Hospitalizations: 1,116 (increase of 5) Hospitalizations in ICU: 433 (increase of 37) Hospitalizations in ICU on ventilator: 259 (increase of 7) Deaths: 7,389 (increase of 23) 7-day average of daily new deaths: 16 (increase of 1) Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 3,901 (no change) Total tests completed: 12,613,463 (increase of 62,290) Tests under investigation: 42,057 (increase of 1,591) Vaccination doses administered: 2,276,313 (increase of 84,060), 15.45% of Ontario’s population (increase of 0.57%)** People fully vaccinated (two doses): 317,715 (increase of 1,895), 2.16% of Ontario’s population (increase of 0.02%)**
*R(t) is a virus’s effective reproduction number, which is the average number of new infections caused by a single infected individual at a specific time (t) in a partially immunized population. To successfully eliminate a disease from a population, R(t) needs to be less than 1.
**An estimated 70-90% of the population must be immunized to achieve herd immunity.
COVID-19 cases in Ontario from March 1 – March 31, 2021. The red line is the number of new cases reported daily, and the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of new cases. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)COVID-19 tests completed in Ontario from March 1 – March 31, 2021. The red line is the daily number of tests completed, and the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of tests completed. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)COVID-19 hospitalizations and ICU admissions in Ontario from March 1 – March 31, 2021. The red line is the daily number of COVID-19 hospitalizations, the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of hospitalizations, the purple line is the daily number of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs, and the dotted orange line is a five-day moving average of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)COVID-19 deaths in Ontario from March 1 – March 31, 2021. The red line is the cumulative number of daily deaths, and the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of daily deaths. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in Ontario from March 1 – March 31, 2021. The red line is the cumulative number of daily doses administered, and the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of daily doses. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)
Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced a province-wide COVID-19 shutdown on April 1, 2021. The four-week shutdown takes effect on April 3. (CPAC screenshot)
Premier Doug Ford announced on Thursday (April 1) that Ontario is applying a “province-wide emergency brake” as a result of an alarming surge in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations across the province.
“We’re facing a very, very serious situation,” Ford said during a media conference in Toronto. “As I’ve said many times, we will do whatever it takes to protect the people of Ontario. As Premier, it falls on me. I’m the one who has to make the tough decisions. Today, I need to make on of those tough decisions.”
The shutdown — which will last at least four weeks — takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, April 3rd.
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“This is a new pandemic,” Ford said. “We are now fighting a new enemy. The new variants are far more dangerous than before. They spread faster, and they do more harm than the virus we were fighting last year.”
“We need to close the gap between where we are today and where we will be with the millions of vaccines we’re expecting by June. We need more time for our vaccine program to take hold. But we are in a desperate race right now against an extremely aggressive and fast-moving virus. We need more runway to allow our vaccine roll-out to get where we need it.”
Schools will remain open for in-person learning during the shutdown, as will child care settings, both with strict safety measures in place. Spring break will also continue as planned for the week of April 12th.
The announcement came hours after a technical media briefing by Ontario’s top health experts that shared a sobering assessment of the third wave of the pandemic in the province.
That assessment warned that COVID-19 is spreading far more quickly than it was before and “killing faster and younger”, with a higher propotion of younger people being admitted to hospital intensive care units, and recommended a four-week stay-at-home order to reduce the spread of infections.
However, the province-wide emergency brake announced on Thursday — which the province is not calling a “lockdown” — does not include a stay-at-home order.
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The shutdown does include the following measures;
Prohibiting indoor organized public events and social gatherings and limiting the capacity for outdoor organized public events or social gatherings to a five-person maximum, except for gatherings with members of the same household (the people you live with) or gatherings of members of one household and one other person from another household who lives alone.
Restricting in-person shopping in all retail settings, including a 50 per cent capacity limit for supermarkets, grocery stores, convenience stores, indoor farmers’ markets, other stores that primarily sell food and pharmacies, and 25 per cent for all other retail including big box stores, along with other public health and workplace safety measures.
Prohibiting personal care services.
Prohibiting indoor and outdoor dining. Restaurants, bars and other food or drink establishments will be permitted to operate by take-out, drive-through, and delivery only.
Prohibiting the use of facilities for indoor or outdoor sports and recreational fitness (e.g., gyms) with very limited exceptions.
Requiring day camps to close.
Limiting capacity at weddings, funerals, and religious services, rites or ceremonies to 15 per cent occupancy per room indoors, and to the number of individuals that can maintain two metres of physical distance outdoors. This does not include social gatherings associated with these services such as receptions, which are not permitted indoors and are limited to five people outdoors.
The government says it will evaluate the impacts of the measures throughout the next four weeks to determine if it is safe to lift any restrictions or if they need to be extended.
While a stay-at-home order is not in effect during the shutdown, the province is asking all Ontarians to limit trips outside the home to necessities such as food, medication, medical appointments, supporting vulnerable community members, or exercising outdoors with members of their household.
The government is also asking employers in all industries to allow employees to work from home whenever possible.
The province’s colour-coded COVID-19 response framework will be paused for all of Ontario’s 34 public health units when the shutdown comes into effect.
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