Peterborough County OPP are looking for a woman who claimed to be a community nurse and then allegedly stole a fentanyl patch from a home in Bridgenorth.
On Tuesday (May 12) at around 10 a.m., the woman visited the victim’s home and said she was completing wellness checks on elderly people in the neighbourhood.
She was allowed to enter the home and to check the victim’s vital signs. The suspect was in the home for around 20 minutes. After the woman left, the victim discovered a fentanyl patch was missing from their medications.
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The suspect is described as being a female between 30 and 40 years of age, 5’5″ to 5’6″ tall with blond hair and a medium build. She was wearing a personal protective mask.
Investigators are actively looking for information that may lead to a suspect in this case.
Anyone with tips on this case can contact the Peterborough County OPP at 705-742-0401, the non-emergency line 1-888-310-1122, or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
kawarthaNOW is providing a daily report of COVID-19 cases in the greater Kawarthas region.
Here’s today summary: there are 73 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area, 140 in the City of Kawartha Lakes, 14 in Northumberland County, 7 in Haliburton County, and 42 in Hastings County and Prince Edward County.
That’s an increase of 1 case from yesterday’s report, with 1 new case in Kawartha Lakes.
There have been a total of 39 deaths. The most recent death was reported on May 7 by Hastings Prince Edward Public Health.
Outbreaks have been declared over at Pinecrest Nursing Home in Bobcaygeon and at Hastings Manor in Belleville. A new outbreak at Kawartha Lakes Retirement Residence in Bobcaygeon was declared on May 12 after one staff person tested positive.
Province-wide, there are 21,494 confirmed cases, an increase of 258 from yesterday, with 16,204 cases resolved, an increase of 359 from yesterday. There have been 1,798 deaths, an increase of 33 from yesterday. A total of 492,487 tests have been completed, an increase of 17,429 from yesterday, with 17,578 tests under investigation, an increase of 4,183 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’s service area is the City and County of Peterborough and the Hiawatha and Curve Lake First Nations.
Confirmed positive: 73 (no change from May 13) Confirmed negative: Data currently unavailable* Results pending: Data currently unavailable* Deaths: 2 (no change from from May 13) Resolved: 67 (increase of 3 from May 13) Total tests completed: Over 6,250* Institutional outbreaks: St. Joseph’s at Fleming, Kawartha Heights Retirement Living (no change from May 13)**
*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: 161, including 140 in Kawartha Lakes, 14 in Northumberland, 7 in Haliburton (increase of 1 from May 13) Probable cases: 5 (increase of 1 from May 13) Hospitalizations: 11 (no change from May 13) Deaths: 32, including 28 in Pinecrest Nursing Home in Bobcaygeon (no change from May 13) Resolved: 129 (increase of 2 from May 13) Institutional outbreaks: Caressant Care Lindsay, Maplewood Nursing Home in Brighton, Kawartha Lakes Retirement Residence in Bobcaygeon*
*An outbreak at Kawartha Lakes Retirement Residence in Bobcaygeon was declared on May 12 after one staff person tested positive for COVID-19. An outbreak at Pinecrest Nursing Home in Bobcaygeon was declared over on May 14.
Hastings Prince Edward Public Health
Hastings Prince Edward Public Health’s service area is Hastings County (including Bancroft) and Prince Edward County.
Confirmed positive: 42 (no change from May 13) Probable cases: 182 (no change from May 13) Deaths: 5 (no change from May 13) Hospitalized: 1 (no change from May 13) Hospitalized and in ICU: 1 (no change from May 13) Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 0 (no change from May 13) Recovered: 27 (increase of 1 from May 13) Total tests completed: 5,312 (increase of 281 from May 13) Institutional outbreaks: None*
*An outbreak at Hastings Manor in Belleville was declared over on May 13.
Province of Ontario
Confirmed positive: 21,494 (increase of 258 from May 13) Hospitalized: 1,026 (increase of 8 from May 13) Hospitalized and in ICU: 184 (decrease of 5 from May 13) Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 141 (decrease of 1 from May 13) Deaths: 1,798 (increase of 33 from May 13) Total tests completed 492,487 (increase of 17,429 from May 13) Tests under investigation: 17,578 (increase of 4,183 from May 13) Resolved: 16,204 (increase of 359 from May 13)
Confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ontario by public health unit, January 15 – May 13, 2020. (Graphic: Public Health Ontario)
A health care worker at Pinecrest Nursing Home in Bobcaygeon, Ontario responds to passing cars honking support on Tuesday, March 31, 2020. (Photo: Fred Thornhill / The Canadian Press)
The COVID-19 outbreak at Pinecrest Nursing Home in Bobcaygeon is now over.
The home’s administrator Mary Carr made the announcement in an email on Thursday afternoon (May 14).
“It is with great pleasure that I can announce the outbreak in our home is over,” Carr writes. “Earlier this morning, Public Health confirmed with our Director of Care that all residents have been free of symptoms for 14 or more days. ”
VIDEO: Pinecrest Nursing Home celebrates end of COVID-19 outbreak
Since it was first declared on March 18th, the COVID-19 outbreak has claimed the lives of 28 residents at the home. The last death of a Pinecrest resident occurred on April 9th.
“The COVID-19 pandemic is the greatest challenge we have seen in our home,” Carr writes. “I want to thank the Bobcaygeon community, our dedicated staff, residents’ families, and health system partners for their support. I’ve mentioned previously that we will get through the outbreak by standing together, and today, this has proven true.”
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Carr says that, despite the positive news, all ongoing infection control and prevention measures will remain in place to ensure the continued health and safety of residents and staff. The home will remain closed to non-essential visitors, and meals will continue to be served to residents in their rooms.
The home will also continue its daily screening procedures, and residents will be asked to remain in their rooms unless out for walks. Staff members wearing full personal protective equipment will continue to deep clean all resident areas in the building with the support of Ross Memorial Hospital’s environmental services team.
This story has been updated to include a video supplied by Pinecrest Nursing Home.
The Ontario government has announced that golf courses, private campgrounds, and marinas are among the businesses that will be allowed to reopen on Saturday (May 16), just in time for the Victoria Day long weekend.
Premier Doug Ford made the announcement at Queen’s Park on Thursday afternoon (May 14) along with health minister Christine Elliott, finance minister Rod Phillips, economic development minister Vic Fedeli, and labour minister Monte McNaughton.
“During the last several weeks, the people of Ontario have been called on to make incredible sacrifices to help us stop the spread of COVID-19, including staying home from work, closing down businesses and going without a regular paycheque,” Ford said. “However, we are reopening even more of our businesses beginning this long weekend. We are taking a cautious, balanced approach to our economic reopening, to protect the health and safety of everyone.”
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Beginning at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, May 16th:
Golf courses will be able to open, with clubhouses open only for washrooms and restaurants open only for take-out.
Marinas, boat clubs, and public boat launches may open for recreational use.
Private parks and campgrounds may open to enable preparation for the season and to allow access for trailers and recreational vehicles whose owners have a full-season contract.
Businesses that board animals, such as stables, may allow boarders to visit, care for, or ride their animals.
The government also announced that stage one of Ontario’s framework to reopen the economy will begin just after midnight on Tuesday (May 19), when retail stores that are not in shopping malls and have separate street-front entrances can reopen.
These businesses will be required to have measures in place that can enable physical distancing, such as limiting the number of customers in the store at any one time and booking appointments beforehand or on the spot. Clothing retailers will only be able to use fitting rooms with doors, not curtains, to facilitate disinfecting. Retailers would restrict use to every second fitting room at any one time to allow for cleaning after use and ensure physical distancing.
Seasonal businesses and recreational activities for individual or single competitors, including training and sport competitions conducted by a recognized national or provincial sport organization, can resume. This includes indoor and outdoor non-team sport competitions that can be played while maintaining physical distancing and without spectators, such as tennis, track and field, and horse racing.
Marinas, boat clubs, and public boat launches may open for recreational use as of 12:01 a.m. on May 16, 2020.
Animal services — specifically pet care services including pet grooming, pet sitting, dog walking, and pet training — can resume. Off-leash dog parks can reopen. Veterinarians can resume all services by appointment.
Indoor and outdoor household services that can follow public health guidelines can also resume business. These include housekeepers, babysitters, cooks, house and window cleaning, and general repairs.
Other businesses that can fully reopen include vehicle dealerships and retailers, as well as office-based media operations that cannot be done remotely (such as film and television studios and video game studios — although filming and other on-site activities requiring the gathering of workers, performers, and others are not allowed under stage one) and general maintenance and repair services (such as appliances).
Libraries can now offer pick-up and delivery.
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Certain health and medical services can also resume, such as in-person counselling and scheduled surgeries. This is based on the ability to meet the conditions outlined in the framework announced by the Ontario government on May 7th. 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.
Non-essential professional services related to conducting research and experimental development in physical, engineering, and life sciences (such as biotechnology, agriculture and industrial research and development labs) can resume.
Emissions inspection facilities will be allowed to conduct heavy vehicle emissions testing.
Essential construction limits will also be lifted, allowing all construction in Ontario to resume, including land surveyors.
“I want to be clear that businesses should open only if they’re ready — I’ll repeat that — only if they’re ready,” Ford said. “We need to keep in mind that all of this is dependent on the numbers. The truth is, we can’t fully predict where things will go, so we need to be ready to react if we see a sudden increase in cases. We cannot let our guard down now. We must watch the trends like a hawk.”
To support business owners and workers, the Ontario government has launched a website to provide businesses with information on personal protective equipment (PPE) suppliers. The Workplace PPE Supplier Directory has an up-to-date list of Ontario companies and business associations that are ready to supply personal protective equipment.
The government says that Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health will closely monitor the situation to advise the government when certain public health restrictions, including adjustments to social gatherings, can be gradually loosened or if they need to be tightened.
In the past two weeks, the Ontario government has already eased restrictions on selected businesses, allowing garden centres and nurseries and hardware and safety supply stores to open and all retail stores with a street entrance to offer curbside pick-up and delivery. Ontario also reopened provincial parks for limited day use only.
The Ontario government will be providing an update on school closures and child care early next week.
PDF: “A Framework for Reopening our Province – Stage 1” – Government of Ontario
The Havelock Country Jamboree, Canada's largest country music camping festival, has been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 31st annual has been scheduled to take place from August 13th to 16th in Havelock, Ontario. (Photo: Anita Bell / Havelock Country Jamboree)
The Havelock Country Jamboree has been cancelled for 2020.
Canada’s largest country music camping festival, the 31st annual event has been scheduled to run from August 13th to 16th.
“With the current COVID-19 restrictions, the safety of our fans, amazing volunteers, sponsors, vendors, staff and neighbours is paramount,” organizers write on the Havelock Country Jamboree website. “Therefore, with heavy hearts, we have decided to reschedule The Havelock Country Jamboree to August 19 – August 22, 2021. Although this breaks our hearts to have to postpone our event we know it’s the right thing to do to ensure the safety of everyone involved.”
All 2020 tickets will be automatically honoured for the rescheduled 2021 date, according to organizers.
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More than 25 acts has been scheduled to perform, including Chris Janson, Blue Rodeo, Tim Hicks, Roots & Boots, Hunter Brothers, Mackenzie Porter, Cory Marks, Dan Davidson, Kira Isabella, The Grand Tour – Gil Grand, The Good Brothers, Kelly Prescott, Tracey Brown & Randall Prescott of The Family Brown, The Western Swing Authority, Mudmen, Singing Soldiers, Jesse Slack, Gain McLeod, and Small Town Girls.
The festival, which has featured more than 4,200 musicians over the past 30 years, has received the Festivals of Distinction Award from Festival & Events Ontario for five years in a row.
The festival attracts over 100,000 people every year, including both day visitors and campers.
This is the second major tourist event to be cancelled in Peterborough County. On Tuesday (May 12), organizers announced the cancellation of Peterborough Musicfest, Canada’s longest-running free-admission outdoor summer concert series.
Port Hope artist Lee Higginson's son Charley Jones at West Beach in Port Hope. The Higginson family had been making and leaving public art on the beach when the municipality closed the beach due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Port Hope reopened East Beach and West Beach for pass-through use on May 13, 2020. (Photo courtesy of Lee Higginson)
On Wednesday (May 13), Port Hope lifted restrictions on municipally owned property, including beside the Ganaraska River and East and West Beach, but is reminding residents that gatherings of more than five people are prohibited — and that there is a ban on the use of fireworks on the Victoria Day weekend and on open-air burning in the urban area.
Access to municipal green spaces, trails, and paths along the Ganaraska River are open to the public for pass-through use only.
However, all conservation areas north of Molson Street owned by the Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority (GRCA) remain closed. GRCA’s Ganaraska Forest and conservation areas will open to hiking only on May 22nd.
People are also now permitted to use East Beach and West Beach as additional pass-through areas.
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Physical distancing measures remain in effect, including staying two metres away from other people, and loitering or gathering is not permitted in these spaces. The provincial prohibition on events and gatherings of more than five people is still in effect. Residents who do not comply with these regulations may face fines.
The sale and use of fireworks in Port Hope is not permitted for the Victoria Day holiday weekend. The municipal ban not only reflects the limitation on gatherings of more than five people, but it will prevent essential fire and emergency services resources from being required to respond to complaints and accidents associated with the discharge of consumer fireworks.
Open-air burning is also prohibited in the urban area of Port Hope. This includes wood burning chimineas, screened fire bowls or containers, fire pits, and barrels. Urban residents are permitted to use natural gas or propane outdoor appliances, provided they are listed for use in Canada and are installed following the manufacturer’s instructions.
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In the rural area of Port Hope, burn permits are required, with specific conditions for any controlled burning, as per by-law 15/2006. Burn permits can be issued for property owners in the rural area by contacting the fire administration office at 905-753-2230.
The minimum penalty for unauthorized or uncontrolled open-air burning is $485, and residents who contravene the by-law may also be required to pay the full cost of fire department vehicles, equipment, and staff that respond to unauthorized or uncontrolled open-air burning.
Part of the NeighbourPLAN vision for the Downtown Jackson Creek neighbourhood, this illustration shows what Rubidge Street at Hunter Street could look like with a curb bump-out, buffered bike lane, and dedicated parking. All of these components fit into the currently paved roadway by reducing the drive lanes. (Rendering: Basterfield & Associates Inc. Landscape Architects)
Each week, GreenUP provides a story related to the environment. This week’s story is by Francis Nasca with GreenUP’s NeighbourPLAN team.
GreenUP’s NeighbourPLAN program thrives on building community connectedness and bringing together diverse voices to re-imagine public spaces, streets, and sidewalks. With public spaces and community gatherings as our purview, the COVID-19 pandemic has presented us with some unique challenges as we all stay home and help flatten the curve.
NeighbourPLAN uses a resident-centred approach to envisioning more active, sustainable, and livable communities. Typically, our program involves a lot of time working directly in communities: hosting monthly resident committee meetings, doing pop-up engagement sessions, animating public spaces, and using dozens of co-design tools to spark discussions about urban planning and design.
While we cannot meet with residents, we are exploring ways to continue building community connections in the midst of the pandemic. We have also been using this time to review what was learned through resident engagement and create tools that help articulate residents’ visions for their neighbourhoods, including Portrait of the Talwood Neighbourhood and Vision for the Downtown Jackson Creek Neighbourhood.
The covers of the NeighbourPLAN “Portrait of the Talwood Neighbourhood” and “Vision for the Downtown Jackson Creek Neighborhood”. Both documents are available on the GreenUP website. (Graphics courtesy of GreenUP)
In Talwood, we are proud to present Portrait of the Talwood Neighbourhood. We have been working with residents in the Talwood community since last summer, and have compiled thoughts, feelings, and concerns of over 300 people to create this portrait.
We have loved getting to know the Talwood community and watching connections grow as the NeighbourPLAN project progresses in Talwood.
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“I’ve really enjoyed the opportunity to connect with neighbours and develop some friendships through events hosted by NeighbourPLAN,” says Jackie Sherry, one of the members of our core resident group for the Talwood neighbourhood. “It is nice to see public space in this neighbourhood used to bring neighbours together.”
The Talwood portrait highlights some of the unique assets of the area, such as the vibrant Talwood and Whitefeild community gardens, the abundant greenspace in the Parkway Corridor, and the access to amenities like shopping, medical services, and more. It also identifies some of the areas for improvement identified by residents, including crossings in areas where drivers’ speed or visibility is poor, and areas in need of a community clean-up.
The Talwood portrait serves as the guiding foundation for the next phases of the NeighbourPLAN project, where residents and built environment professionals will work together to develop creative visions to address resident concerns.
“Community mapping” is one of many co-design tools used by NeighbourPLAN to engage residents in re-imagining their neighbourhoods. In this case, for the Downtown Jackson Creek neighbourhood in Peterborough prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo: GreenUP)
As the NeighbourPLAN team prepares to move into the next phase of the project in the Talwood neighbourhood, we are adapting our tools and approaches to respond to the COVID context. Typically, we would host a day-long resident and professional design workshop to bring residents together with professionals in urban planning, transportation, public health, urban design, and more.
We’re trying something a bit different this time: throughout the last two weeks of June, we will be hosting a series of virtual mini design workshops to discuss four key focus areas. We invite all residents of the Talwood community to attend these workshops, and also invite any professionals working in the built environment and public health disciplines to share your expertise.
Though we miss gathering with our friends in the Talwood neighbourhood, we are continuing to connect with residents in the ways available to us. We have been having bi-weekly resident meetings online, and we’ve enjoyed having the space to check-in with the Talwood community.
In 2019, residents and professionals gathered at a design workshop to re-imagine public spaces in the Downtown Jackson Creek neighbourhood in Peterborough. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, NeighbourPLAN will be engaging residents of the Talwood community during June through a series of virtual mini design workshops. Any professionals working in the built environment and public health disciplines are also invited to share their expertise. (Photo: GreenUP)
If you would like to stay in the loop and receive a formal invitation to the workshop, or if you live in the Talwood area and would like to join our virtual meetings, email NeighbourPLAN coordinator Laura Keresztesi at laura.keresztesi@greenup.on.ca.
The Downtown Jackson Creek neighbourhood is further along in the NeighbourPLAN process. They have just completed and are working on the release of the beautifully designed Vision for the Downtown Jackson Creek Neighbourhood.
This document is visionary, expressing common goals, principles, and hopes for the public spaces in their neighbourhood. It presents design solutions for focus areas in the neighbourhood, including Reid and Rubidge streets, Park Street, Rubidge Park, and the Trans Canada Trail.
In 2019, residents of the Talwood neighbourhood in Peterborough took an “empathy walk”, which encourages people to view the built environment through the eyes of people that experience mobility limitations. (Photo: GreenUP)
The Downtown Jackson Creek vision also explores ways to foster creative and sensitive redevelopment in the area, and ways to support vulnerable communities through harm reduction and addressing stigma. Some of the design concepts can be achieved through mobilizing small groups of residents, while others are long-term aspirations.
The Downtown Jackson Creek vision is not an official plan for the neighbourhood, but the NeighbourPLAN tools are useful to both residents and partner organizations alike.
“For Peterborough Public Health, the NeighbourPLAN portrait and vision documents are valuable tools for us to understand the social and demographic makeup of particular neighbourhoods, and to have deeper knowledge of residents’ desires for public space in their communities,” says Janet Dawson from Peterborough Public Health. “These documents are useful when we are considering programming and interventions in these neighbourhoods.”
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Although we had planned to launch this vision at a community event this spring, we are still brainstorming ways to celebrate the ideas put forward in this document. We are also hoping to support residents this summer and fall to help some of their visions come to life, once we are able to gather in public spaces.
We look forward to seeing what can happen over the next few years. Residents can use the Downtown Jackson Creek vision as a tool to advocate for change they’d like to see in their neighbourhood. City staff and community organizations can use the vision to inform decisions they make, as related to the projects and services taking place in our neighbourhoods.
At its heart, NeighbourPLAN is a program about public space, and one that relies on community connections. We have struggled, as many folks have, to adapt our programming to our new context. Although we miss gathering and celebrating public space, we are working to keep connections alive in our communities, and to prepare for a post-COVID world with more vibrant, active, and liveable public spaces.
VIDEO: Active Neighbourhoods Canada: Spotlight on Peterborough
kawarthaNOW is providing a daily report of COVID-19 cases in the greater Kawarthas region.
Here’s today summary: there are 73 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area, 139 in the City of Kawartha Lakes, 14 in Northumberland County, 7 in Haliburton County, and 42 in Hastings County and Prince Edward County.
There are no new cases since yesterday’s report.
There have been a total of 39 deaths. The most recent death was reported on May 7 by Hastings Prince Edward Public Health.
Province-wide, there are 21,236 confirmed cases, an increase of 329 from yesterday, with 15,845 cases resolved, an increase of 454 from yesterday. There have been 1,765 deaths, an increase of 40 from yesterday. A total of 475,058 tests have been completed, an increase of 15,137 from yesterday, with 13,395 tests under investigation, an increase of 2,584 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’s service area is the City and County of Peterborough and the Hiawatha and Curve Lake First Nations.
Confirmed positive: 73 (no change from May 12) Confirmed negative: Data currently unavailable* Results pending: Data currently unavailable* Deaths: 2 (no change from from May 12) Resolved: 67 (increase of 3 from May 12) Total tests completed: Over 5,600* Institutional outbreaks: St. Joseph’s at Fleming, Kawartha Heights Retirement Living (no change from May 12)**
*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: 160, including 139 in Kawartha Lakes, 14 in Northumberland, 7 in Haliburton (no change from May 12) Probable cases: 4 (increase of 2 from May 12) Hospitalizations: 11 (no change from May 12) Deaths: 32, including 28 in Pinecrest Nursing Home in Bobcaygeon (no change from May 12) Resolved: 129 (increase of 2 from May 12) Institutional outbreaks: Pinecrest Nursing Home in Bobcaygeon, Caressant Care Lindsay, Maplewood Nursing Home in Brighton (no change from May 12)*
*Number of cases not provided.
Hastings Prince Edward Public Health
Hastings Prince Edward Public Health’s service area is Hastings County (including Bancroft) and Prince Edward County.
Confirmed positive: 42 (no change from May 12) Probable cases: 182 (no change from May 12) Deaths: 5 (no change from May 12) Hospitalized: 1 (no change from May 12) Hospitalized and in ICU: 1 (no change from May 12) Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 0 (no change from May 12) Recovered: 27 (increase of 1 from May 12) Total tests completed: 5,030 (increase of 573 from May 12) Institutional outbreaks: Hastings Manor in Belleville (no change from May 12)*
*Number of cases not provided.
Province of Ontario
Confirmed positive: 21,236 (increase of 329 from May 12) Hospitalized: 1,018 (decrease of 7 from May 12) Hospitalized and in ICU: 189 (decrease of 3 from May 12) Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 142 (decrease of 2 from May 12) Deaths: 1,765 (increase of 40 from May 12) Total tests completed 475,058 (increase of 15,137 from May 12) Tests under investigation: 13,395 10,811 (increase of 2,584 from May 12) Resolved: 15,845 (increase of 454 from May 12)
Confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ontario by public health unit, January 15 – May 12, 2020. (Graphic: Public Health Ontario)
Public health nurse Julie Brandsma dons a mask as she prepares to test a patient for COVID-19. (Photo courtesy of Peterborough Public Health)
As encouraging as local COVID-19 numbers have been lately, Peterborough’s medical officer of health believes the pandemic will be with us in some form for “18 to 24 months at least.”
“It’s going to depend on how soon we get an effective vaccine into clinical trials and, once we have an effective vaccine, how quickly they can ramp up production so we can get it into people’s arms,” Dr. Rosana Salvaterra said at her weekly media briefing on Wednesday (May 13).
“The only reason a second wave (of COVID-19) wouldn’t happen is if we’re able to contain the virus and completely eliminate it,” Dr. Salvaterra explained. “What makes COVID-19 particularly challenging is the fact that it can be transmitted while people are asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic.”
“Given that, I think it’s highly unlikely we will contain this one. We’ll either see sequential waves, like we do with seasonal influenza, or we might see it go up and not come down. I think there’s lots more COVID-19 in the future until we have a way to prevent it and that won’t come until we have a vaccine.”
“We are not going back to normal. The province is not even at stage one in the recovery yet. In the weeks and months ahead, we will need to create a new normal.”
Referring to updated COVID-19 data for the region, Dr. Salvaterra notes that as of Wednesday (May 13), the total number of positive cases for the region is 73 — an increase of six cases over the last week.
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Of those cases, 64 have been resolved while seven cases remain active. More than 5,600 people have been tested, including more than 3,500 residents and staff tested over the past three weeks at the region’s eight long-term care homes, 11 retirement homes, and the Congregation of Sisters of St Joseph.
“The data in Peterborough continues to be reassuring but we are fighting a virus that is easily transmitted, even before someone has symptoms or by people who infected and may not have any symptoms,” says Dr. Salvaterra.
“Although Peterborough’s curve is flat, there are hundreds of new cases occurring daily in Ontario. I’m asking everyone to continue to restrict visitors, to avoid risky activity, and to respect physical distancing.”
“We need four things in order to be sure we are keeping safe while we re-open our economy and our community. We need to see daily and sustained decreases in the number of new cases, and continued and aggressive case and contact follow-up by public health. We need to stay at the top of our game with high per capita numbers of testing. And we need enough health care system capacity and access to PPE (Personal Protection Equipment) to make sure we’re able to respond to any new cases that arise.”
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Of note, according to a recent report issued by the Institute for Evaluative Clinical Sciences, Peterborough Public Health had one of highest per capita rates of COVID-19 testing in Ontario as of April 30th.
Dr. Salvaterra says credit for that is due to the collaborative efforts of Peterborough Public Health, Peterborough Regional Health Centre and Peterborough Paramedics.
There are currently two institutional outbreaks in the region: a longstanding one at St. Joseph’s at Fleming and an outbreak recently declared at Kawartha Heights Retirement Living where a staff member has tested positive. Dr. Salvaterra expects the St. Joseph’s at Fleming outbreak will be declared over this week.
Gender wise, COVID-19 continues to afflict more females (53 per cent) than males (47 per cent). As for the source of COVID-19 exposure, half of those who have tested positive had contact with a known case with the remainder having contracted the virus via travel abroad (31.5 percent) or community transmission (17.8 per cent).
Also participating in Wednesday’s media briefing were Peterborough-Kawartha MP Maryam Monsef, Peterborough Mayor Diane Therrien, and Selwyn Mayor and Peterborough Public Health chair Andy Mitchell.
Elyn and Peter Green, owners of The Greenhouse on the River in Douro-Dummer, have announced that 2020 will be the final year of business of their popular independent garden centre. (Photo: The Greenhouse on the River / Facebook)
businessNOW™ is the most comprehensive weekly round-up of business and organizational news and events from Peterborough and across the Kawarthas.
Every week, our managing editor collects news and events related to businesses and organizations from across the Kawarthas. If you’d like us to promote your news or event in businessNOW, please email business@kawarthanow.com.
The week’s edition features The Greenhouse on the River in Douro-Dummer announcing 2020 as its final year in business, BE Catering moving out of its downtown Peterborough location at the end of May, Peterborough & the Kawarthas Tourism pivoting from developing a five-year plan to developing short-term tourism recovery due to COVID-19, the Summer Company program application deadline being extended until May 30th, and the opening of nominations for the Peterborough Business Excellence Awards.
This week’s events include a COVID-19 virtual town hall with Doug Ford and Vic Fedeli, a webinar on digital marketing and selling during COVID-19, and a webinar for existing businesses on implementing e-commerce — all taking place on Thursday, May 14th.
This is the final year in business for The Greenhouse on the River in Douro-Dummer
Elyn Green, co-owner of The Greenhouse on the River in Douro-Dummer. (Photo: The Greenhouse on the River / Facebook)
The owners of The Greenhouse on the River, a popular independent garden centre in Douro-Dummer, have announced 2020 will be their final year of business.
Peter and Elyn Green made the announcement on their Facebook page on Monday (May 11).
“After 32 years and recent events we have decided that 2020 will be ‘The Last Waltz’ for The Greenhouse on the River,” they write. “We love what we do with our amazing staff and wonderful customers but it has come time for a change. Help make our last year the best ever.”
Peter Green, co-owner of The Greenhouse on the River in Douro-Dummer, with Brenda Ibey, owner of The Avant-Garden Shop in Peterborough. Peter and Brenda are two of the original members who started the Peterborough and Area Garden Route, of which The Greenhouse on the River was a destination. (Photo: Clayton Ibey)
Aside from the COVID-19 pandemic, those “recent events” may also include a recent health scare for Elyn, which resulted in three emergency department visits and a 15-day stay at Peterborough Regional Health Centre (it was not related to COVID-19, Elyn says in a Facebook post).
Steps away from the Otonabee River, The Greenhouse on the River (4115 County Road 32, Douro-Dummer, 705-652-8154) sells a variety of annuals, perennials, succulents, tropicals, shrubs, and trees nurtured on site. They are open by appointment only, from 12:30 to 5:30 p.m. Monday to Friday, and 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
Appointments can be booked at www.greenhouseontheriver.com. Customers are required to bring and wear their own mask and gloves while they are in the greenhouse.
BE Catering is moving out of its downtown Peterborough location at the end of May
BE Catering is located at 356 Charlotte Street in downtown Peterborough. (Photo: BE Catering / Facebook)
Bonnie Kubika, owner of BE Catering (356 Charlotte St., Peterborough, 705-750-1265), has announced she will be moving out of her downtown Peterborough location at the end of May.
In a Facebook post on Monday (May 11), Bonnie explains that her lease expires at the end of the month and she was unable to reach an agreement with her landlord.
“They originally wanted to raise our rent by 87%,” Bonnie writes. “We tried to come to an interim agreement when the pandemic hit, but to no avail. We made the decision to store our equipment and tools, and will be moving out of our beloved kitchens at the end of this month.”
Bonnie says she has had a professional kitchen since she began BE Catering in 1998. From 2012 to 2017, she operated BE at The Trend for Trent University’s Catharine Parr Traill College, In 2015, she relocated to the corner of Charlotte and Park streets in downtown Peterborough where she opened her luncheonette and provided take-home meals.
Bonnie says, that with the COVID-19 pandemic, she has lost more than 90 per cent of her business, which comes from catering large gatherings such as weddings, parties, and conferences.
“If you have booked a party with us, or a wedding for this year, and hope to reschedule if we are allowed to congregate at a later date, I do have ability to work out of professional kitchens, so don’t fret,” she writes. “We’re not going anywhere, just going dormant for a little while, while we take some time and space to figure out what catering, our true profession, will look like in the future.”
Peterborough & the Kawarthas Tourism pivots from five-year plan to developing short-term tourism recovery due to COVID-19
A painting of tourism attractions in Peterborough by local artist John Climenhage. (Photo courtesy of Peterborough & the Kawarthas Tourism)
Earlier this year, Peterborough & the Kawarthas Tourism began the process of developing a five-year destination development strategy and action plan to guide the sustainable growth of tourism for the region — a key component of Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development’s Future Ready: 2020-2024 regional economic development plan.
The stakeholder engagement phase had been completed and the consulting firm involved with developing the plan, Bannikin Travel & Tourism, were preparing to draft the long-term strategy when the COVID-19 pandemic hit Ontario.
On Monday (May 11), Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development announced the original project would be placed on hold temporarily, so that the organization can shift focus on developing a short-term tourism recovery phase. Work on the five-year destination development strategy and action plan will resume once there is a better understanding of the long-term tourism situation once the pandemic is over.
“Normally we would be heading into our busy summer tourism season,” says Peterborough & the Kawarthas Tourism director of tourism Tracie Bertrand. “Due to COVID-19, things will most certainly be different this year, particularly for the businesses that depend on visitor revenue in the summer months. The steps we outline in the recovery phase will work to address the most pressing needs of our community as we continue to navigate these ever-changing circumstances.”
The organization is now encouraging all tourism partners — including government officials, tourism businesses, tourism organizations, arts, entertainment and culture representatives, restauranteurs. and anyone who identifies as being a part of the tourism industry — to answer the following question: “What do you need most to rebuild your tourism business, and the tourism industry as a whole in this region?” All answers can be sent to thekawarthas@gmail.com.
Summer Company program application deadlined extended until May 30
Kathir Puvendran of Kip’s Window Cleaning, one of the start-ups in the 2019 Summer Company program. (Photo courtesy of Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development)
Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development has announced the extension until Saturday, May 30th of the deadline for applications to the Summer Company program.
Summer Company is the Ontario government’s flagship youth entrepreneurship program for students between the ages of 15 and 29 looking to try their hand at business ownership over the summer.
Along with guidance, mentorship, and access to training and resources, the program offers up to $3,000 of start-up money to kickstart a summer business. It is delivered locally through the Peterborough & the Kawarthas Business Advisory Centre.
Nominations open for Peterborough Business Excellence Awards
Nominations are now open for the Greater Peterborough Chamber of Commerce’s 17th Annual Peterborough Business Excellence Awards.
Businesses and individuals within the city and county of Peterborough are eligible for the awards, and do not need to be members of the Chamber of Commerce. Self-nominations are encouraged.
Award categories are Business Citizen of the Year, Employer of the Year, Local Focus, Entrepreneurial Spirit, Micro Business, Hospitality, Marketing & Promotion, Health & Wellness, Not-for-Profit, Professional Services, Retail, Commercial Development or Renovation, Innovation/Research & Development, Customer First, Green Initiatives, Business Student Leadership Prizes, Skilled Trades, Tourism, 4-under-40 Profiles, and New Canadian Entrepreneur of the Year.
Three finalists in each category will be announced in August, with the award recipients revealed in the fall.
COVID-19 virtual town hall with Doug Ford and Vic Fedeli on May 14
The Ontario Chamber of Commerce is hosting a virtual town hall with Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade Vic Fedeli from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 14th.
Both men will address questions on public health efforts, relief programs, and the road to economic recovery.
Businesses of all industries and sizes are encouraged to attend. There is no cost to participate.
Webinar on digital marketing and selling during COVID-19 on May 14
The Innovation Cluster Peterborough and the Kawarthas is hosting a virtual seminar called “Hands-ON: Digital Marketing And Selling During COVID-19” from 12 to 2 p.m. on Thursday, May 14th.
The workshop is facilitated by Rose Terry, marketing manager and senior innovation specialist with the Innovation Cluster. The workshop will help you understand how marketing has changed during COVID-19 and how you can implement a digital marketing strategy to reflect the shifted marketing landscape.
This is a follow-up workshop to “Marketing Strategies for Startups During COVID-19” and, if you didn’t attend that workshop, watch the video below.
VIDEO: Hands ON: Marketing Strategies for Startups during COVID 19
Webinar for existing businesses on implementing e-commerce on May 14
Sponsored by Downtown Cobourg and the Town of Cobourg Economic Development, Venture13 is hosting a virtual seminar called “Transitioning Your Business From ‘Brick to Click'” from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Thursday, May 14th.
In this webinar, you’ll learn how to transition your brick-and-mortar business to e-commerce, including using tools such as Shopify, Squarespace, GSuite, Slack, and Calendly to sell your products, organize your business, and keep the lines of communication open with both your staff and your customers.
The webinar will be presented by Ditto founder Marquis Murray and @PB+J co-founders Tom Collver and Kyle Dutka.
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