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Millbrook’s 4th Line Theatre postpones first play of 2021 summer season due to the pandemic

By kawarthaNOW -
March 31, 2021

4th Line Theatre in Millbrook is Canada's premier outdoor theatre company. (Photo: 4th Line Theatre / Facebook)

4th Line Theatre in Millbrook is postponing its first play of the 2021 summer season, originally scheduled for July, due to the pandemic.

“I am sorry to have to announce that we have made the difficult decision to postpone the world premiere of Alex Poch-Goldin’s The Great Shadow until the summer of 2022,” writes managing artistic director Kim Blackwell in an email on Wednesday (March 31). “This decision is based on many factors. Most critical to our decision is the public health directive presently in place for our region.”

With the Peterborough region currently in the ‘Red-Control’ level of the province’s COVID-19 response framework, the outdoor theatre is limited to a maximum of 25 people at any performance. Blackwell says this makes it financially infeasible to stage a production, since that represents only 1/16th of the available seating at Winslow Farm.

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“We also have to make the health and safety of our company members and audiences the number one priority,” Blackwell adds. “While the vaccine roll-out is moving forward, the number of active cases in the province is concerningly high. I wish I had better news for you, and I know that this decision may cause you disappointment and frustration.”

As for the second play of the 2021 summer season, Maja Ardal’s Wishful Seeing, Blackwell says 4th Line Theatre will make a decision on May 1st on whether that production will proceed or also be postponed.

“On the positive side, I know there will be theatre at the farm later this summer,” Blackwell writes. “And I expect us to produce theatre into the fall and winter of 2021.”

Both plays were originally set to premiere at the Winslow Farm in summer 2020, but were postponed until 2021 because of the pandemic.

Ontario’s COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations now higher than at start of last province-wide lockdown

By kawarthaNOW -
March 30, 2021

Ontario Premier Doug Ford responds to a reporter's question during a media conference about Ontario's COVID-19 vaccination plan in North York on March 30, 2021. (CPAC screenshot)

Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.

As the Easter long weekend approaches, Ontario is reporting 2,336 new cases — the sixth straight day of increases over 2,000 — with the seven-day average of daily cases increasing by 113 to 2,207. The province is also reporting 51 more confirmed cases of the B.1.1.7 UK variant, 6 more confirmed cases of the B.1.351 South Africa variant, and 8 more confirmed cases of the P.1 Brazilian variant.

“I’m extremely concerned about the situation that we’re seeing,” Premier Doug Ford said at a media conference in North York today, implying that more restrictions may be coming in the next couple of days. “Everything’s on the table right now. So folks, be prepared, don’t make plans for Easter. I won’t hesitate to lock things down if we have to. I did it before, I’ll do it again.”

Ford’s comments come the day after the Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table published an alarming report confirming variants of concern are driving the third wave of the pandemic, now accounting for more than two-thirds of all new COVID-19 infections in Ontario.

The B.1.1.7 UK variant alone accounts for more than 90 per cent of these infections, with emerging evidence that it is both more transmissible and virulent. Variants of concern are associated with a 63 per cent increased risk of hospitalization, a 103 per cent increased risk of ICU admission, and a 56 per cent increased risk of death due to COVID-19.

The variants of concern “will result in a considerably higher burden to Ontario’s health care system”, warns the report. The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 is now 21 per cent higher than at the start of the province-wide lockdown in late December, while ICU occupancy is 28 per cent higher.

COVID-19 hospitalizations and ICU admissions in Ontario from February 27 – March 29, 2021. The red line is the daily number of COVID-19 hospitalizations, the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of hospitalizations, the purple line is the daily number of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs, and the dotted orange line is a five-day moving average of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)

The third wave is also affecting younger people more than the previous two waves, with the percentage of COVID-19 patients now in ICUs who are younger than 60 years around 50 per cent higher than it was in late December. The report states the full burden on the province’s health care system is yet to come, since the increased risk of COVID-19 hospitalization, ICU admission, and death from variants of concern is most pronounced 14 to 28 days after diagnosis.

In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 15 new cases to report and an additional 15 cases resolved, with the number of active cases across the region increasing by 1 from yesterday to 118. See below for detailed numbers from each regional health unit.

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Most of today’s new cases are in Toronto (727), Peel (434), York (229), Durham (194), Ottawa (144), and Hamilton (123).

There are double-digit increases in Halton (91), Niagara (63), Simcoe Muskoka (39), Middlesex-London (38), Waterloo (31), Windsor-Essex (28), Brant (25), Eastern Ontario (23), Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (23), Lambton (20), Sudbury (19), Thunder Bay (16), Chatham-Kent (12), Southwestern (11), and Haldimand-Norfolk (10), with smaller increases in Hastings Prince Edward (8) and Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge (7).

The remaining 11 health units are reporting 5 or fewer new cases, with 3 health units reporting no new cases at all.

Of today’s new cases, 55% are among people 39 and younger, with the highest number of cases (789) among people ages 20-39 followed by 664 cases among people ages 40-59.

With 1,477 more cases resolved since yesterday, the percentage of resolved cases has decreased by 0.2% to 92.2%. The average positivity rate across Ontario has increased by 0.1% at 6.2%, meaning that 61 out of every 1,000 tests performed were positive for COVID-19 on March 29.

Ontario is reporting 14 new COVID-19 deaths today, with 4 new deaths in long-term care homes. Ontario has averaged 14 new daily deaths over the past week, an increase of 1 from yesterday.

Echoing the warning in yesterday’s Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table report, the number of hospitalizations has spiked by 249 to 1,090, with the number of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs increasing by 5 to 387 and the number of patients with COVID-19 on ventilators increasing by 13 to 249.

A total of 36,071 tests were completed yesterday, with the backlog of tests under investigation increasing by 17,350 to 35,066.

A total of 2,102,380 doses of vaccine have now been administered, an increase of 70,645 from yesterday, with 313,889 people fully vaccinated with both doses of vaccine, an increase of 2,641 from yesterday.

The number of fully vaccinated people represents 2.13% of Ontario’s population, with fully and partially vaccinated people representing 14.27% of the population. An estimated 70-90% of the population must be immunized to achieve herd immunity and, at the current rate of vaccination, it will take almost four months to immunize 70% of Ontarians with one dose of vaccine.

There are 518 new cases in Ontario schools, an increase of 303 from yesterday, including 440 student cases, 77 staff cases, and 1 case among an unidentified person. There are 96 new cases in licensed child care settings in Ontario, an increase of 60 from yesterday, including 59 cases among children and 37 cases among staff. Note: cases reported on Tuesdays include the total number of cases reported from Friday afternoon to Monday afternoon.

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In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 15 new cases to report, including 11 in Peterborough, 3 in Hastings Prince Edward, and 1 in Northumberland. There are no new cases in Kawartha Lakes or Haliburton.

There is a new outbreak at an unidentified workplace in Trenton.

There are 16 new regional cases of presumed variants of concern, including 8 in Peterborough, 5 in Hastings Prince Edward, 2 in Kawartha Lakes, and 1 in Northumberland.

An additional 15 cases have been resolved, including 13 in Peterborough, 1 in Northumberland, and 1 in Hastings Prince Edward.

There are currently 118 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, an increase of 1 from yesterday, including 50 in Peterborough, 39 in Hastings Prince Edward (8 in Quinte West, 16 in Belleville, 6 in Tyendinaga & Deseronto, 3 in Prince Edward County, and 6 in Central Hastings), 16 in Northumberland, and 13 in Kawartha Lakes. There are no active cases in Haliburton.

Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 866 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (806 resolved with 10 deaths), 580 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (525 resolved with 55 deaths), 495 in Northumberland County (467 resolved with 12 deaths), 65 in Haliburton County (64 resolved with 1 death), and 482 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (437 resolved with 6 deaths). The most recent death was reported in Peterborough on March 16.

The provincial data in this report is pulled from Ontario’s integrated Public Health Information System (iPHIS) at 4 p.m. the previous day, as well as from systems in Toronto, Ottawa, and Middlesex-London at 2 p.m. the previous day. Data from local health units is more current and is usually reflected in the provincial data the following day. There may be discrepancies between the Ontario data reported today (which is from yesterday) and the local health unit data reported today (which is from today).

Peterborough Public Health

Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit

Hastings Prince Edward Public Health

Province of Ontario

Peterborough Public Health

Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit

Hastings Prince Edward Public Health

Province of Ontario

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Peterborough Public Health

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. Note: Due to updates and maintenance, the health unit’s online data tool will not be updated on March 29 or 30; information on the number of close contacts, deaths, hospitalizations, completed tests, and outbreaks will not be available.

Confirmed positive: 866 (increase of 11)
Confirmed variants of concern cases: 1 (no change)
Presumed variants of concern cases: 193 (increase of 8)
Active cases: 50 (decrease of 2)
Close contacts: 257
Deaths: 10
Resolved: 806 (increase of 13)
Hospitalizations (total to date): 30*
Total tests completed: Over 46,250
Outbreaks: Unidentified congregate living facility in Peterborough, Gzowski College student residence at Trent University, Empress Gardens retirement home in Peterborough (no change)
Vaccine doses administered: 24,309 (last updated March 25)

*As of March 30, Peterborough Regional Health Centre is reporting fewer than 10 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 (no change) and 23 patients transferred from other areas as a result of a provincial directive (increase of 1).

Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit

The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit’s service area is the City of Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland County, and Haliburton County.

The health unit provides reports from Monday to Saturday, excluding Sundays and statutory holidays.

Confirmed positive: 1,140, including 580 in Kawartha Lakes, 495 in Northumberland, and 65 in Haliburton (increase of 1 in Northumberland)*
Cases with N501Y mutation: 54, including 16 in Kawartha Lakes and 38 in Northumberland (increase of 3, including 2 in Kawartha Lakes and 1 in Northumberland)**
Active cases: 29, including 13 in Kawartha Lakes, 16 in Northumberland (increase of 1 in Kawartha Lakes)
Probable cases: 0 (no change)
High-risk contacts: 121, including 41 in Kawartha Lakes, 53 in Northumberland, and 6 in Haliburton (net decrease of 3)***
Hospitalizations (total to date): 50, including 30 in Kawartha Lakes, 17 in Northumberland, and 3 in Haliburton (no change)****
Deaths (including among probable cases): 68, including 55 in Kawartha Lakes, 12 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton (no change)
Resolved: 1,056, including 525 in Kawartha Lakes, 467 in Northumberland, 64 in Haliburton (increase of 1 in Northumberland)
Tests completed: 162,069 (increase of 724)
Vaccine doses administered: 23,198 (increase of 7,410, last updated on March 29)
Number of people fully vaccinated: 2,618 (increase of 335, last updated on March 29)
Outbreaks: None (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 11 high-risk contacts directly followed up through the Public Health Ontario contact tracing process that are missing the contacts’ county.

****As of March 29, Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay reports 2 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 (increase of 1).

Hastings Prince Edward Public Health

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

The health unit provides daily reports, including on weekends, excluding statutory holidays.

Confirmed positive: 482 (increase of 3)
Confirmed variants of concern cases: 15 (increase of 5)
Active cases: 39 (increase 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: 437 (increase of 1)
Tests completed: 82,923 (increase of 21)
Vaccine doses administered: 26,795 (increase of 1,582)
Number of people fully vaccinated: 1,920 (increase of 5)
Outbreaks: Unidentified workplace in Trenton (increase of 1)

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Province of Ontario

Confirmed positive: 347,570 (increase of 2,336)
COVID-19 variants of concern (VOC) confirmed cases: 1,800 of B.1.1.7 UK variant (increase of 51); 69 of B.1.351 South Africa variant (increase of 6); 90 of P.1 Brazilian variant (increase of 8)
VOC R(t): 1.35 (decrease of 0.01, last updated March 26)*
7-day average of daily new cases: 2,207 (increase of 113)
Resolved: 320,409 (increase of 1,477), 92.2% of all cases (decrease of 0.2%)
Positivity rate: 6.2% (increase of 0.1%)
Hospitalizations: 1,090 (increase of 249)
Hospitalizations in ICU: 387 (increase of 5)
Hospitalizations in ICU on ventilator: 249 (increase of 13)
Deaths: 7,351 (increase of 14)
7-day average of daily new deaths: 14 (increase of 1)
Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 3,897 (increase of 4)
Total tests completed: 12,498,641 (increase of 36,071)
Tests under investigation: 35,066 (increase of 17,350)
Vaccination doses administered: 2,102,380 (increase of 70,645), 14.27% of Ontario’s population (increase of 0.48%)**
People fully vaccinated (two doses): 313,889 (increase of 2,641), 2.13% of Ontario’s population (increase of 0.02%)**

*R(t) is a virus’s effective reproduction number, which is the average number of new infections caused by a single infected individual at a specific time (t) in a partially immunized population. To successfully eliminate a disease from a population, R(t) needs to be less than 1.

**An estimated 70-90% of the population must be immunized to achieve herd immunity.

COVID-19 cases in Ontario from February 27 – March 29, 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 27 – March 29, 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 27 – March 29, 2021. The red line is the daily number of COVID-19 hospitalizations, the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of hospitalizations, the purple line is the daily number of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs, and the dotted orange line is a five-day moving average of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)

COVID-19 deaths in Ontario from February 27 – March 29, 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 27 – March 29, 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)

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

Grow your own food at Peterborough’s newest community garden

By kawarthaNOW -
March 30, 2021

Sheet Seven Community Garden, located behind the Peterborough Curling Club at 2195 Lansdowne Street West, in July 2020 with raised garden beds under construction. Allotment plots of various sizes are now available with annual fees from $35 to $125 depending on the size. (Photo courtesy of Pauline Orpwood / Peterborough Curling Club)

Peterborough’s newest community garden, the Sheet Seven Community Garden located behind the Peterborough Curling Club at 2195 Lansdowne Street West, will be hosting its first community gardeners beginning in May.

The garden was conceived in spring 2020 by Emilie Metcalfe, an assistant ice technician at the Peterborough Curling Club, after the pandemic forced the club to close its doors for the season.

Seeing the potential in the large expanse of unused lawn behind the club’s building, Metcalfe proposed an idea to the club’s board of directors: use the lawn to create a space for members to gather in the curling off-season to foster community as well as to teach about sustainability and growing your own food.

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With the board’s approval and support, within weeks Metcalfe — now the coordinator of Sheet Seven — and many volunteers transformed part of the lawn into a circular garden, designed to look like a curling house.

During the 2020 growing season, that first test garden produced flowers, russet potatoes, pickling cucumbers, slicing cucumbers, butternut squash, pie pumpkins, carrots, beets, zucchini, delicata squash, slicing tomatoes, paste tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, radishes, bush beans, Lincoln peas, sugar snap peas, kale, kohlrabi, onions, spinach, and lettuces.

In July 2020, volunteers expanded the community garden to include raised garden beds. Now, 18 plots of varying sizes — from small at 4′ x 12′ to large at 12′ x 20′ — are available for lease. This includes four quarter plots in the original “curling house” garden (the remainder will be used for pollinator and donation gardens).

Allotment plots available for lease at the Sheet Seven Community Garden, located behind the Peterborough Curling Club at 2195 Lansdowne Street West. (Graphic: Sheet Seven Community Garden)

Applications are being accepted through the Sheet Seven website at sheetsevencommunitygarden.square.site/become-a-member, with annual fees from $35 to $125 depending on plot sizes.

To raise funds for the ongoing maintenance of the community garden, Sheet Seven has also launched a rain barrel sale. The rain barrels are reclaimed food grade barrels once used to transport fruits and vegetables that have been repurposed and refitted as rain barrels.

Rain barrel orders can be placed before Saturday, April 17th at rainbarrel.ca/sevencommunitygarden/. The barrels can be picked up from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 24th at the Peterborough Curling Club. Optional home delivery to Peterborough residents is also available after April 24th.

Raised gardens under construction in July 2020 at Sheet Seven Community Garden, located behind the Peterborough Curling Club at 2195 Lansdowne Street West. Sheet Seven is now accepting applications for leasing allotment plots at the community garden for the 2021 growing season. (Photo courtesy of Pauline Orpwood / Peterborough Curling Club)

Peterborough residents can now sign up to be notified by email when they are eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine

By kawarthaNOW -
March 29, 2021

Peterborough residents who want to know when they become eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine can now sign up with Peterborough Public Health to be notified by e-mail.

You can visit www.peterboroughpublichealth.ca/notifyme to submit your email address and select one of more groups you wish to be notified about once vaccination clinics are open to them. You can select by age group, as well as by a specific chronic health condition.

“Details are still being finalized on how to best vaccinate residents with the chronic health conditions identified by the Ontario Government in its Phase 2 vaccination plan,” says Brittany Cadence, communications manager with Peterborough Public Health. “By signing up with ‘Notify Me’, we will be able to provide tailored information in our notifications to those who fall into the various health categories once it becomes available.”

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Essential caregivers, those who live or work in congregate settings, and essential frontline workers who cannot work for home can also choose to be notified. You can sign up for notifications for more than one group.

When local clinics and healthcare providers are ready to serve a selected group, Peterborough Public Health will send an email notification to those on the mailing list for that group explaining how to book a vaccination appointment.

“With a rapidly changing vaccine distribution plan and other Ontario regions opening up eligibility for different groups at different times, it can be confusing to know when it’s your turn to book an appointment,” Cadence adds. “By simply providing us with your email address, we hope to provide peace of mind to residents by leaving it with us to contact them directly once the groups they’ve selected become eligible to book a COVID-19 vaccine appointment.”

According to the health unit, all email addresses gathered through the ‘Notify Me’ form will be stored securely until use and then deleted after the final notification is issued once Phase 3 vaccinations begin.

The ‘Notify Me’ system is only available through email, and the health unit is encouraging residents without an email address to ask a loved one with an email address to sign up on their behalf.

‘Porch Pirates for Good’ to collect donated food items from Peterborough porches on April 10

By kawarthaNOW -
March 29, 2021

Some of the 13,560 pounds of food collected for Kawartha Food Share in October 2020 during the "Spare a Square #2" food drive. The shelves at Kawartha Food Share need to be retocked, and the organizers behind "Spare a Square" are back for 2021 with a business-to-business challenge to collect at least 20,000 pounds of food on Friday, April 9th, followed by a Peterborough-wide porch food drive on Saturday, April 10th. (Photo: Kawartha Food Share / Facebook)

On Saturday, April 10th, volunteers with Kawartha Food Share are turning the phrase “porch pirate” into a good thing with a Peterborough-wide spring porch food drive.

Starting at 9 a.m. on April 10th, city residents are asked to leave a bag of non-perishable food items on their front porch to be picked up by ‘Porch Pirates for Good’ volunteers.

“The shelves at Kawartha Food Share are low again and they need the help of the community to restock,” reads a media release from Megan Murphy, who helped organize two ‘Spare a Square’ porch food drives in 2020 that collected 41,267 pounds of food and more than $5,000 in monetary donations for Kawartha Food Share.

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COVID-masked volunteers will drive around the city in their own vehicles to collect the items and deliver them to the Kawartha Food Share warehouse. There will be no face-to-face contact between those donating and those picking up and, if you are ill, you are asked to refrain from donating.

Those who are ill or who can’t donate food items can also help by making a monetary donation at kawarthafoodshare.com/donations.html. For every $1 donated, Kawartha Food Share can purchase up to $6 worth of food.

In addition to the community porch food drive on Saturday, organizers are also asking Peterborough businesses to challenge each other to see if they can collectively raise a “bounty” for Kawartha Food Share by donating more than 20,000 pounds of food on Friday, April 9th alone.

Kawartha Food Share volunteers Susan Dunkley and Anne Arnold picking up a food donation from kawarthaNOW in October 2020. Peterborough businesses that want to participate in the April 9th business-to-business food drive challenge can register with Susan by email or using an online form. (Photo: Jeannine Taylor / kawarthaNOW)

Businesses interested in participating can register by emailing Susan Dunkley at susan@suzihomemaker.ca or by completing a Google Docs form. Business pick-ups will take place from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday, April 9th.

“Porch Pirates for Good” will be collecting donated non-perishable food items for Kawartha Food Share from porches across the City of Peterborough on Saturday, April 10th. (Poster: Porch Pirates for Good)

For both food drives, the items most needed for the shelves at Kawartha Food Share are canned tuna, pasta and pasta sauce, easy-to-make food that kids like (including Alphagetti, Kraft Dinner, and Chef Boyardee, breakfast cereal, peanut butter, non-perishable fruit and vegetable items, rice, canned soup or stew, feminine hygiene products, and baby formula.

On average, 8,700 people are using food banks every month in the city and county of Peterborough. At times throughout the pandemic, there has been a 20 per cent increase of food bank use — including by precarious workers who have lost hours and are relying on food banks for support more frequently.

For more information about the Porch Pirates For Good food drive, visit facebook.com/ptboporchpiratesforgood.

Ontario reports 2,094 new COVID-19 cases, including 24 in greater Kawarthas region

By kawarthaNOW -
March 29, 2021

Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.

Today, Ontario is reporting 2,094 new cases, matching the seven-day average of daily cases which has increased by 56 to 2,094. The province is also reporting 124 more confirmed cases of the B.1.1.7 UK variant and 15 more confirmed cases of the P.1 Brazilian variant.

The provincial government announced today that Middlesex-London Health Unit is moving to the ‘Red-Control’ level of the province’s COVID-19 response framework effective March 30. With over 2 million vaccine doses now administered, the province also today expanded its vaccination booking system to include people aged 70 and older — but only in 12 public health units, none of which are in the greater Kawarthas region.

In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 24 new cases to report and an additional 10 cases resolved, with the number of active cases across the region increasing by 12 from yesterday to 117. See below for detailed numbers from each regional health unit.

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Most of today’s new cases are in Toronto (618), Peel (368), York (276), Ottawa (132), and Durham (104).

There are double-digit increases in Halton (74), Middlesex-London (69), Hamilton (61), Simcoe Muskoka (58), Waterloo (52), Windsor-Essex (38), Eastern Ontario (37), Niagara (33), Lambton (23), Leeds, Grenville & Lanark (18), Sudbury (17), Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (16), Southwestern (15), Brant (13), Chatham-Kent (11), and Haldimand-Norfolk (11), with smaller increases in Grey Bruce (8), Thunder Bay (7), Hastings Prince Edward (7), Peterborough (7), and Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington (6).

The remaining 8 health units are reporting 5 or fewer new cases, with 2 health units reporting no new cases at all.

Of today’s new cases, 55% are among people 39 and younger, with the highest number of cases (731) among people ages 20-39 followed by 600 cases among people ages 40-59.

With 1,524 more cases resolved since yesterday, the percentage of resolved cases has decreased by 0.1% to 92.4%. The average positivity rate across Ontario has increased by 1.6% from yesterday to 6.1%, meaning that 61 out of every 1,000 tests performed were positive for COVID-19 on March 28.

Ontario is reporting 10 new COVID-19 deaths today, with no new deaths in long-term care homes. Ontario has averaged 13 new daily deaths over the past week, an increase of 1 from yesterday.

While the number of hospitalizations has decreased by 76 from yesterday to 841, more than 10% of hospitals do not submit data for weekend reports, so the actual number of hospitalized patients may be higher. The number of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs has increased by 16 to 382 and the number of patients with COVID-19 on ventilators has increased by 19 to 236.

A total of 39,470 tests were completed yesterday, with the backlog of tests under investigation decreasing by 7,736 to 17,716.

A total of 2,031,735 doses of vaccine have now been administered, an increase of 50,453 from yesterday, with 311,248 people fully vaccinated with both doses of vaccine, an increase of 1,963 from yesterday. The number of fully vaccinated people represents 2.11% of Ontario’s population, with fully and partially vaccinated people representing 13.79% of the population; an estimated 70-90% of the population must be immunized to achieve herd immunity.

There are 215 new cases in Ontario schools, an increase of 48 from March 26, including 160 student cases and 45 staff cases. There are 36 new cases in licensed child care settings in Ontario, a decrease of 14 from March 26, including 24 cases among children and 12 cases among staff.

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In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 24 new cases to report, including 8 in Hastings Prince Edward, 8 in Northumberland, 5 in Kawartha Lakes, and 3 in Peterborough. There are no new cases in Haliburton.

There are 7 new regional cases of presumed variants of concern, including 5 in Kawartha Lakes, 1 in Northumberland, and 1 in Peterborough.

There is 1 new hospitalization in Kawartha Lakes.

An additional 10 cases have been resolved, including 3 in Peterborough, 3 in Northumberland, 2 in Kawartha Lakes, 1 in Haliburton, and 1 in Hastings Prince Edward.

There are currently 117 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, an increase of 12 from yesterday, including 52 in Peterborough, 37 in Hastings Prince Edward (6 in Quinte West, 16 in Belleville, 6 in Tyendinaga & Deseronto, 3 in Prince Edward County, 6 in Central Hastings, and 1 in North Hastings), 16 in Northumberland, and 12 in Kawartha Lakes. There are no active cases in Haliburton.

Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 855 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (793 resolved with 10 deaths), 579 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (525 resolved with 55 deaths), 494 in Northumberland County (466 resolved with 12 deaths), 65 in Haliburton County (64 resolved with 1 death), and 479 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (436 resolved with 6 deaths). The most recent death was reported in Peterborough on March 16.

The provincial data in this report is pulled from Ontario’s integrated Public Health Information System (iPHIS) at 4 p.m. the previous day, as well as from systems in Toronto, Ottawa, and Middlesex-London at 2 p.m. the previous day. Data from local health units is more current and is usually reflected in the provincial data the following day. There may be discrepancies between the Ontario data reported today (which is from yesterday) and the local health unit data reported today (which is from today).

Peterborough Public Health

Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit

Hastings Prince Edward Public Health

Province of Ontario

Peterborough Public Health

Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit

Hastings Prince Edward Public Health

Province of Ontario

Peterborough Public Health

Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit

Hastings Prince Edward Public Health

Province of Ontario

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Peterborough Public Health

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. Note: Due to updates and maintenance, the health unit’s online data tool will not be updated on March 29 or 30; information on the number of close contacts, deaths, hospitalizations, completed tests, and outbreaks will not be available.

Confirmed positive: 855 (increase of 3)
Confirmed variants of concern cases: 1 (decrease of 1)*
Presumed variants of concern cases: 185 (increase of 1)
Active cases: 52 (no change)
Close contacts: 257
Deaths: 10
Resolved: 793 (increase of 3)
Hospitalizations (total to date): 30**
Total tests completed: Over 46,250
Outbreaks: Unidentified congregate living facility in Peterborough, Gzowski College student residence at Trent University, Empress Gardens retirement home in Peterborough (no change)
Vaccine doses administered: 24,309 (last updated March 25)

*A confirmed case of a variant of concern has been reclassified as a presumed variant of concern.

**As of March 29, Peterborough Regional Health Centre is reporting fewer than 10 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 (no change) and 22 patients transferred from other areas as a result of a provincial directive (increase of 2).

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. These numbers are from March 28 and 29.

Confirmed positive: 1,138, including 579 in Kawartha Lakes, 494 in Northumberland, and 65 in Haliburton (increase of 13, including 5 in Kawartha Lakes and 8 in Northumberland)*
Cases with N501Y mutation: 51, including 14 in Kawartha Lakes, 37 in Northumberland (increase of 6, including 5 in Kawartha Lakes and 1 in Northumberland)**
Active cases: 28, including 12 in Kawartha Lakes, 16 in Northumberland (net increase of 5)
Probable cases: 0 (no change)
High-risk contacts: 124, including 43 in Kawartha Lakes, 65 in Northumberland, and 9 in Haliburton (net decrease of 12)***
Hospitalizations (total to date): 50, including 30 in Kawartha Lakes, 17 in Northumberland, and 3 in Haliburton (no change)****
Deaths (including among probable cases): 68, including 55 in Kawartha Lakes, 12 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton (no change)
Resolved: 1,055, including 525 in Kawartha Lakes, 466 in Northumberland, 64 in Haliburton (increase of 6, including 2 in Kawartha Lakes, 3 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton)
Tests completed: 161,345 (increase of 413)
Vaccine doses administered: 15,788 (no change, last updated on March 22)
Number of people fully vaccinated: 2,283 (no change, last updated on March 22)
Outbreaks: None (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 7 high-risk contacts directly followed up through the Public Health Ontario contact tracing process that are missing the contacts’ county.

****As of March 27, Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay reports 2 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 (increase of 1).

Hastings Prince Edward Public Health

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

The health unit provides daily reports, including on weekends, excluding statutory holidays.

Confirmed positive: 479 (increase of 8)
Confirmed variants of concern cases: 10 (no change)
Active cases: 37 (increase of 7)
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: 436 (increase of 1)
Tests completed: 82,902 (increase of 440)
Vaccine doses administered: 25,213 (increase of 281)
Number of people fully vaccinated: 1,915 (no change)
Outbreaks: None (no change)

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Province of Ontario

Confirmed positive: 345,234 (increase of 2,094)
COVID-19 variants of concern (VOC) confirmed cases: 1,749 of B.1.1.7 UK variant (increase of 124); 63 of B.1.351 South Africa variant (no change); 82 of P.1 Brazilian variant (increase of 15)
VOC R(t): 1.36 (increase of 0.05, last updated March 25)*
7-day average of daily new cases: 2,094 (increase of 56)
Resolved: 318,932 (increase of 1,524), 92.4% of all cases (decrease of 0.1%)
Positivity rate: 6.1% (increase of 1.6%)
Hospitalizations: 841 (decrease of 76)**
Hospitalizations in ICU: 382 (increase of 16)
Hospitalizations in ICU on ventilator: 236 (increase of 19)
Deaths: 7,337 (increase of 10)
7-day average of daily new deaths: 13 (increase of 1)
Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 3,893 (no change)
Total tests completed: 12,462,570 (increase of 39,470)
Tests under investigation: 17,716 (decrease of 7,736)
Vaccination doses administered: 2,031,735 (increase of 50,453), 13.79% of Ontario’s population (increase of 0.34%)***
People fully vaccinated (two doses): 311,248 (increase of 1,963), 2.11% of Ontario’s population (increase of 0.01%)***

*R(t) is a virus’s effective reproduction number, which is the average number of new infections caused by a single infected individual at a specific time (t) in a partially immunized population. To successfully eliminate a disease from a population, R(t) needs to be less than 1.

**More than 10% of hospitals do not submit data for weekend reports, so the actual number of hospitalized patients may be higher.

***An estimated 70-90% of the population must be immunized to achieve herd immunity.

COVID-19 cases in Ontario from February 26 – March 28, 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 26 – March 28, 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 26 – March 28, 2021. The red line is the daily number of COVID-19 hospitalizations, the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of hospitalizations, the purple line is the daily number of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs, and the dotted orange line is a five-day moving average of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)

COVID-19 deaths in Ontario from February 26 – March 28, 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 26 – March 28, 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)

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

Proposed adult therapeutic bodywork business in Peterborough close to clearing final hurdle

By Paul Rellinger -
March 29, 2021

Brittany Leigh plans to open The Kingsway Spa, a therapeutic body rub massage and conversational support business, at 697 The Kingsway in Peterborough. For zoning purposes the business is classified as an 'adult entertainment parlour' since a massage may involve partial nudity, but Leigh stresses her business is only intended to support the mental and emotional health of clients and will not allow sexual activity, serve alcohol, or remain open late at night. (Stock photo)

Regardless of whether her bid to open an adult therapeutic bodywork business in Peterborough is successful or not, no one can accuse Brittany Leigh of not doing her homework.

Since November 2019, the Pickering resident has meticulously taken all the required steps, identifying a property to locate at while meeting with City of Peterborough councillors, planning department staff, public health officials, and city police.

As for her business plan, The Kingsway Spa public consultation website at www.sigma12.com lays out Leigh’s case clearly and completely.

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On Tuesday, April 6th, the city’s general committee will hold a virtual public meeting on Leigh’s application to have an amendment made to the current Enhanced Service Industrial District Zoning designation for the property at 697 The Kingsway to allow for its use as a licensed ‘adult entertainment parlour’.

A city planning staff report and recommendation concerning her application will be issued prior to the public meeting for city councillors’ consideration.

Not lost on Leigh is the connection people may make between her proposed business’ core service — “to provide clients with therapeutic body rub massages and conversational support” — and unlicensed or illegal massage parlours.

In the interest of full disclosure, Leigh says a client’s session with a Kingsway Spa attendant may involve “partial nudity” but stresses “there’s absolutely no sexual activity permitted.”

“It (the business type) is classified as adult because there’s partial nudity but it’s not in the same respect as a strip club,” clarifies Leigh, adding “Our hours will be limited. We’re not open late into the night. It’s not a place where people will congregate and drink.”

Planning to invest close to $200,000 into the building’s renovations and exterior property landscaping, Leigh notes her business, besides paying property taxes, will also provide 35 to 40 jobs.

“It’s not just attendant jobs. There are reception jobs. There are cleaners and a bookkeeper, and we have to hire security. ”

Since 2008, Leigh has been involved in the adult therapeutic bodywork industry, as both a licensed attendant and a manager. As such, she says she’s seen firsthand the benefits of the service The Kingsway Spa will offer both male and female clients, as well as couples, aged 18 and up.

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“There are a lot of people that go through life without a partner or don’t have a lot of friends,” says Leigh. “They just want someone to talk to. That’s really what it is. It’s about human interaction and feeling welcome somewhere. People can spin it however they want, but that’s what it is.”

The pandemic, adds Leigh, has only increased people’s need for human contact.

“People aren’t seeing anyone. They’re hardly leaving the house. They’re definitely not touching anybody. I find it weird no one’s even shaking hands. People are really suffering and missing that. People need that for their mental health. Just being able to talk to somebody is therapeutic.”

The Kingsway Spa, stresses Leigh, will be inspected regularly as per public health requirements.

Should the rezoning designation be approved by city council, her plan is to start renovations in short order to enable her to open late this summer. That said, any COVID restrictions in place at that time could delay that timeline.

Councillor Lesley Parnell, who along with Councillor Kim Zippel represents Otonabee Ward where The Kingsway Spa will locate, notes the business will be “all above board,” adding she is “quite impressed” with Leigh’s approach and professionalism.

“She’s a smart businesswoman and she’s very familiar with the industry,” Coun. Parnell says. “She’s gone about it the right way. She stated at the open house (held virtually February 10) that she could hire 18 year olds but she won’t be. All of her employees are going to be at least 25 years old.”

“She talked about benefits for them (employees). She talked about the safety of both the people who work there and the clients. She’s very strict about absolutely no alcohol and will close before the bars do. She’s thought about all of this. She’s done her homework.”

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Whatever city planning staff recommend regarding the zoning change request, and however council ultimately votes on Leigh’s application, there is one guiding principle at the heart of matters, says Coun. Parnell.

“We (council) cannot consider planning applications based on moral considerations — we have to make any decision based on planning criteria,” she explains.

“If we go outside that, we can be taken to LPAT (Local Planning Appeal Tribunal) and odds are we would lose. I don’t know what staff will recommend, but I think it’s meeting the criteria. It’s a rezoning. It doesn’t need an official plan amendment. We have schedule K in the official plan for a reason. This (business use) can only go in that industrial area away from schools and residential homes.”

Coun. Parnell says she has heard from just one person with concerns about the proposed business.

“I had a phone call from a registered massage therapist. I completely respect and understand her point of view. The clientele that goes to The Kingsway Spa isn’t the same clientele that will go to a registered massage therapist — it’s taken them a long time to gain respect as health care professionals.”

With April 6th circled on her calendar, Leigh has her house up for sale and is planning a move to the Peterborough area to coincide with the opening of her business.

“I want to live in the city where my business is — that’s very important to me,” she says, adding “I’m going to operate my business responsibly because it’s here in what will be my city.”

“I don’t want to get excited and then everything falls apart, but I’ve been told I’ve done very well so far and it looks like it’s going to happen.”

Additional information and materials relating to the proposed zoning bylaw amendment may be obtained by contacting city land use planner Caroline Kimble at 705-742-7777, ext. 1735.

For more information on how to watch or participate in the April 6th public meeting, contact the city clerk’s department at 705-742-7777, ext. 1820, or register online on the city website by 11 a.m. on the day of the meeting. Unregistered delegations will not be entertained. Visit peterborough.ca for more information on the public meeting.

The headline of this story has been modified to remove the phrase “therapeutic massage” which is a pending trademark of the College of Massage Therapists of Ontario.

Full Tilt Cycle Peterborough seeks revival for downtown businesses as pandemic passes the one-year mark

By Hannah Abrahamse -
March 29, 2021

Full Tilt Cycle spin studio in downtown Peterborough, founded in 2017 by Erin Marshall and Sadie Cavanagh, is launching a theme of "revival" for April after a difficult pandemic year. To encourage people to come to Full Tilt Cycle for a spin class, Marshall and Cavanagh have made the health and safety of their clients a priority during the pandemic. Virtual memberships area also available. (Photo courtesy of Full Tilt Cycle)

This story is one of an ongoing series by kawarthaNOW in support of locally owned businesses.

After a year of challenges due to COVID-19, ‘revival’ is the word for Full Tilt Cycle Peterborough owners Erin Marshall and Sadie Cavanagh during April. Marshall says prior to the pandemic, the locally owned independent spin studio had built massive momentum in what was their third year of business.

“Classes were sold out with 20 bikes across the board,” Marshall recalls. “We were starting to thrive and grow. We call it the sanctuary because it is more than a gym — there’s a culture of inclusion, love, and gratitude that has been created.”

However, their fourth year of business has been much more difficult since the pandemic has dealt a serious blow to fitness studios. Full Tilt Cycle has been forced to close at many points throughout the pandemic. While the studio is currently permitted to be open, provincial restrictions limiting class sizes and the public’s general anxiety around visiting a fitness facility have significantly affected revenue.

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“Now, we’re open with eight bikes spaced six feet apart, but we are finding that people are worried to come,” Marshall explains. “Our business is definitely down. In a way, Sadie and I feel like we’ve had to start from ground zero. All of the momentum that was built up is gone.”

According to Cavanagh, the spin studio industry in general has struggled through COVID-19.

“We’ve seen our friends in bigger cities shutting down their studios for good,” Cavanagh says. “We don’t want to have to do that. We want to hold on so that the people of Peterborough can have the connection and mental health release that comes with the experience.”

Full Tilt Cycle’s new logo was designed by local graphic designer Mary Bucholtz of Beechwood Design. Owners Sadie Cavanagh and Erin Marshall are hoping businesses downtown Peterborough experience a revival after the challenged endured through the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo courtesy of Full Tilt Cycle)

Now, in the spirit of resiliency that is central to the Full Tilt business model, Marshall and Cavanagh are gearing up for April with the theme of ‘revival’.

Their new custom logo, designed locally by Mary Bucholtz of Beechwood Design Company, includes phrases such as “ride as one” and “rise up” — encouraging members of the Peterborough community to come together and support each other through the current stretch of the pandemic.

According to Marshall, this theme’s relevancy stretches beyond Full Tilt, and they’re hoping their fellow local and downtown businesses also experience a revival after this past very tough year.

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“We need people to come back to George Street, to Hunter, to Charlotte, to all of my friends’ businesses who I know do so much for the community,” Marshall explains. “We need people to take the streets back and know this is our home. We need to be leaders and step up and step in. It’s the time for the city to experience this revival.”

Like many locally owned businesses, Full Tilt Cycle consistently gives back to the community through charitable initiatives. Although they had to postpone their annual ‘spinathon’ this year, which raises money for the Peterborough Regional Health Centre Foundation, Full Tilt Cycle has continued to give back to the community throughout the pandemic. For example, last May, the studio held an online dance party with D.J. and Rewind, raising approximately $6,600 for Kawartha Food Share.

Marshall notes they are planning to hold their next spinathon as soon as they can, since they have “a blast” doing it and it was incredibly effective — raising $13,000 for the hospital last year.

Two months before the pandemic hit in 2020, Full Tilt Cycle hosted a spinathon and raised $13,000 for the Peterborough Regional Health Centre. Pandemic permitting, Full Tilt owners Erin Marshall and Sadie Cavanagh are hoping to be able to host another spinathon in summer 2021. (Photo courtesy of Full Tilt Cycle)

“As soon as we can get more people in the studio, that’s the first thing I’m going to plan,” she says. “I’m hoping for a June or July spinathon.”

In the meantime, Marshall and Cavanagh hope and encourage people to visit the studio under the current safety restrictions. Marshall explains since she and Cavanagh are both mothers, they prioritize health and safety and are extra-diligent with cleaning measures.

“We respect where everyone is at, but if you’re thinking about working out, consider Full Tilt Cycle as a great safe amazing workout for your mental health that also supports your downtown Peterborough community,” Marshall says. “We’ve got extra air filters. We’ve got the most die-hard cleaning staff and protocols. You’re not near anyone, and you don’t touch anything.”

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“Our staff has massively stepped up,” adds Cavanagh. “We’ve had to add extra training for them. They have to take temperatures, check-ins are totally different, and the cleaning is a huge undertaking.”

For those interesting in signing up for the first time, Full Tilt Cycle is offering new riders their first week for free. You can book a session by visiting their website at www.fulltiltcycle.com. You can also book through the Mindbody app (available for iOS and Android) or their recently launched Full Tilt Cycle app (available for iOS).

For those who don’t yet feel comfortable coming into the studio for a spin class, but would like to support the studio in other ways, buying gift cards, future memberships, and apparel through their website is a great option. Also, the studio currently offers a virtual membership for $13.99 a month. Virtual memberships provide access to videoed rides which you can do at home, either live or on your own time.

The instructors at Full Tilt Cycle in downtown Peterborough transform the typical stationary workout into a fun and captivating journey that pushes you to your “full tilt”. The studio continues to offer private rides that meet COVID-19 protocols for team sports, birthday parties, bachelorette parties, and more. (Photo courtesy of Full Tilt Cycle)

Both Marshall and Cavanagh are incredibly grateful to their loyal customers who have continued to support their business throughout the pandemic, keeping their doors open. They look forward to the revival coming for theirs and other downtown business owners in the months to come.

“Every business downtown is run by somebody who had a creative idea and took a chance,” says Marshall. “Supporting those people is super important.”

Full Tilt Cycle Peterborough is located at 188 Hunter Street Peterborough. To learn more about the spin studio and book a ride session, you can visit their website at www.fulltiltcycle.com.

You can support the studio on social media by following them on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Ontario reports 2,448 new COVID-19 cases, including 16 in greater Kawarthas region

By kawarthaNOW -
March 28, 2021

Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.

Today, Ontario is reporting 2,448 new cases, the fourth straight day of increases over 2,000 and the second straight day of an increase over 2,400. The seven-day average of daily cases has increased by 94 to 2,038.

The province is also reporting 102 more confirmed cases of the B.1.1.7 UK variant and 6 more confirmed cases of the P.1 Brazilian variant.

In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 16 new cases to report and an additional 12 cases resolved, with the number of active cases across the region increasing by 4 from yesterday to 105. See below for detailed numbers from each regional health unit (numbers for Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland, and Haliburton are not available on Sundays).

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Most of today’s new cases are in Toronto (780), Peel (356), York (278), Durham (219), and Ottawa (150).

There are double-digit increases in Hamilton (78), Middlesex-London (75), Waterloo (64), Simcoe Muskoka (62), Niagara (49), Halton (45), Windsor-Essex (41), Thunder Bay (30), Sudbury (29), Eastern Ontario (27), Lambton (26), Southwestern (24), Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington (17), Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (15), Hastings Prince Edward (11), Chatham-Kent (16), and Leeds, Grenville & Lanark (11), with smaller increases in Grey Bruce (9), Haldimand-Norfolk (8), Northwestern (7), and Brant (7).

The remaining 8 health units are reporting 5 or fewer new cases, with 3 health units reporting no new cases at all.

Of today’s new cases, 59% are among people 39 and younger, with the highest number of cases (935) among people ages 20-39 followed by 692 cases among people ages 40-59.

With 1,543 more cases resolved since yesterday, the percentage of resolved cases has decreased by 0.2% to 92.5%. The average positivity rate across Ontario is unchanged from yesterday at 4.5%, meaning that 45 out of every 1,000 tests performed were positive for COVID-19 on March 27.

Ontario is reporting 19 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 (no change from yesterday).

While the number of hospitalizations has decreased by 68 from yesterday to 917, more than 10% of hospitals do not submit data for weekend reports, so the actual number of hospitalized patients may be higher. The number of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs has increased by 1 to 366 and the number of patients with COVID-19 on ventilators has increased by 25 to 217.

A total of 50,227 tests were completed yesterday, with the backlog of tests under investigation decreasing by 7,613 to 25,452.

A total of 1,981,282 doses of vaccine have now been administered, an increase of 64,950 from yesterday, with 309,285 people fully vaccinated with both doses of vaccine, an increase of 984 from yesterday. The number of fully vaccinated people represents 2.10% of Ontario’s population, with fully and partially vaccinated people representing 13.45% of the population; an estimated 70-90% of the population must be immunized to achieve herd immunity.

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In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 16 new cases to report, including 9 in Hastings Prince Edward and 7 in Peterborough. Reports for Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland, and Haliburton are not provided on Sundays.

There are no new regional cases of presumed variants of concern. However, there is 1 new confirmed variant of concern case in Peterborough, for a total of 2 confirmed cases out of 184 presumed cases.

An additional 12 cases have been resolved, including 9 in Peterborough and 3 in Hastings Prince Edward.

There are currently 105 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, an increase of 4 from yesterday, including 52 in Peterborough, 30 in Hastings Prince Edward (3 in Quinte West, 11 in Belleville, 6 in Tyendinaga & Deseronto, 4 in Prince Edward County, 5 in Central Hastings, and 1 in North Hastings), 11 in Kawartha Lakes, 11 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton.

Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 852 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (790 resolved with 10 deaths), 576 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (523 resolved with 55 deaths), 486 in Northumberland County (463 resolved with 12 deaths), 65 in Haliburton County (63 resolved with 1 death), and 471 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (435 resolved with 6 deaths). The most recent death was reported in Peterborough on March 16.

The provincial data in this report is pulled from Ontario’s integrated Public Health Information System (iPHIS) at 4 p.m. the previous day, as well as from systems in Toronto, Ottawa, and Middlesex-London at 2 p.m. the previous day. Data from local health units is more current and is usually reflected in the provincial data the following day. There may be discrepancies between the Ontario data reported today (which is from yesterday) and the local health unit data reported today (which is from today).

Peterborough Public Health

Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit

Hastings Prince Edward Public Health

Province of Ontario

Peterborough Public Health

Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit

Hastings Prince Edward Public Health

Province of Ontario

Peterborough Public Health

Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit

Hastings Prince Edward Public Health

Province of Ontario

Peterborough Public Health

Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit

Hastings Prince Edward Public Health

Province of Ontario

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Peterborough Public Health

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: 852 (increase of 7)
Confirmed variants of concern cases: 2 (increase of 1)
Presumed variants of concern cases: 184 (no change)
Active cases: 52 (decrease of 2)
Close contacts: 257 (no change)
Deaths: 10 (no change)
Resolved: 790 (increase of 9)
Hospitalizations (total to date): 30 (no change)*
Total tests completed: Over 46,250 (increase of 250)
Outbreaks: Unidentified congregate living facility in Peterborough, Gzowski College student residence at Trent University, Empress Gardens retirement home in Peterborough (no change)
Vaccine doses administered: 24,309 (last updated March 25)

*As of March 26, Peterborough Regional Health Centre is reporting fewer than 10 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 (no change) and 20 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. These numbers are from March 27.

Confirmed positive: 1,127, including 576 in Kawartha Lakes, 486 in Northumberland, and 65 in Haliburton (increase of 5, including 2 in Kawartha Lakes and 3 in Northumberland)*
Cases with N501Y mutation: 45, including 9 in Kawartha Lakes, 36 in Northumberland (increase of 1 in Kawartha Lakes)**
Active cases: 23, including 11 in Kawartha Lakes, 11 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton (net increase of 1)
Probable cases: 0 (no change)
High-risk contacts: 136, including 46 in Kawartha Lakes, 69 in Northumberland, and 19 in Haliburton (net increase of 11)***
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: 1,049, including 523 in Kawartha Lakes, 463 in Northumberland, 63 in Haliburton (increase of 3, including 1 in Kawartha Lakes, 1 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton)
Tests completed: 160,932 (increase of 458)
Vaccine doses administered: 15,788 (no change, last updated on March 22)
Number of people fully vaccinated: 2,283 (no change, last updated on March 22)
Outbreaks: None (decrease 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 2 high-risk contacts directly followed up through the Public Health Ontario contact tracing process that are missing the contacts’ county.

****As of March 26, Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay reports 1 patient hospitalized with COVID-19 (no change).

*****An outbreak at Hyland Crest long-term care home in Minden has 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: 471 (increase of 9)
Confirmed variants of concern cases: 10 (no change)
Active cases: 30 (increase of 6)
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: 435 (increase of 3)
Tests completed: 82,462 (increase of 3,240)
Vaccine doses administered: 24,932 (increase of 546)
Number of people fully vaccinated: 1,915 (no change)
Outbreaks: None (no change)

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Province of Ontario

Confirmed positive: 343,140 (increase of 2,448)
COVID-19 variants of concern (VOC) confirmed cases: 1,625 of B.1.1.7 UK variant (increase of 102); 63 of B.1.351 South Africa variant (no change); 67 of P.1 Brazilian variant (increase of 6)
VOC R(t): 1.31 (increase of 0.03, last updated March 23)*
7-day average of daily new cases: 2,038 (increase of 94)
Resolved: 317,408 (increase of 1,543), 92.5% of all cases (decrease of 0.2%)
Positivity rate: 4.5% (no change)
Hospitalizations: 917 (decrease of 68)**
Hospitalizations in ICU: 366 (increase of 1)
Hospitalizations in ICU on ventilator: 217 (increase of 25)
Deaths: 7,327 (increase of 19)
7-day average of daily new deaths: 12 (no change)
Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 3,893 (no change)
Total tests completed: 12,423,100 (increase of 50,227)
Tests under investigation: 25,452 (decrease of 7,613)
Vaccination doses administered: 1,981,282 (increase of 64,950), 13.45% of Ontario’s population (increase of 0.44%)***
People fully vaccinated (two doses): 309,285 (increase of 984), 2.10% of Ontario’s population (increase of 0.01%)***

*R(t) is a virus’s effective reproduction number, which is the average number of new infections caused by a single infected individual at a specific time (t) in a partially immunized population. To successfully eliminate a disease from a population, R(t) needs to be less than 1.

**More than 10% of hospitals do not submit data for weekend reports, so the actual number of hospitalized patients may be higher.

***An estimated 70-90% of the population must be immunized to achieve herd immunity.

COVID-19 cases in Ontario from February 25 – March 27, 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 25 – March 27, 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 25 – March 27, 2021. The red line is the daily number of COVID-19 hospitalizations, the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of hospitalizations, the purple line is the daily number of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs, and the dotted orange line is a five-day moving average of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)

COVID-19 deaths in Ontario from February 25 – March 27, 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 25 – March 27, 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)

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

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