kawarthaNOW is providing a daily report of COVID-19 cases in the greater Kawarthas region.

Here’s today summary: there are 72 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area, 136 in the City of Kawartha Lakes, 13 in Northumberland County, 7 in Haliburton County, and 43 in Hastings County and Prince Edward County.

There has been no increase in the number of positive cases since yesterday’s report. Moira Place in Tweed was declared out of outbreak on May 7

There have been 39 deaths. The most recent death was reported on May 7 by Hastings Prince Edward Public Health.

Province-wide, there are 19,944 confirmed cases, an increase of 346 from yesterday, with 14,383 cases resolved, an increase of 393 from yesterday. There have been 1,599 deaths, an increase of 59 from yesterday. A total of 416,376 tests have been completed, an increase of 19,227 from yesterday, with 15,307 tests under investigation, an increase of 666 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 hospitals. This information is at least 24 hours old, so it is not real-time data.

We publish the daily report, usually by late afternoon, with the most current information released by health units. Note that each health unit reports the information in a different way.

Peterborough Public Health

Peterborough Public Health’s service area is the City and County of Peterborough and the Hiawatha and Curve Lake First Nations.

Confirmed positive: 72 (no change from May 8)
Confirmed negative: Data currently unavailable*
Results pending: Data currently unavailable*
Deaths: 2 (no change from from May 8)
Resolved: 58 (increase of 1 from May 8)
Total tests completed: Over 4,800 (no change from May 8)*
Institutional outbreaks: St. Joseph’s at Fleming (no change from May 8)**

*Peterborough Public Health and its partners are currently testing in long-term care homes and retirement homes. This is rapidly increasing the number of tests performed and causing a delay in the health unit’s ability to accurately report these figures. Current data will be provided as soon as possible.

**Number of cases not provided.

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.

Confirmed positive: 157, including 136 in Kawartha Lakes, 13 in Northumberland, 7 in Haliburton (no change from May 8)*
Probable cases: 0 (decrease of 1 from May 8)
Hospitalizations: 11 (increase of 1 from May 8)
Deaths: 32, including 28 in Pinecrest Nursing Home in Bobcaygeon (no change from May 8)
Resolved: 126 (no change from May 8)
Institutional outbreaks: Pinecrest Nursing Home in Bobcaygeon, Caressant Care Lindsay, Maplewood Nursing Home in Brighton (no change from May 8)**

*A laboratory decision was made to reject all COVID-19 positive test results performed over the weekend of Apr 25-26. After re-swabbing and re-testing, 10 cases previously reported confirmed cases have been removed as re-testing has indicated negative results for COVID-19.

**An outbreak Ross Memorial Hospital was declared over on May 8. An outbreak at Case Manor in Bobcaygeon has been rescinded due to a lab error resulting in false positive tests.

Hastings Prince Edward Public Health

Hastings Prince Edward Public Health’s service area is Hastings County (including Bancroft) and Prince Edward County.

Confirmed positive: 43 (no change from May 8)
Probable cases: 180 (decrease of 6 from May 8)
Deaths: 5 (no change from May 8)
Hospitalized: 1 (no change from May 8)
Hospitalized and in ICU: 1 (no change from May 8)
Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 0 (no change from May 8)
Recovered: 22 (increase of 2 from May 8)
Total tests completed: 3,995 (decrease of 153 from May 8)
Institutional outbreaks: Hastings Manor in Belleville (decrease of 1 from May 8)*

*Moira Place in Tweed was declared out of outbreak on May 7.

Province of Ontario

Confirmed positive: 19,944 (increase of 346 from May 8)
Hospitalized: 1,016 (decrease of 12 from May 8)
Hospitalized and in ICU: 203 (increase of 10 from May 8)
Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 158 (decrease of 8 from May 8)
Deaths: 1,599 (increase of 59 from May 8)
Total tests completed 416,376 (increase of 19,227 from May 8)
Tests under investigation: 15,307 (increase of 666 from May 8)
Resolved: 14,383 (increase of 393 from May 8)

For more information about COVID-19 in Ontario, visit covid-19.ontario.ca.

On Friday (May 8), Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the federal government’s Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy program for businesses would be extended beyond the month of June — but he didn’t commit to expanding the Canada Emergency Response Benefit beyond the existing four months’ worth of benefits.

The announcement came on the heels of information showing that Canada lost almost two million jobs during April alone, with the total jobs lost since the pandemic began at more than three million. The unemployment rate now stands at 13 per cent, the second highest unemployment rate on record.

More than seven million people are receiving the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB). CERB provides monthly payments of $2,000 to Canadians who have lost all or most of their employment or self-employment income due to the pandemic.

In comparison, since the wage subsidy program launched last week, employers have applied for subsidies for almost two million workers — around a quarter of the workers receiving CERB. The Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy program covers 75 per cent of an employee’s wages, up to $847 per week, for employers with payroll systems.

While the CERB program runs retroactively from March 15th to October 3rd, workers can only apply for a maximum of four months of benefits — $8,000 in total. The benefit will run out in July for workers who have applied for CERB for four consecutive months starting from the first benefit period in March.

The Prime Minister says the wage subsidy program, which currently runs retroactively from March 15th to June 6th, will now be extended beyond this 12-week period.

“As provinces and territories start to gradually reopen over the coming months, and the CERB becomes less and less needed, this subsidy will play an even greater role,” Trudeau said. “That’s why I can announce today that we will be extending the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy beyond June, to help kickstart our economic reopening and boost jobs.”

Trudeau promised more details next week, and encouraged businesses that haven’t already applied for the wage subsidy program to do so.

When asked by a reporter whether CERB would also be extended, Trudeau pointed out that the CERB program is running over a longer timeframe than the wage subsidy, but didn’t say whether the maximum of four months’ worth of benefits would be increased.

“The Canada Emergency Response Benefit has always been planned to last longer — had a timeline that was already longer — than the wage subsidy,” Trudeau said. “But we recognize that, as the economy starts to reopen, people will be getting back to work, leaving the emergency response benefit and perhaps going on to the wage subsidy as employers bring people back on and get them back to work as our economy picks up over the coming weeks and months.

Trudeau also said that federal heritage minister Steven Guilbeault would be announcing details of the distribution of the Emergency Support Fund for Cultural, Heritage and Sport Organizations.

Beginning on Friday (May 8), $500 million in funding will start flowing to partner organizations — including the Canada Council for the Arts, the Canada Media Fund, FACTOR, Musicaction, and Telefilm Canada — for distribution to cultural and sport organizations. The majority of the funding will be provided to arts and culture organizations, followed by the audiovisual sector and the sports sector.

kawarthaNOW is providing a daily report of COVID-19 cases in the greater Kawarthas region.

Here’s today summary: there are now 72 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area, 136 in the City of Kawartha Lakes, 13 in Northumberland County, 7 in Haliburton County, and 43 in Hastings County and Prince Edward County.

That’s a increase of 1 case from yesterday’s report, with 1 new case in Peterborough.

There have been 39 deaths. The most recent death was reported on May 7 by Hastings Prince Edward Public Health.

Province-wide, there are 19,598 confirmed cases, an increase of 477 from yesterday, with 13,990 cases resolved, an increase of 421 from yesterday. There have been 1,540 deaths, an increase of 63 from yesterday. A total of 397,149 tests have been completed, an increase of 16,295 from yesterday, with 13,990 tests under investigation, an increase of 1,629 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 hospitals. This information is at least 24 hours old, so it is not real-time data.

We publish the daily report, usually by late afternoon, with the most current information released by health units. Note that each health unit reports the information in a different way.

Peterborough Public Health

Peterborough Public Health’s service area is the City and County of Peterborough and the Hiawatha and Curve Lake First Nations.

Confirmed positive: 72 (increase of 1 from May 7)
Confirmed negative: Data currently unavailable*
Results pending: Data currently unavailable*
Deaths: 2 (no change from from May 7)
Resolved: 57 (increase of 1 from May 7)
Total tests completed: Over 4,800 (no change from May 7)*
Institutional outbreaks: St. Joseph’s at Fleming (decrease of 2 from May 7)**

*Peterborough Public Health and its partners are currently testing in long-term care homes and retirement homes. This is rapidly increasing the number of tests performed and causing a delay in the health unit’s ability to accurately report these figures. Current data will be provided as soon as possible.

**Outbreaks at Extendicare Lakefield and Peterborough Retirement Residence have been declared over due to a lab error resulting in false positive tests.

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.

Confirmed positive: 157, including 136 in Kawartha Lakes, 13 in Northumberland, 7 in Haliburton (no change from May 7)*
Probable cases: 1 (no change from May 7)
Hospitalizations: 10 (no change from May 7)
Deaths: 32, including 28 in Pinecrest Nursing Home in Bobcaygeon (no change from May 7)
Resolved: 126 (increase of 2 from May 7)
Institutional outbreaks: Pinecrest Nursing Home in Bobcaygeon, Caressant Care Lindsay, Maplewood Nursing Home in Brighton (no change from May 7)**

*A laboratory decision was made to reject all COVID-19 positive test results performed over the weekend of Apr 25-26. After re-swabbing and re-testing, 10 cases previously reported confirmed cases have been removed as re-testing has indicated negative results for COVID-19.

**An outbreak at Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay was declared over on May 7. An outbreak at Case Manor in Bobcaygeon has been rescinded due to a lab error resulting in false positive tests.

Hastings Prince Edward Public Health

Hastings Prince Edward Public Health’s service area is Hastings County (including Bancroft) and Prince Edward County.

Confirmed positive: 43 (no change from May 7)
Probable cases: 186 (decrease of 2 from May 7)
Deaths: 5 (no change from May 7)
Hospitalized: 1 (no change from May 7)
Hospitalized and in ICU: 1 (no change from May 7)
Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 0 (no change from May 7)
Recovered: 20 (no change from May 7)
Total tests completed: 4,148 (increase of 218 from May 7)
Institutional outbreaks: Hastings Manor in Belleville, Moira Place in Tweed (no change from May 7)*

*Number of cases not reported.

Province of Ontario

Confirmed positive: 19,598 (increase of 477 from May 7)
Hospitalized: 1,028 (decrease of 5 from May 7)
Hospitalized and in ICU: 213 (increase of 7 from May 7)
Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 166 (increase of 11 from May 7)
Deaths: 1,540 (increase of 63 from May 7)
Total tests completed 397,149 (increase of 16,295 from May 7)
Tests under investigation: 14,641 (increase of 1,629 from May 7)
Resolved: 13,990 (increase of 421 from May 7)

For more information about COVID-19 in Ontario, visit covid-19.ontario.ca.

The COVID-19 outbreak at Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay was declared over on Thursday (May 7).

On April 17th, an inpatient on the hospital’s CCP1 (Continuing Care Program) unit tested positive for COVID-19. On April 20th, two hospital workers on the unit tested positive for COVID-19, but it has since been determined through contact tracing that one of the infections was unrelated to the hospital.

The hospital worked with the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit to complete contact tracing and testing, and the outbreak was limited to one patient and one staff member.

“Our team quickly identified and contained the spread of COVID-19 on the unit, maintaining the safety of our patients and staff,” says the hospital’s president and CEO Kelly Isfan.

Isfan also encourages people experiencing serious health issues not to be afraid to visit the hospital to seek care.

“The emergency department has seen a significant decrease in visits, but this does not mean our community members are not experiencing medical emergencies,” Isfan points out. “Our team is here for you, and we don’t want you to delay a hospital visit if you need care.”

Reasons to visit the emergency department include:

• Seizure or convulsions
• A broken bone or wound requiring stitches
• Chest pain or tightness in the chest
• Difficulty breathing
• Abdominal pain
• Confusion and disorientation
• Stiff neck and sensitivity to light
• Continuous vomiting or severe diarrhea with signs of dehydration
• Sudden severe headache, weakness, vision problems, numbness, tingling, trouble speaking, or dizziness

In addition, any infant under three months of age with a fever over 38.5°C (101°F) or who has a fever and is difficult to wake should be seen at the emergency department.

As for elective procedures and scheduled surgeries, Ross Memorial Hospital is in the planning phase to resume these services, in accordance with the framework announced by the Ontario government on Thursday (May 7).

That framework requires hospitals to have a stable number of COVID-19 cases, a stable supply of personal protective equipment, a stable supply of medications, adequate capacity of inpatient and intensive care unit beds, an adequate capacity of health human resources, and the availability of post-acute care outside the hospital that would be required to support patients after discharge.

As the current time, hospitals are only allowed to begin planning for the resumption of elective procedures and scheduled surgeries. A March 19th directive from Ontario’s chief medical officer of health that requires hospitals to reduce or eliminate non-essential and elective services remains in effect.

Miskin Law admits it made a mistake.

On Tuesday (May 5), the Peterborough-based law firm announced it was launching a class action lawsuit against Bio-Test Laboratories and Spartan Bioscience Inc., both of Ottawa. The firm had alleged that Spartan Bioscience supplied COVID-19 tests to Bio-Test Laboratories, which resulted in false positive test results from samples of staff members and residents of Case Manor Care Community, a long-term care facility in Bobcaygeon.

After learning of the lawsuit, Spartan Bioscience publicly refuted Miskin Law’s allegations, saying its COVID-19 tests were never used at Bio-Test Laboratories. While Spartan Bioscience’s rapid tests had come under scrutiny by Health Canada, it was because of concerns about false negative test results, not false positive ones.

“We apologize to Spartan for involving them and we will proceed with the claim against Bio-Test Laboratories,” says Murray Miskin, senior lawyer and managing director of Miskin Law.

Miskin Law claims Spartan Bioscience was originally included in the lawsuit “based on incorrect information provided to the law firm.” The firm does not explain why it did not contact Spartan Bioscience before naming them in a lawsuit to confirm their tests were actually used.

On April 26th, the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit declared a outbreak at Case Manor after 12 asymptomatic staff and residents tested positive for COVID-19.

On May 1st, the health unit was notified by Bio-Test Laboratories that a technical error had prompted the lab to reject all COVID-19 positive test results performed the previous weekend, including the 12 results from staff and residents of Case Manor. There was a concern the results may have been falsely positive.

Miskin Law says it was contacted on May 2nd by Case Manor staff and has since been retained by a number of the staff “about their losses due to the false positive findings affecting them and their families.”

The firm says it has proceeded with a class action lawsuit issued online on May 5th for the Superior Court in Peterborough against Bio-Test Laboratories, and all three of the firm’s lawyers held a video conference on May 6th with 11 Case Manor staff about the lawsuit.

Miskin Law says it may expand the lawsuit to include others in the City of Kawartha Lakes and Peterborough who had false positive test results from the same round of testing at Bio-Test Laboratories.

During her weekly media briefing on May 6th, Peterborough medical officer of health Dr. Rosanna Salvaterra said the lab error resulting in false positive test results shouldn’t erode public confidence in COVID-19 testing,

“The lab (Bio-Test Laboratories) was very pro-active in identifying that there was a problem and then taking all the right steps and notifying us,” Dr. Salvaterra said. “As with any test, there is always the possibility that the test result is not accurate.”

“For the most part, the molecular testing being done now is very good at picking up the virus but it also has limits. We know if you test people that don’t have any symptoms, they may not have enough virus present for the test to pick it up. If the test is used for people who have symptoms, it’s a very good test.”

kawarthaNOW is providing a daily report of COVID-19 cases in the greater Kawarthas region.

Here’s today summary: there are now 71 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area, 136 in the City of Kawartha Lakes, 13 in Northumberland County, 7 in Haliburton County, and 43 in Hastings County and Prince Edward County.

That’s an increase of 6 cases from yesterday’s report, with 4 new cases in Peterborough and 2 new cases in Kawartha Lakes.

Outbreaks at Extendicare Lakefield and Peterborough Retirement Residence have been declared over due to a lab error resulting in false positive tests.

There have been 39 deaths, an increase of 1, with the most recent death reported on May 7 by Hastings Prince Edward Public Health. No details on the latest death are available.

Province-wide, there are 19,121 confirmed cases, an increase of 399 from yesterday, with 13,569 cases resolved, an increase of 347 from yesterday. There have been 1,477 deaths, an increase of 48 from yesterday. A total of 380,854 tests have been completed, an increase of 15,179 from yesterday, with 13,012 tests under investigation, an increase of 347 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 hospitals. This information is at least 24 hours old, so it is not real-time data.

We publish the daily report, usually by late afternoon, with the most current information released by health units. Note that each health unit reports the information in a different way.

Peterborough Public Health

Peterborough Public Health’s service area is the City and County of Peterborough and the Hiawatha and Curve Lake First Nations.

Confirmed positive: 71 (increase of 4 from May 6)
Confirmed negative: Data currently unavailable*
Results pending: Data currently unavailable*
Deaths: 2 (no change from from May 6)
Resolved: 56 (increase of 10 from May 6)
Total tests completed: Over 4,800 (no change from May 6)*
Institutional outbreaks: St. Joseph’s at Fleming (decrease of 2 from May 6)**

*Peterborough Public Health and its partners are currently testing in long-term care homes and retirement homes. This is rapidly increasing the number of tests performed and causing a delay in the health unit’s ability to accurately report these figures. Current data will be provided as soon as possible.

**Outbreaks at Extendicare Lakefield and Peterborough Retirement Residence have been declared over due to a lab error resulting in false positive tests.

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.

Confirmed positive: 157, including 136 in Kawartha Lakes, 13 in Northumberland, 7 in Haliburton (increase of 2 from May 6)*
Hospitalizations: 10 (no change from May 6)
Deaths: 32, including 28 in Pinecrest Nursing Home in Bobcaygeon (no change from May 6)
Resolved: 124 (increase of 1 from May 6)
Institutional outbreaks: Pinecrest Nursing Home in Bobcaygeon, Caressant Care Lindsay, Maplewood Nursing Home in Brighton (decrease of 1 from May 6) **

*A laboratory decision was made to reject all COVID-19 positive test results performed over the weekend of Apr 25-26. After re-swabbing and re-testing, 10 cases previously reported confirmed cases have been removed as re-testing has indicated negative results for COVID-19.

**A Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay has been declared over. A previously declared outbreak at Case Manor in Bobcaygeon has been rescinded due to a lab error resulting in false positive tests.

Hastings Prince Edward Public Health

Hastings Prince Edward Public Health’s service area is Hastings County (including Bancroft) and Prince Edward County.

Confirmed positive: 43 (no change from May 6)
Probable cases: 188 (decrease of 4 from May 6)
Deaths: 5 (increase of 1 from May 6)
Hospitalized: 1 (no change from May 6)
Hospitalized and in ICU: 1 (no change from May 6)
Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 0 (no change from May 6)
Recovered: 20 (no change from May 6)
Total tests completed: 3,930 (increase of 264 from May 6)
Institutional outbreaks: Hastings Manor in Belleville, Moira Place in Tweed (no change from May 6)*

*Number of cases not reported.

Province of Ontario

Confirmed positive: 19,121 (increase of 399 from May 6)
Hospitalized: 1,033 (increase of 1 from May 6)
Hospitalized and in ICU: 220 (increase of 1 from May 6)
Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 155 (decrease of 19 from May 6)
Deaths: 1,477 (increase of 48 from May 6)
Total tests completed 380,854 (increase of 15,179 from May 6)
Tests under investigation: 13,012 (increase of 4,222 from May 6)
Resolved: 13,569 (increase of 347 from May 6)

For more information about COVID-19 in Ontario, visit covid-19.ontario.ca.