Gzowski College is located on the East Bank of the Symons Campus at Trent University in Peterborough. (Photo: Trent University)
The COVID-19 outbreak in the Gzowski College residence at Trent University in Peterborough does not appear to be related to an earlier outbreak at the Champlain College residence, according to an email sent by the university to all students on Friday (March 19).
Peterborough Public Health (PPH) declared the outbreak on Friday, but neither the health unit nor the university have provided any details on how many students at the residence have tested positive for COVID-19. On Friday, the health unit reported 15 new cases in the Peterborough region on Friday, with an increase of seven active cases.
“The university supports the actions of public health and is working with students in Gzowski College and across campus to ensure they comply with the measures being put in place to protect health and safety,” the university’s email to students reads. “PPH has confirmed this outbreak does not appear to be linked to the outbreak at the Champlain College residence, which remains in effect but is considered to be under control.”
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Any students who have tested positive for COVID-19 or are symptomatic, and are currently residing on campus or have been identified as close contacts of someone with COVID-19, have been moved to the separate residence specially designated for isolation.
Trent University says students living in residence at Gzowski College who are asymptomatic and have not been identified as a direct contact of someone with a COVID-19 case will receive special support as they remain in residence and attend their classes remotely or online only. Students who are not contacted by the health unit or identified as a close contact are considered to be at low risk of infection.
The university also says the health unit will be issuing a Section 22 order prohibiting Gzowski College residents from leaving their rooms other than for the purpose of picking up food exclusively at the Otonabee College dining hall over the weekend. The dining hall will be closed to all other students and others on campus and, starting Monday, will be open seven days a week for exclusive use by Gzowski College residents.
Gzowski College students will also be prohibited from using other campus facilities such as the athletics centre, library, the student centre, and other spaces outside of their college. They will not be able to entertain guests or gather in residence or college common spaces.
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“No individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19 or identified as high risk close contacts will leave isolation until advised by public health that it is safe to do so,” the university’s email reads. “Proactive surveillance testing has been arranged and will be conducted with all Gzowski College residents on Sunday, March 21.”
The university also says additional cleaning and sanitizing protocols have been added, and that residence students in Gzowski College have been sent a specific email with directions and have been connected with supports.
This is the third COVID-19 outbreak at a student residence in Peterborough in the past three weeks. An outbreak at the privately owned Severn Court Student Residence near Fleming College was declared on February 27 following a party held at the residence the week before, and an outbreak at Champlain College residence at Trent University was declared on March 4.
Several Trent University students had attended the Severn Court party and the index case for the Champlain College outbreak was connected to the Severn Court outbreak, which later claimed the life of a 31-year-old student who was hospitalized after becoming seriously ill.
Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.
Today’s update brings both good and bad news. The good news is that the rate of vaccinations is increasing, with Ontario administering its most-ever doses yesterday at 61,146. Two per cent of Ontario’s population has now been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 — although we still have a long way to go before reaching herd immunity, which requires an estimated minimum of 70% of the population to be immmunized.
The bad news is that Ontario, now officially in the third wave of the pandemic, is reporting 1,745 new cases today. This is the highest daily increase since January 31 when 1,969 cases were reported, and drives the seven-day average of daily cases up by 53 to 1,480.
The province is reporting 39 more confirmed cases of the B.1.1.7 UK variant, for a total of 1,175, and 1 more case of the B.1.351 South Africa variant, for a total of 48. However, presumed variants of concern now make up around half of all new cases.
In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 20 new cases to report and an additional 15 cases resolved, with the number of active cases across the region increasing by 9 to 110. An outbreak at Gzowski College student residence at Trent University was declared on March 19. See below for details for each health unit in the region.
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Most of today’s new cases are in Toronto (478), Peel (344), York (174), and Hamilton (116).
There are double-digit increases in Durham (96), Ottawa (73), Halton (53), Thunder Bay (52), Waterloo (35), Simcoe Muskoka (34), Sudbury (30), Lambton (29), Windsor-Essex (27), Middlesex-London (26), Niagara (25), Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (25), Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington (22), Leeds, Grenville & Lanark (16), Northwestern (15), Chatham-Kent (14), Southwestern (12), and Eastern Ontario (11), with smaller increases in Haldimand-Norfolk (9), Brant (7), and Peterborough (6).
The remaining 9 health units are reporting 5 or fewer new cases, with 3 health units reporting no new cases at all.
Of today’s new cases, 56% are among people 39 and younger, with the highest number of cases (625) among people ages 20-39 followed by 490 cases among people ages 40-59.
With 1,296 more cases resolved since yesterday, the percentage of resolved cases has decreased by 0.1% to 93.7%. The average positivity rate across Ontario has increased by 0.2% from yesterday to 3.3%, meaning that 33 out of every 1,000 tests performed were positive for COVID-19 on March 18.
Ontario is reporting 10 new COVID-19 deaths today, with no new deaths in long-term care homes. Ontario has averaged 12 new daily deaths over the past week, a decrease of 1 from yesterday.
Hospitalizations have increased by 29 from yesterday to 759, with the number of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs increasing by 5 to 309, and the number of patients with COVID-19 on ventilators decreasing by 10 to 176.
A total of 56,134 tests were completed yesterday, with the backlog of tests under investigation decreasing by 2,785 to 29,545.
A total of 1,420,599 doses of vaccine have now been administered, an increase of 61,146 from yesterday, with 294,749 people fully vaccinated with both doses of vaccine, an increase of 2,480 from yesterday, representing 2% of Ontario’s population.
There are 132 new cases in Ontario schools, an increase of 13 from yesterday, including 106 student cases and 26 staff cases. There are 45 new cases in licensed child care settings in Ontario, an increase of 23 from yesterday, with 23 cases among children and 22 cases among staff.
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In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 20 new cases to report, including 15 in Peterborough, 2 in Northumberland, 1 in Kawartha Lakes, 1 in Haliburton, and 1 in Hastings Prince Edward.
An outbreak at Gzowski College student residence at Trent University was declared on March 19. Details on the outbreak are not yet available.
There are 9 new regional cases of presumed variants of concern, including 8 in Peterborough and 1 in Hastings Prince Edward.
An additional 15 cases have been resolved, including 9 in Peterborough, 3 in Hastings Prince Edward, 2 in Kawartha Lakes, and 1 in Haliburton.
There are currently 110 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, an increase of 9 from yesterday, including 63 in Peterborough, 17 in Northumberland, 13 in Kawartha Lakes, 10 in Haliburton, and 7 in Hastings Prince Edward (3 in Quinte West, 1 in Belleville, 1 in Prince Edward County, 1 in Central Hastings, and 1 in North Hastings).
Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 809 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (736 resolved with 10 deaths), 566 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (511 resolved with 55 deaths), 474 in Northumberland County (445 resolved with 12 deaths), 62 in Haliburton County (51 resolved with 1 death), and 442 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (429 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 12 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: 809 (increase of 16)* Confirmed variants of concern cases: 1 (no change) Presumed variants of concern cases: 144 (increase of 8) Active cases: 63 (increase of 7) Close contacts: 138 (decrease of 5) Deaths: 10 (no change) Resolved: 736 (increase of 9) Hospitalizations (total to date): 27 (no change)** Total tests completed: Over 45,450 (increase of 150) Outbreaks: Severn Court Student Residence, Trent Champlain College residence, unidentified congregate living facility in Peterborough, Gzowski College student residence at Trent University (increase of 1)* Vaccine doses administered: 13,911 (increase of 3,591 as of March 18)
*The health unit reports 15 new cases in the last 24 hours, with 1 case from a previous day added to the total case count.
**As of March 19, Peterborough Regional Health Centre is reporting fewer than 5 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 (no change) and 20 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 on March 19.
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: 1,102, including 566 in Kawartha Lakes, 474 in Northumberland, and 62 in Haliburton (increase of 4, including 1 in Kawartha Lakes, 2 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton)* Cases with N501Y mutation: 34, including 5 in Kawartha Lakes and 29 in Northumberland (no change)** Active cases: 40, including 13 in Kawartha Lakes, 17 in Northumberland, and 10 in Haliburton (increase of 4, including 1 in Kawartha Lakes, 2 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton) Probable cases: 0 (no change) High-risk contacts: 355, including 64 in Kawartha Lakes, 192 in Northumberland, and 64 in Haliburton (net decrease of 12)*** Hospitalizations (total to date): 49, including 29 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: 1,007, including 511 in Kawartha Lakes, 445 in Northumberland, 51 in Haliburton (increase of 3, including 2 in Kawartha Lakes and 1 in Haliburton) Tests completed: 156,391 (increase of 706) Vaccine doses administered: 10,989 Number of people fully vaccinated: 2,258 Outbreaks: Hyland Crest long-term care home in Minden, St. Michael Catholic Elementary School 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 35 high-risk contacts directly followed up through the Public Health Ontario contact tracing process that are missing the contacts’ county.
****As of March 19, Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay reports 1 patient hospitalized with COVID-19 (no change).
Hastings Prince Edward Public Health
Hastings Prince Edward Public Health’s service area is Hastings County (including Bancroft) and Prince Edward County.
The health unit provides daily reports, including on weekends, excluding statutory holidays.
Confirmed positive: 442 (increase of 1) Confirmed variants of concern cases: 8 (increase of 1) Active cases: 7 (decrease of 2) Deaths: 6 (no change) Currently hospitalized: 0 (no change) Currently hospitalized and in ICU: 0 (no change) Currently hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator (total to date): 0 (no change) Resolved: 429 (increase of 3) Tests completed: 75,726 (no change) Vaccine doses administered: 17,855 (increase of 2,950) Number of people fully vaccinated: 1,870 (increase of 525) Outbreaks: None (no change)
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Province of Ontario
Confirmed positive: 325,254 (increase of 1,745) COVID-19 variants of concern (VOC) confirmed cases: 1,175 of B.1.1.7 UK variant (increase of 39); 48 of B.1.351 South Africa variant (increase of 1); 35 of P.1 Brazilian variant (increase of 1) VOC R(t): 1.34 (no change as of March 15)* 7-day average of daily new cases: 1,480 (increase of 53) Resolved: 304,789 (increase of 1,296), 93.7% of all cases (decrease of 0.1%) Positivity rate: 3.3% (increase of 0.2%) Hospitalizations: 759 (increase of 29) Hospitalizations in ICU: 309 (increase of 5) Hospitalizations in ICU on ventilator: 176 (decrease of 10) Deaths: 7,212 (increase of 10) 7-day average of daily new deaths: 12 (decrease of 1) Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 3,888 (no change) Total tests completed: 11,981,432 (increase of 56,134) Tests under investigation: 29,545 (decrease of 2,785) Vaccination doses administered: 1,420,599 (increase of 61,146) People fully vaccinated (two doses): 294,749 (increase of 2,480), 2.0% of Ontario’s population (est. 70-90% required for herd immunity)
*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.
COVID-19 cases in Ontario from February 16 – March 18, 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 February 16 – March 18, 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 February 16 – March 18, 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 is a five-day moving average of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)COVID-19 deaths in Ontario from February 16 – March 18, 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 February 16 – March 18, 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)
Spring officially arrives on Saturday (March 20) and Mother Nature is celebrating with several days of sunny weather and double-digit temperatures for Peterborough and the Kawarthas.
For the first day of spring, Environment Canada is forecasting a sunny day with a high of 13°C. Sunday and Monday will also be sunny, with daytime temperatures reaching 14°C on Sunday and 15°C on Monday.
The arrival of spring in the northern hemisphere is marked by the vernal equinox at 5:37 a.m. on Saturday, which is the moment when the earth’s axis is perpendicular to the sun, so the sun’s rays shine directly on the equator.
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From Saturday on, the northern hemisphere will increasingly tilt towards the sun, and we’ll begin to get more hours of daylight than night.
There’s an equinox in the spring and another in the fall, the difference being whether the sun’s rays are crossing the equator into the northern hemisphere (spring) or into the southern hemisphere (fall).
The word equinox comes from the Latin words for “equal” and “night”, but it doesn’t mean there are actually equal hours of day and night.
Spring arrives in the northern hemisphere when the equator passes the centre of the sun’s disk and the earth’s axis is perpendicular to the sun. Daylight hours begin to increase until June, as the northern hemisphere increasingly tilts towards the sun. (Photo: NASA)
At sunrise and sunset, it’s still light even though the centre of the sun’s disk is below the horizon … so there are always a few more minutes of daylight than night on vernal equinox.
Daylight hours will continue to increase until the summer solstice — the longest day of the year and the official beginning of summer — which occurs this year on Sunday, June 20th at 11:31 p.m.
Spring is celebrated with festivals around the world, including Holi (“festival of colours”) in India, the Chinese New Year, and Passover and Easter in western culture.
The next milestone of spring is Easter.
Easter began as a pagan festival in the celebrating the return of life in the northern hemisphere. After the advent of Christianity, it became associated with the resurrection of Christ. However, remnants of Easter’s pagan roots can be seen in the eggs and rabbits we associated with Easter — symbols of fertility.
This year, Easter Sunday falls on April 4th. Generally, Easter is observed on the Sunday following the first full moon after the vernal equinox.
Cobourg mayor John Henderson at a media conference with Ontario Premier Doug Ford when the COVID-19 mass immunization at Cobourg Community Centre opened on March 15, 2021. (CPAC screenshot)
The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit is asking area residents who have not yet been able to book a local vaccination appointment through the provincial booking system to be patient.
Additional mass immunization clinics will be launched in the coming weeks in Haliburton County, Northumberland County, and the City of Kawartha Lakes.
“We know some of our residents went into the provincial booking system to book their appointments this week and discovered there were no clinics in their area,” said acting medical officer of health Dr. Ian Gemmill, referring to the Ontario government’s online system that went live this past Monday.
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“We understand that it has been frustrating, but we need to ensure that there is a dose of vaccine available for every appointment,” Dr. Gemmill added. “I would ask people to be patient and go back into the system in the coming weeks to check for additional clinics.”
Everyone who wants the vaccine will receive it, Dr. Gemmill said, adding that as more vaccine becomes available locally, more clinic appointments can open and more people can be vaccinated.
The health unit is encouraging anyone who has previously tried to book a vaccination appointment but could not find a local clinic to revisit the provincial booking system again in the coming weeks to see additional clinic locations and dates.
All vaccination appointments must be booked through the provincial booking system. Booking can be done online at www.ontario.ca/bookvaccine or by phone at 1-888-999-6488.
Currently, vaccination appointments are only available for residents 80 years of age or older. However, on Friday (March 19), the Ontario government announced it is expanding vaccine eligibility to those 75 years or older, effective Monday, March 22nd.
As of March 19, the following clinic locations are already available in the provincial booking system:
Kawartha Lakes – Lindsay Exhibition (LEX) at 354 Angeline Street South in Lindsay. Clinic appointments began on Thursday (March 18).
Haliburton – Haliburton Family Medical Centre (second floor) at 7217 Gelert Road in Haliburton. Clinic appointments will begin on Monday (March 22).
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The following clinic locations will be available in the provincial booking system in the coming weeks:
Kawartha Lakes – Fenelon Falls Community Centre at 27 Veterans Way in Fenelon Falls. Clinic appointments will begin the week of Monday, April 5th.
Haliburton – S.G. Nesbitt Memorial Arena at 55 Parkside Street in Minden. Clinic appointments will begin the week of Monday, April 5th.
Northumberland County – Cobourg Community Centre at 750 D’Arcy Street in Cobourg. Clinic dates and times will be added to the provincial booking system by Friday, March 26th, with clinic appointments beginning Monday, March 29th.
Northumberland County – Trent Hills Emergency Services Base at 50 Doxsee Avenue in Campbellford. Clinic dates and times will be added to the provincial booking system in coming weeks.
The Grove Theatre is a community-driven 450-seat open-air venue built into the garden grove of the Fenelon Falls Fairgrounds. It will host theatrical productions, concerts, community activities, and more. (Photo courtesy of The Grove Theatre)
The Grove Theatre, a 450-seat open-air venue built into the garden grove of the Fenelon Falls Fairgrounds, is delaying its inaugural summer production due to the pandemic — but the outdoor amphitheatre will still be available for concerts, programming, and community events.
“After careful consideration, the team at The Grove Theatre has decided to postpone the mainstage production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the Musical, initially scheduled for this coming July, until the summer of 2022,” states a media release, adding its top priority is “the safety of audiences, artists and the community.”
“Our aim is to ensure that the venue will be ready and available for use by the creative minds at The Grove Theatre, and by other members of our community, for events more suited to COVID-era restrictions than a major musical.”
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The Grove Theatre says local bands, artists, and community groups have already inquired about using the venue when it is completed.
Despite the postponement of the summer theatrical production, work on the outdoor amphitheatre is continuing. A box office, concession stand, and technical booth will be constructed in the spring. A backtage area will be completed when the snow melts, with accessible paths and parking spaces created when the soil is dry.
“With the support of the Kawartha Lakes area, the team at The Grove Theatre has made this community-led dream a reality,” the media release reads. “The team wishes to celebrate everyone’s integral contribution to the immense success of this dream thus far, as the beautiful site continues to develop into a space that will enrich the lives of the community for years to come.”
During a media conference at an Etobicoke pharamcy on March 19, 2021, Ontario premier
Doug Ford announced the expansion of eligibility for COVID-19 vaccines to residents 75
years and older starting March 22. (Photo: Office of the Premier)
Beginning on Monday (March 22), Ontario residents 75 years and older can make COVID-19 vaccination appointments through the province’s online booking system.
Ontario premier Doug Ford made the announcement on Friday (March 19) during a media conference at an Etobicoke pharmacy.
“As of yesterday, over 50 per cent of all Ontario residents aged 80 and over have received the first shot,” Ford said. “Because of this progress, I can now say we’re ready to take the next step in our vaccine roll-out, and we’re able to do so ahead of schedule.”
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Since launching its booking system this past Monday for residents 80 years and older, the government says more than 239,000 appointments have been scheduled for these residents to receive their first and second doses. After high demand early in the week, the province says the number of bookings has slowed.
The provincial government also announced the AstraZenca vaccine will be available to Ontario residents 60 years and older through pharmacies effective Monday (March 22). Previously, the vaccine was only available for those aged 60 to 64.
Currently, the AstraZenca vaccine is available at 350 pharmacies in Toronto, Windsor-Essex, and Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington. In the next two weeks, another 350 pharmacies across Ontario will begin administering the vaccine.
“So far, we’ve vaccinated more than 91,000 people through our drug stores,” Ford said. “In the coming weeks, we will have about 700 pharmacies offering vaccines all across the province.”
Eligible Ontarians can contact a participating pharmacy directly to make an appointment for the AstraZenca vaccine. Many primary care providers will also directly contacting eligible patients to book an appointment for the vaccine.
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The province will soon provide details on additional pharmacy locations and the application process for getting an appointment.
The government also says it plans to double the number of pharmacies offering vaccines to 1,500 by the end of April, with pharmacies potentially delivering up to 40 per cent of all vaccinations by that time.
For the month of March, the government says Ontario is expecting to receive more than 1.4 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Ontario received limited allocations of the Moderna and AstraZeneca vaccines in March, with 483,700 doses of the Moderna vaccine split over three weeks, and 194,500 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine received the week of March 8th.
As of March 22, Ontario residents 75 years of age or older, or those assisting them, can book appointments through the provincial booking system at www.ontario.ca/bookvaccine or by phone at 1-888-999-6488.
Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.
Today, Ontario is reporting 1,553 new cases, with the seven-day average of daily cases increasing by 66 to 1,427. The provincial government’s top science advisors say Ontario is now in a third wave of the pandemic, with variants of concern driving exponential growth of cases in some areas of the province.
While Ontario is reporting only 2 more confirmed cases of the B.1.1.7 UK variant today (for a total of 1,136) and 1 more case of the P.1 Brazilian variant (for a total of 35), the province’s top science advisors said earlier this week that presumed variants of concern accounted for almost half of new infections on March 15.
The provincial government announced today the Ottawa region is moving to the ‘Red-Control’ level of Ontario’s COVID-19 response framework effective March 19, as a result of worsening trends in key health indicators in the region.
In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 13 new cases to report and an additional 9 cases resolved, with the number of active cases across the region remaining unchanged at 101. See below for details for each health unit in the region.
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Most of today’s new cases are in Toronto (404), Peel (294), and York (176).
There are double-digit increases in Durham (85), Ottawa (82), Hamilton (80), Lambton (48), Waterloo (43), Halton (38), Eastern Ontario (33), Windsor-Essex (33), Thunder Bay (30), Niagara (28), Sudbury (24), Middlesex-London (24), Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (18), Simcoe Muskoka (15), Chatham-Kent (15), Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington (12), Leeds, Grenville & Lanark (12), Northwestern (11), and Brant (11), with smaller increases in Peterborough (9) and Algoma (8).
The remaining 10 health units are reporting 5 or fewer new cases, with 2 health units reporting no new cases at all.
Of today’s new cases, 58% are among people 39 and younger, with the highest number of cases (569) among people ages 20-39 followed by 439 cases among people ages 40-59.
With 1,236 more cases resolved since yesterday, the percentage of resolved cases has decreased by 0.1% to 93.8%. The average positivity rate across Ontario has decreased by 0.4% from yesterday to 3.1%, meaning that 31 out of every 1,000 tests performed were positive for COVID-19 on March 17.
Ontario is reporting 15 new COVID-19 deaths today, including 1 death in a long-term care home. Ontario has averaged 13 new daily deaths over the past week (no change from yesterday).
Hospitalizations have decreased by 11 from yesterday to 730, with the number of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs increasing by 4 to 304, and the number of patients with COVID-19 on ventilators decreasing by 4 to 186.
A total of 58,560 tests were completed yesterday, with the backlog of tests under investigation decreasing by 2,871 to 32,330.
A total of 1,359,453 doses of vaccine have now been administered, an increase of 58,119 from yesterday, with 292,269 people fully vaccinated with both doses of vaccine, an increase of 1,610 from yesterday, representing 1.98% of Ontario’s population.
There are 119 new cases in Ontario schools, a decrease of 60 from yesterday, including 99 student cases, 19 staff cases, and 1 case of an unidentified person. There are 22 new cases in licensed child care settings in Ontario, a decrease of 30 from yesterday, with 15 cases among children and 7 cases among staff.
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In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 13 new cases to report, including 5 in Peterborough, 4 in Kawartha Lakes, 2 in Haliburton, 1 in Northumberland, and 1 in Hastings Prince Edward.
There are 11 new regional cases of presumed variants of concern, including 10 in Peterborough and 1 in Hastings Prince Edward.
An additional 9 cases have been resolved, including 5 in Peterborough, 3 in Northumberland, and 1 in Kawartha Lakes. Outbreaks at CrossFit Lindsay and Highland Wood long-term care home in Haliburton Highlands have been declared resolved.
There are currently 101 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region (no net change from yesterday), including 56 in Peterborough, 15 in Northumberland, 12 in Kawartha Lakes, 9 in Haliburton, and 9 in Hastings Prince Edward (3 in Quinte West, 2 in Belleville, 2 in Prince Edward County, 1 in Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory, and 1 in North Hastings).
Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 793 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (727 resolved with 10 deaths), 563 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (509 resolved with 55 deaths), 472 in Northumberland County (445 resolved with 12 deaths), 60 in Haliburton County (50 resolved with 1 death), and 441 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (426 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 12 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: 793 (increase of 6)* Confirmed variants of concern cases: 1 (no change) Presumed variants of concern cases: 136 (increase of 10) Active cases: 56 (increase of 1) Close contacts: 138 (decrease of 5) Deaths: 10 (no change) Resolved: 727 (increase of 5) Hospitalizations (total to date): 27 (no change)** Total tests completed: Over 45,250 (no change)) Outbreaks: Severn Court Student Residence, Trent Champlain College residence, unidentified congregate living facility in Peterborough (no change) Vaccine doses administered: 13,911 (increase of 3,591 as of March 18)
*The health unit reports 5 new cases in the last 24 hours, with 3 cases from previous days added to the total case count.
**As of March 18, Peterborough Regional Health Centre is reporting fewer than 5 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 (no change) and 19 patients transferred from other areas as a result of a provincial directive (no change).
Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit
The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit’s service area is the City of Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland County, and Haliburton County.
The health unit provides reports from Monday to Saturday, excluding Sundays and statutory holidays.
Confirmed positive: 1,095, including 563 in Kawartha Lakes, 472 in Northumberland, and 60 in Haliburton (increase of 7, including 4 in Kawartha Lakes, 1 in Northumberland, and 2 in Haliburton)* Cases with N501Y mutation: 34, including 5 in Kawartha Lakes and 28 in Northumberland (decrease of 1 in Haliburton)** Active cases: 36, including 12 in Kawartha Lakes, 15 in Northumberland, and 9 in Haliburton (net decrease of 3) Probable cases: 0 (no change) High-risk contacts: 367, including 82 in Kawartha Lakes, 189 in Northumberland, and 60 in Haliburton (net increase of 78)*** Hospitalizations (total to date): 49, including 29 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: 1,004, including 509 in Kawartha Lakes, 445 in Northumberland, 50 in Haliburton (increase of 4, including 1 in Kawartha Lakes and 3 in Northumberland) Tests completed: 155,685 (increase of 1,701) Outbreaks: Hyland Crest long-term care home in Minden, St. Michael Catholic Elementary School in Cobourg (decrease of 2)*****
*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 36 high-risk contacts directly followed up through the Public Health Ontario contact tracing process that are missing the contacts’ county.
****As of March 18, Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay reports 1 patient hospitalized with COVID-19 (no change).
*****Outbreaks at CrossFit Lindsay and Highland Wood long-term care home in Haliburton Highlands have been declared resolved.
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: 441 (increase of 1) Confirmed variants of concern cases: 7 (increase of 1) Active cases: 9 (increase of 1) Deaths: 6 (no change) Currently hospitalized: 0 (no change) Currently hospitalized and in ICU: 0 (no change) Currently hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator (total to date): 0 (no change) Resolved: 426 (no change) Tests completed: 75,726 (no change) Vaccine doses administered: 14,905 (increase of 1,084) Number of people fully vaccinated: 1,345 (no change) Outbreaks: None (no change)
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Province of Ontario
Confirmed positive: 323,509 (increase of 1,553) COVID-19 variants of concern (VOC) confirmed cases: 1,136 of B.1.1.7 UK variant (increase of 2); 47 of B.1.351 South Africa variant (no change); 35 of P.1 Brazilian variant (increase of 1) VOC R(t): 1.34 (decrease of 0.01, as of March 14)* 7-day average of daily new cases: 1,427 (increase of 66) Resolved: 303,493 (increase of 1,236), 93.8% of all cases (decrease of 0.1%) Positivity rate: 3.1% (decrease of 0.4%) Hospitalizations: 730 (decrease of 11) Hospitalizations in ICU: 304 (increase of 4) Hospitalizations in ICU on ventilator: 186 (decrease of 4) Deaths: 7,202 (increase of 15) 7-day average of daily new deaths: 13 (no change) Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 3,888 (increase of 1) Total tests completed: 11,925,298 (increase of 58,560) Tests under investigation: 32,330 (decrease of 2,871) Vaccination doses administered: 1,359,453 (increase of 58,119) People fully vaccinated (two doses): 292,269 (increase of 1,610), 1.98% of Ontario’s population (est. 70-90% required for herd immunity)
*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.
COVID-19 cases in Ontario from February 15 – March 17, 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 February 15 – March 17, 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 February 15 – March 17, 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 is a five-day moving average of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)COVID-19 deaths in Ontario from February 15 – March 17, 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 February 15 – March 17, 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)
A COVID-19 outbreak at the Severn Court Student Residence near Fleming College in Peterborough resulted from at least one party held at the privately owned student housing complex on Feburary 20, 2021. A 31-year-old Fleming College student who lived at the residence and did not participate in the parties was infected, hospitalized, and subsequently died as a result of his illness. (Photo: Severn Court Management Company)
As the police probe into the February 20th party or parties at the Severn Court Student Residence continues, Peterborough Police Services Chief Scott Gilbert says while he’s aware of the “great public demand for a speedy conclusion to the investigation,” the required steps that precede the laying of possible charges will not be subject to any shortcuts.
During a Peterborough Public Health media briefing held Thursday (March 18), Chief Gilbert said “an added layer of intricacy” that involves “a lot of close work” with Peterborough Public Health is a factor in the speed of the investigation.
“Peterborough Public Health and Peterborough police have two independent investigations to do (and) Fleming College is also going to be doing their own independent investigation,” said Chief Gilbert.
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“This process involves gathering information and evidence that support any potential charges. There is also a great deal of health information involved and the privacy issues that arise around that information. The process is taking more time and is probably going to require, on our part, production orders and, potentially, search warrants to obtain all of the necessary information.”
Asked if this week’s COVID-related death of a 31-year-old Fleming College student who resided at Severn Court — who CTV News identified on Wednesday as Zachary Root — changes the focus of the investigation and the severity of any possible charges, Chief Gilbert said he’s “not going to speculate on what the outcome of the investigation will be.”
“Right now we’re approaching this investigation as a provincial offences breach under the Reopening Ontario Act. Crown attorneys will be consulted in case evidence leads us in a direction where potentially there is something more than a provincial acts breach. The investigation is ongoing and we’ll see where it takes us.”
Chief Gilbert took aim at social media “rumour mongering” — including demands that criminal charges be laid and prosecuted — as being counterproductive to each investigation involved.
As for the possibility that one or more students involved in the parties could be charged with manslaughter following Root’s death, Chief Gilbert said such a charge was unlikely.
“The threshold for manslaughter is quite high. Quite honestly I don’t see that, but I don’t have a law degree. There are a lot of people that speculate on social media about a lot of stuff. I ask for some patience. Let us do our investigation without all the added layers of conspiracy because that’s really not doing any good.”
Meanwhile, as the probe into the Severn Court outbreak that resulted in 59 positive cases continues, local infection numbers have been trending down last few weeks, from 69 new positive cases the week of March 1st to 20 this week to date.
At present, there are 55 active cases in the Peterborough region, down 26 from March 11th. Also very encouraging is this week’s reporting of 23 active cases per 100,000 people — half of what it was last week.
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That said, the number of total presumed cases of variants of concern (VOC) continues to rise locally, up 37 cases from a week ago for a current total of 126. To date, just one local VOC case has been confirmed out of those 126 presumed cases.
Medical officer of health Dr. Rosanna Salvaterra explained what’s behind the delay in the confirmation of the presumed cases.
“There’s been such an increase in the variants of concern — potentially that explains the delay in their genetic sequencing results,” she said.
“There is now going to be a change in the way the province is testing for variants of concern. The testing that has been done as a screening is going to remain, but they’re going to add another receptor to that testing. Between these two screening tests they will be able to determine which of the variants of concern we’re dealing with.”
“In addition, the province will continue to test five per cent of all positive cases and genetically sequence those. I’m not anticipating we’re going to get many more confirmations as we shift to this new way of identifying variants of concern.”
While the Severn Court outbreak is ongoing, just four of the original 59 positive cases related to are active. Meanwhile, an outbreak at Trent University’s Champlain College that resulted in nine positive cases now has just one case active, and this week’s outbreak at the Brock Mission has resulted in one active case who is now self-isolating.
On the vaccination front, Dr. Salvaterra reported 3,240 appointments were booked this week through the new online booking system for three vaccination clinics at the Evinrude Centre, Peterborough Regional Health Centre, and the Norwood Arena.
Peterborough Public Health’s catchment area of Peterborough city and county and Curve Lake and Hiawatha First Nations remains at the ‘Red-Control’ level of Ontario’s COVID-19 Response Framework – a more restrictive status that has been in place since March 8th.
Also commenting during Thursday’s media briefing were Hiawatha First Nations Chief Laurie Carr and Peterborough board of health chair and Selwyn mayor Andy Mitchell.
Taking action to address climate change will save a business money in the long run. While the initial cost of an energy-efficient appliance is often higher than a conventional model, a business can quickly recover that cost with lower energy bills. (Photo: Ben Hargreaves)
It’s March 2021. We’ve been living for a whole year with COVID-19 — a year of great upheaval, uncertainty, and reflection. As we’ve shifted to new ways because of this pandemic, we’ve been presented the opportunity to consider what is truly important to us.
Each week, GreenUP provides a story related to the environment. This week’s story is by Jackie Donaldson, communications specialist with Green Economy Peterborough, a project of GreenUP.
For many, the prioritization of family and friends, green spaces, and neighbourhoods has intensified. In the greater Peterborough area, we’ve realized our local economy is something we want to fight for.
Our vibrant, unique, and innovative business community is critically important to our shared identity and future prosperity.
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“I want every business to know about the power they have to craft a better future, that they are a force for good in our communities and that there are diverse ways they can have a positive influence,” says Melissa Gerrard, senior manager of national expansion for Green Economy Canada.
Gerrard’s role is to incubate green business hubs across the country, including the latest one to join her network — Green Economy Peterborough.
Her appeal implies that no matter how small or how specialized, a business can make a difference. More specifically, a business that implements sustainable action can positively influence the environmental and economic health of its community.
Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) make up over 98.2 per cent of private businesses in Canada. They employ nine in 10 Canadians and produce 41 per cent of our GDP. Collectively, they have a significant impact on our environment — globally, SMEs contribute to 70 per cent of all pollution.
With the guidance of Green Economy Peterborough, businesses can make sustainability targets and track reductions in greenhouse gas emissions that are not only better for the environment but also save costs with lower energy bills. (Photo of Otonabee River by Paul Hartley / Getty Images)
Much like COVID-19, the destruction of the environment has an impact on our ability to conduct business.
Businesses face great risk from climate change and degraded air, water, and soil quality. The outcome will be increased costs and diverted revenue, reduced access to resources and food, impacts on property and operations, and decreased employee health.
Sustainability initiatives in the business setting generally centre on efforts to reduce emissions, improve water management, and reduce or recycle waste.
Some companies work to reduce their environmental impact because it aligns with their corporate identity or owner’s conviction. Many organizations recognize there’s a business case for implementing environmentally friendly initiatives.
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As well as direct cost savings from energy, water, and waste reduction, the benefits of action include attracting customers through an enhanced brand identity, increasing employee engagement and company pride, and improving overall resilience.
While COVID-19 remains a pressing circumstance for many local businesses, there is something about spring that hints at renewal, growth, and opportunity. With the welcoming promise of warm weather and longer days, the time is now to benefit from implementing sustainability initiatives in the workplace.
Here are three green business ideas to get you started:
1. Learn about sustainable action in your sector
Educate yourself on green initiatives that might be suitable to your company by exploring industry association resources and sector newsletters.
Identify the best actions for your workplace. Talk to staff, customers, and supply chain representatives.
You may find they’ve already been thinking about greening opportunities relevant to your organization.
Taking action to address climate change will save a business money in the long run. While the initial cost of an energy-efficient appliance is often higher than a conventional model, a business can quickly recover that cost with lower energy bills. (Photo: Ben Hargreaves)
2. Start a ‘Green Team’
Gather a team of employees who are excited about sustainability.
To ensure a company-wide impact, make sure they represent diverse organizational roles and responsibilities, including a staff member with facilities and/or operations knowledge.
Having senior management at the table can help present the team’s interests to decision-makers. They can advocate to include sustainability in your brand identity, governance strategy, operational plan, and budget.
3. Explore available funding and support
Look for financial incentive programs that help organizations become more environmentally responsible.
If you want to tackle energy reduction initiatives, check out SaveOnEnergy’s program for small businesses at www.saveonenergy.ca. They provide financial incentives to retrofit lighting, HVAC, air source heat pumps, and other equipment.
Enbridge also has energy efficiency programming for businesses. For more information, visit enbridgesmartsavings.com.
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Research shows that small businesses face numerous barriers towards meeting their sustainability goals, including having limited knowledge of the issues and solutions, and being short on resources and capacity.
This is where a network with access to experts and business peers comes in.
“Many people in the business community are now stepping forward to look at sustainability, but they are unsure of what to do and where to start,” says Natalie Stephenson, coordinator of Green Economy Peterborough. “The interest is absolutely there but they aren’t sure of the steps to take to make it happen, or which ones are worthwhile for their business. Green Economy Peterborough can help with that.”
Green Economy Peterborough is a new business hub made up of forward-thinking, local organizations that are working towards goals that better their businesses, our community, and the environment.
Natalie Stephenson, coordinator of Green Economy Peterborough, is excited about the potential impact the initiative will have on the community. “The interest is absolutely there but they aren’t sure of the steps to take to make it happen, or which ones are worthwhile for their business. Green Economy Peterborough can help with that.” (Photo: Ben Hargreaves)
Companies that join Green Economy Peterborough receive coaching and support to operationalize meaningful sustainability targets, have access to education and training opportunities, and recognition at an annual celebratory event.
Most importantly, Green Economy Peterborough members become part of a vital network of business peers at the forefront of an emerging green economy.
The greater Peterborough area has a wealth of knowledge and expertise in economic development. Green Economy Peterborough is leveraging these networks and resources. The advisory committee for Green Economy Peterborough includes local business and community leaders, as well as Peterborough & The Kawarthas Economic Development, the Greater Peterborough Chamber of Commerce, and the Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA).
Now is the time to recognize that climate action is good for business. Plant the seeds of sustainability at your organization. You can learn more about Green Economy Peterborough at www.greeneconomypeterborough.ca.
Green Economy Peterborough is hosted by GreenUP, an award-winning environmental non-profit educational and service provider with over 25 years of leadership experience in this region. Support and funding for Green Economy Peterborough is also provided by the City of Peterborough, the County of Peterborough, and the Government of Canada.
Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.
Today, Ontario is reporting 1,508 new cases — the highest daily increase without data issues since February 4 when 1,563 cases were reported. The seven-day average of daily cases has increased by 27 to 1,361.
Today’s new cases include 3 more cases of the B.1.1.7 UK variant, for a total of 1,134, and 1 more case of the B.1.351 South Africa variant, for a total of 47. The R(t) value for variants of concern — the average number of new infections caused by a single infected individual at a specific time (t) in a partially immunized population — has decreased by 0.03 to 1.35.
In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 17 new cases to report and an additional 12 cases resolved, with the number of active cases across the region increasing by 4 to 101. See below for details for each health unit in the region.
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Most of today’s new cases are in Toronto (542), Peel (253), and York (107).
There are double-digit increases in Simcoe Muskoka (74), Ottawa (69), Niagara (66), Thunder Bay (63), Waterloo (45), Durham (42), Hamilton (36), Halton (32), Leeds, Grenville & Lanark (25), Middlesex-London (23), Windsor-Essex (23), Sudbury (18), Haldimand-Norfolk (12), Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (11), Peterborough (10), and Brant (10), with smaller increases in Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington (8), Lambton (7), Chatham-Kent (6), and Southwestern (6).
The remaining 11 health units are reporting 5 or fewer new cases, with 4 health units reporting no new cases at all.
Of today’s new cases, 57% are among people 39 and younger, with the highest number of cases (575) among people ages 20-39 followed by 404 cases among people ages 40-59.
With 1,488 more cases resolved since yesterday, the percentage of resolved cases remains unchanged at 93.9%. The average positivity rate across Ontario has decreased by 1.0% from yesterday to 3.5%, meaning that 35 out of every 1,000 tests performed were positive for COVID-19 on March 16.
Ontario is reporting 14 new COVID-19 deaths today, including 5 in long-term care homes. Ontario has averaged 13 new daily deaths over the past week (no change from yesterday).
Hospitalizations have decreased by 20 from yesterday to 741, with the number of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs increasing by 8 to 300, and the number of patients with COVID-19 on ventilators decreasing by 4 to 190.
A total of 49,128 tests were completed yesterday, with the backlog of tests under investigation increasing by 7,753 to 35,201.
A total of 1,301,334 doses of vaccine have now been administered, an increase of 58,202 from yesterday, with 290,659 people fully vaccinated with both doses of vaccine, an increase of 1,741 from yesterday, representing 1.97% of Ontario’s population.
There are 179 new cases in Ontario schools, a decrease of 188 from yesterday, including 145 student cases, 33 staff cases, and 1 unidentified case. There are 52 new cases in licensed child care settings in Ontario, an increase of 4 from yesterday, with 35 cases among children and 17 cases among staff.
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In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 17 new cases to report, including 9 in Peterborough, 3 in Kawartha Lakes, 3 in Haliburton, 1 in Northumberland, and 1 in Hastings Prince Edward.
An outbreak at Highland Wood long-term care home in Haliburton Highlands was declared on March 16.
There are 3 new cases of presumed variants of concern in Northumberland.
An additional 12 cases have been resolved, including 10 in Peterborough, 1 in Kawartha Lakes, and 1 in Hastings Prince Edward. An outbreak at an unidentified workplace in Belleville was declared resolved on March 17.
There are currently 101 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, an increase of 4 from yesterday, including 55 in Peterborough, 18 in Northumberland, 10 in Kawartha Lakes, 10 in Haliburton, and 8 in Hastings Prince Edward (2 in Quinte West, 2 in Belleville, 2 in Prince Edward County, 1 in Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory, and 1 in North Hastings).
Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 787 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (722 resolved with 10 deaths), 561 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (508 resolved with 55 deaths), 472 in Northumberland County (442 resolved with 12 deaths), 61 in Haliburton County (50 resolved with 1 death), and 440 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (426 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 12 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: 787 (increase of 9) Confirmed variants of concern cases: 1 (no change) Presumed variants of concern cases: 126 (no change) Active cases: 55 (decrease of 1) Close contacts: 143 (decrease of 1) Deaths: 10 (no change) Resolved: 722 (increase of 10) Hospitalizations (total to date): 27 (no change)* Total tests completed: Over 45,250 (increase of 150) Outbreaks: Severn Court Student Residence, Trent Champlain College residence, unidentified congregate living facility in Peterborough (no change) Vaccine doses administered: 10,320 (no change, last updated March 11)
*As of March 17, Peterborough Regional Health Centre is reporting fewer than 5 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 (no change) and 19 patients transferred from other areas as a result of a provincial directive (no change).
Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit
The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit’s service area is the City of Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland County, and Haliburton County.
The health unit provides reports from Monday to Saturday, excluding Sundays and statutory holidays.
Confirmed positive: 1,094, including 561 in Kawartha Lakes, 472 in Northumberland, and 61 in Haliburton (increase of 7, including 3 in Kawartha Lakes, 1 in Northumberland, and 3 in Haliburton)* Cases with N501Y mutation: 35, including 5 in Kawartha Lakes and 29 in Northumberland, 1 in Haliburton (increase of 3 in Northumberland)** Active cases: 39, including 10 in Kawartha Lakes, 18 in Northumberland, and 10 in Haliburton (net increase of 6) Probable cases: 0 (decrease of 1 in Kawartha Lakes) High-risk contacts: 289, including 138 in Kawartha Lakes, 103 in Northumberland, and 18 in Haliburton (net increase of 29)*** Hospitalizations (total to date): 49, including 29 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: 1,000, including 508 in Kawartha Lakes, 442 in Northumberland, 50 in Haliburton (increase of 1 in Kawartha Lakes) Tests completed: 153,984 (no change) Outbreaks: CrossFit Lindsay, Hyland Crest long-term care home in Minden, St. Michael Catholic Elementary School in Cobourg, Highland Wood long-term care home in Haliburton Highlands (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 30 high-risk contacts directly followed up through the Public Health Ontario contact tracing process that are missing the contacts’ county.
****As of March 17, Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay reports 1 patient hospitalized with COVID-19 (no change).
*****An outbreak at Highland Wood long-term care home in Haliburton Highlands was declared on March 16.
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: 440 (increase of 1) Confirmed variants of concern cases: 6 (no change) Active cases: 8 (no net change) Deaths: 6 (no change) Currently hospitalized: 0 (no change) Currently hospitalized and in ICU: 0 (no change) Currently hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator (total to date): 0 (no change) Resolved: 426 (increase of 1) Tests completed: 75,726 (increase of 6) Vaccine doses administered: 13,821 (increase of 614) Number of people fully vaccinated: 1,345 (no change) Outbreaks: None (decrease of 1)*
*An outbreak at an unidentified workplace in Belleville was declared resolved on March 17.
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Province of Ontario
Confirmed positive: 321,956 (increase of 1,508) COVID-19 variants of concern (VOC) confirmed cases: 1,134 of B.1.1.7 UK variant (increase of 3); 47 of B.1.351 South Africa variant (increase of 1); 34 of P.1 Brazilian variant (no change) VOC R(t): 1.35 (decrease of 0.03, as of March 13)* 7-day average of daily new cases: 1,361 (increase of 27) Resolved: 302,257 (increase of 1,488), 93.9% of all cases (no change) Positivity rate: 3.5% (decrease of 1.0%) Hospitalizations: 741 (decrease of 20) Hospitalizations in ICU: 300 (increase of 8) Hospitalizations in ICU on ventilator: 190 (decrease of 4) Deaths: 7,187 (increase of 14) 7-day average of daily new deaths: 13 (no change) Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 3,887 (increase of 5) Total tests completed: 11,866,738 (increase of 49,128) Tests under investigation: 35,201 (increase of 7,753) Vaccination doses administered: 1,301,334 (increase of 58,202) People fully vaccinated (two doses): 290,659 (increase of 1,741), 1.97% of Ontario’s population (est. 70-90% required for herd immunity)
*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.
COVID-19 cases in Ontario from February 14 – March 16, 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 February 14 – March 16, 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 February 14 – March 16, 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 is a five-day moving average of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)COVID-19 deaths in Ontario from February 14 – March 16, 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 February 14 – March 16, 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)
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