Face coverings will be mandatory for customers at businesses in Hastings and Prince Edward counties effective at noon on Friday, July 10th.

Hastings Prince Edward Public Health (HPEPH) issued a letter to local business owners and operators on Tuesday (July 7).

This was the same day the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit issued similar instructions to businesses in Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland, and Haliburton.

Two of the three health units in the greater Kawarthas region — with Peterborough Public Health being the exception — have now issued instructions to business owners and operators under the authority of Ontario Regulation 263/20 of the provincial Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act (EMCPA). This is the emergency order covering the province’s stage two reopening and states that businesses must comply with “the advice, recommendations and instructions of public health officials”.

These instructions, which previously included requirements for physical distancing, cleaning, and disinfecting, now include face coverings. HPEPH is directing businesses and commercial establishments operating in Hastings and Prince Edward counties to have policies must be in place — effective at 12 p.m. on Friday, July 10th — to ensure that people entering indoor commercial premises are wearing non-medical masks and face coverings, with some exceptions.

“Wearing a non-medical mask or face covering is an additional preventive measure that, when combined with other infection control efforts, will help further reduce the spread of COVID-19,” says Dr. Alexa Caturay, HPEPH’s acting medical officer of health. “Clear policies in commercial establishments will help reinforce use of non-medical masks and face coverings. We are committed to working together with local municipalities and businesses to implement appropriate, proactive, infection control approaches and keep our community safe.”

There have been 43 positive cases of COVID-19 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties since the pandemic began, with 37 of these cases resolved. The last positive COVID-19 case was reported on May 18.

In her July 7th letter to business owners and operators advising them of the instructions (see copy of letter below), Dr. Caturay recognizes the community’s collective success at keeping case counts low, but states that this “diligent work must continue.”

“While the science on the use of non-medical masks or face coverings by the general public is evolving, there is a growing body of evidence on the effectiveness of these measures in enclosed public spaces to prevent the spread of COVID-19,” Dr. Caturay writes.

“We know that most people are already participating and doing what’s right for our community by following the measures we have recommended, including wearing face coverings in public spaces. Our data also tells us that most Canadians support these measures becoming mandatory in order for everyone to feel safe and comfortable in their day-to-day lives.”

PDF: Medical Officer of Health Letter to Employers, Business Owners, and Operators in Hastings and Prince Edward Counties
Medical Officer of Health Letter to Employers, Business Owners, and Operators in Hastings and Prince Edward Counties

Dr. Caturay’s letter also outlines the exemptions to the requirement for wearing a face mask (see fact sheet below). The wording is similar to instructions issued by all other health units in Ontario that have made face masks mandatory.

Fact Sheet: Face Covering Requirements for Commercial Establishments in Hastings and Prince Edward Counties

• Face coverings or non-medical masks are strongly recommended throughout the HPEPH catchment area, in all public situations where physical distancing may not be possible.
• In addition, effective 12:00 pm on July 10, 2020, commercial businesses operating in Hastings and Prince Edward Counties (HPEC) are required to have a policy in place that prohibits entry to individuals who are not wearing a non-medical mask/face covering.
• These policies will be enforced “in good faith” with a focus on education and reminders about requirements under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act Stage 2.
• Those who do not comply with these requirements may be liable for a fine of $750 to $1,000 for an individual, to a maximum of $100,000 or in the case of a corporation, not more than $10,000,000 for each day or part of each day on which the offence occurs or continues. 
• A person shall be exempt from wearing a non-medical mask or face covering on the premises if:
  • the person is a child under the age of two years; or a child under the age of five years chronologically or developmentally and cannot be persuaded to wear a face covering by their caregiver;
  • the person has a medical condition rendering them unable to wear a non-medical mask or face covering safely;
  • the person cannot apply or remove a non-medical mask or face covering without assistance;
  • the person cannot wear a non-medical mask or face covering or cannot cover their face in a way that would appropriately control the source of droplets for reasons of religion or other protections under the Ontario Human Rights Code, R.S.O. 1990, c. H. 19, as amended;
  • the person is employed by or an agent of the operator of an enclosed public space and that space is not designated for public access and within or behind a physical barrier (i.e. Plexiglass).
• Businesses throughout the HPEC region shall also ensure that the place of business or facility is operated to enable members of the public in the place of business or facility to, to the fullest extent possible, maintain a physical distance of at least two metres from other persons. In additional, all businesses must comply with instructions from public health regarding infection control, hand hygiene, cleaning, and disinfecting.

For information about how to wear a mask safely, please visit hpepublichealth.ca

.

Customers of commercial businesses in the City of Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland County, and Haliburton County will be required to wear masks beginning on Monday, July 13th.

Dr. Lynn Noseworthy, medical officer of health for the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit, issued instructions on Tuesday (July 7) to the owners and operators of commercial establishments currently open during stage two of the province’s reopening, requiring that those businesses have a policy in place that requires people to wear a non-medical mask or face covering before entering their commercial establishment.

The instructions have been issued under the authority of Ontario Regulation 263/20 under the provincial Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act (EMCPA).

“Although we have seen a decline in the number of COVID-19 cases in our area, we want to be sure we continue to see a decrease as we move towards the reopening of more businesses within the province,” Dr. Noseworthy says. “We need to do everything we can to avoid the chance of a resurgence in activity that we have seen in some other places.”

There have been 171 cases of COVID-19 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (147 of which are resolved), 21 in Northumberland County (21 of which are resolved), and 10 in Haliburton County (nine of which resolved). The last positive case in Kawartha Lakes was on Friday, July 3rd, when two cases were reported.

The requirement for non-medical mask or face covering use within local businesses will come into effect at 12:01 a.m. on July 13, 2020. The use of masks will be required while the provincial emergency order remains in force or until such time that the Ontario Ministry of Health lifts the requirement.

Under the health unit’s instructions, commercial establishments are premises that are openly accessible to members of the public and used for the purposes of offering goods or services for sale.

An establishment would include a mall or other structure containing commercial premises, including retail stores, convenience stores, restaurants, personal services settings, grocery stores and bakeries, gas stations, indoor farmers’ markets, and areas of mechanics’ shops, garages, or repair shops which are open to the public.

Dr. Noseworthy says wearing a mask is about protecting other people, and reduces the likelihood that someone could unknowingly spread the virus to another person.

“Provincially, we have seen a number of asymptomatic cases,” she says. “This is just another step in doing what we can to protect our family, friends, and neighbours in our communities.”

The health unit says it will be taking a “progressive enforcement approach” to ensure compliance, with a focus on education. The focus will be to educate people on the use of non-medical masks or face coverings in premises where physical distancing may be difficult. As per the EMCPA, businesses that do not comply with the requirements may be fined.

Additional education and enforcement will be conducted by health hnit staff, as well as by local municipal by-law officers and police officers.

There are exemptions to the policy and a person will be exempt from wearing a non-medical mask or face covering in the premises if:

• The person is a child under the age of two years.
• The person is a child under the age of five years, either chronologically or developmentally, and he or she refuses to wear a face covering and cannot be persuaded to do so by their caregiver.
• The person is incapacitated and unable to remove their mask without assistance.
• The person cannot safely wear a non-medical mask or face covering for any other medical reason, such as but not limited to respiratory disease, cognitive difficulties, or difficulties in hearing or processing information.
• The person cannot wear a non-medical mask or face covering for any religious reason or cannot cover the face in a manner that would properly control the source.

For more information about the instructions requiring non-medical mask use or face coverings, visit the health unit’s website at www.hkpr.on.ca or call toll-free at 1-866-888-4577, ext. 5020.

A fact sheet and questions-and-answers document provided by the health unit are shown below.

Fact Sheet: Required Use of Non-Medical Masks and Face Coverings within Commercial Establishments
Fact Sheet: Required Use of Non-Medical Masks and Face Coverings within Commercial Establishments

Questions and Answers: Required Use of Non-Medical Masks and Face Coverings within Commercial Establishments
Questions and Answers: Required Use of Non-Medical Masks and Face Coverings within Commercial Establishments

A recent disturbing incident in Burleigh Falls north of Peterborough has prompted a local business operator to urge visitors to the area to “respect the land, the beauty and, most importantly, the people.”

Jennifer Craig, general manager and operations manager of Burleigh Falls Inn and Suites on Highway 28 in North Kawartha Township, made her frustration abundantly clear in a July 6th Facebook post — which has since gone viral, with more than 1,000 reactions and 2,000 shares.

“What we do not want, and can’t have any more, is overcrowding, defecating, trespassing on private lands, parking on private lands, intoxication, drug use, garbage and an increase in violence,” Craig writes in her post.

“Do not harass area residents and businesses for the lack of public facilities (this is not our fault). Don’t swear, curse and verbally abuse us. We don’t deserve it. Most importantly, treat all those you come in contact with as you would like to be treated.”

According to Craig, since the partial lifting of COVID-19 restrictions, the small community of Burleigh Falls has seen an influx of visitors it has never experienced before.

“On a typical day, you might 10 or 15 people at the falls; on long weekends, that might increase to 50, even 70,” she says. “We’re talking 150 to 200 people now, wall to wall on the shoreline. We’re not saying ‘Don’t come.’ We’re saying ‘If you come, here are some of the things we want you to do. Be respectful.'”

The proverbial last straw for Craig occurred last Friday evening (July 3) when Peterborough County OPP officers responded to a complaint involving a group of young men damaging a vehicle with baseball bats and golf clubs. That alleged action was preceded by an altercation between two groups of people swimming at Burleigh Falls. The suspects left the area but were located by OPP near Young’s Point and arrested.

Allan Strong, 18, of Oshawa, is charged with possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, assault with a weapon, driver fail to properly wear seat belt, litter highway, drive motor vehicle with no plate validation, drive motor vehicle or boat with cannabis readily available, drive motor vehicle with liquor readily available, and novice driver – blood alcohol count above zero.

Jeffrey Chessman, 21, of Ajax, is charged with possession of an imitation weapon for a dangerous purpose and passenger fail to properly wear seat belt.

Randy Chessman, 25, of Ajax, is charged with two counts of mischief under $5,000, possession of an imitation weapon for a dangerous purpose, being intoxicated in a public place, and consuming liquor in other than a licensed premise, residence or private place.

All three are scheduled to appear September 8th in Peterborough provincial court.

While this incident prompted Craig to make her impassioned plea on Facebook, she says illegal parking, littering, and defecation have been prevalent since eased COVID-19 restrictions made visiting the falls possible again.

“The first weekend (of public access to the falls) there was an emergency and they (first responders) had difficulty getting in,” says Craig.

Craig has written a letter outlining her concerns with the parking crunch, the lack of public washrooms, and “the unbelievable mounds of garbage” and sent it to the area’s governing municipalities — Selwyn Township, North Kawartha Township and the Municipality of Trent Lakes — as well as to Peterborough County Warden J. Murray Jones, Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development, Peterborough and the Kawarthas Tourism, Peterborough Public Health, and the Ontario Ministry of Health.

“Yes, our property is here but we’re not for public parking,” says Craig. Despite restrictions that limit the inn to 50 per cent capacity, she arrived on Canada Day to find its parking full by 7 a.m.

“Not one of those were our customers,” says Craig. “On my property, there are three different businesses. Not one of those cars was there for those businesses.”

“We didn’t have them towed. I was very calm about it. I don’t want that imagery, I don’t want people having a bad taste in their mouth, but we spent the whole day in the parking lot coordinating what people were trying to do.”

As frustrating and time consuming as that situation was and remains, Craig adds “Then we saw the aggressive behaviour.”

“We had our ice cream parlour open. I was absolutely appalled at grown adults berating two 14-year-olds about the lack of public washrooms. Had they asked politely and followed our protocols and were wearing a face covering, we probably would have said ‘Yes, feel free, go ahead.’ But because you don’t want to follow my protocols and you call me every name in the book because I insist on face coverings inside our main building, they don’t want to fold.”

“We’ve tried to be proactive. We had four staff members here at 7 a.m. Saturday (July 4) to try and control parking. We had our first confrontation with a group at 7 a.m. that turned into a confrontation with the same group at 8 p.m. that turned into a confrontation with the OPP that turned into a racial incident.”

The Friday night incident on Old Burleigh Road that led to the three arrests is “disheartening” says Craig, adding “I have guests on our property and now I’m exposing them to violence.”

And then there’s the matter of human excrement.

“Residents are down there every morning cleaning up other people’s dirty diapers and picking up used toilet paper. They’re being berated when they say to somebody, ‘Here’s a garbage bag, will you help us?'”

Burleigh Falls, says Craig, provides access to water that many are looking for during pandemic-restricted times. She adds “A lot of people arriving here don’t even know where the falls are.” They tell they aren’t local and are visiting from out of the region.

Moving forward, that letter Craig wrote and sent off may soon bear some fruit that could be evident as early as this weekend.

“We’ve had some encouraging news from the township and the OPP,” she says, noting Selwyn Township council acknowledged the issue during a recent meeting and has sent it to staff for a review of what can be done. She has also heard back from Alana Solman, the CAO of North Kawartha Township, who indicated it will be brought up at the next council meeting.

“If we can’t get all the agencies to work together — it is a multi-agency issue — it’s never going to be resolved. Enforcement will be one of the heavy areas. We have stepped up and offered space on our property for portable washrooms. We just can’t take on that cost.”

“I’ve always looked at a problem that there’s a solution or an opportunity. This is an opportunity for us to recognize ‘Great, people love our area.’ We want the economics to come into play but we’ve go to do it responsibly. If we’re going to do this, what are the things we need to do and what are processes needed to get there.”

Due to hot and dry conditions, Haliburton County has imposed a county-wide total fire ban effective at 9 a.m. on Tuesday (July 7).

No burning is allowed at any time of day.

The fire ban includes fires for cooking or warmth as well as fireworks.

Haliburton County’s fire ban follows fire bans or restrictions in the townships of Peterborough County announced on Monday (July 6).

Peterborough mayor Diane Therrien will be the next guest on 4th Line Theatre’s “Friday Morning Business Breakfast Talks with Kim Blackwell”.

The online event takes place at 8 a.m. on Friday, July 10th on the Zoom video conferencing platform. Register at eventbrite.com/e/business-breakfast-talk-kim-blackwell-in-conversation-with-diane-therrien-registration-111171547090.

The Friday Morning Business Breakfast Talks series is one of the virtual events under the umbrella “Nexicom Presents 4th Line Theatre @ Home”, which 4th Line Theatre has developed to keep the community engaged and connected during the COVID-19 pandemic. The outdoor theatre company in Millbrook has postponed its 2020 summer season due to the pandemic.

In her Friday morning talks, 4th Line’s artistic director Kim Blackwell invites local political and business leaders in the community to talk about their day-to-day challenges and opportunities, what led them on their chosen career paths, and the impact the “new normal” is having on how they lead, both in business and the communities they serve.

Born in Mississauga, Diane Therrien attended McMaster University in Hamilton for an undergraduate degree in history and peace studies. She moved to Peterborough to attend Trent University for a postgraduate degree and graduated with her Master’s Degree in Canadian and Indigenous Studies in 2012.

After working for the Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs in Toronto, Therrien returned to Peterborough to work as facilitator of community education and engagement with the Peterborough Poverty Reduction Network.

She ran for Peterborough City Council in Town Ward for the first time in 2014 and was subsequently elected. She sat on a number of city committees and boards including the Affordable Housing Action Committee, the Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area, and the Art Gallery of Peterborough.

In October 2018, Therrien was elected Mayor of Peterborough at the age of 32. She defeated two-term incumbent Daryl Bennett in a landslide after running a change campaign. She is only the third woman ever to hold the office of mayor in Peterborough.

Environment Canada’s heat warning is continuing, seven days after it was first issued, with even higher temperatures expected for the rest of the week.

The heat warning has also now expanded to include all of southern Ontario, with the exception of the northern Kawarthas region (including Haliburton and Hastings counties).

In the greater Kawarthas region, the highest temperatures will be in Peterborough and Kawartha Lakes.

Daytime temperatures will reach 34°C on Tuesday (July 7) and Wednesday, 33°C on Thursday, and 32°C on Friday.

However, humidex values will make the temperatures feel more like 39°C on Tuesday and Wednesday.

There is also a risk of thunderstorms in the afternoon of both days.

Overnight temperatures will remain at 20°C, providing little relief from the heat.

A slightly cooler air mass may move into the area on Saturday (July 11), bringing rain and temperatures in the mid to high twenties.

However, Environment Canada states there is “considerable uncertainty” about the system moving in by the weekend.

Environment Canada senior climatologist David Phillips predicts that July’s first heat wave is a “dress rehearsal” for the rest of the summer, which he says will be hotter and dryer than normal according to the agency’s seasonal forecast.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is predicting that 2020 may be the hottest year ever recorded, and will almost certainly rank among the five warmest years on record.

April 2020 was the planet’s second hottest April since record keeping began in 1880 and May 2020 was the hottest May on record. June 2020 is tied with June 2019 for the hottest June on record.

Most townships in Peterborough County have announced either total fire bans or fire restrictions as of Monday (July 6) due to extremely hot and dry conditions.

In North Kawartha, a total fire ban is in place until further notice. Absolutely no fireworks or open-air burning is permitted.

In Asphodel-Norwood, no open-air burning is permitted.

In Douro-Dummer, a fire ban is in place, prohibiting all open-air fires including campfires, burn barrels, and fireworks. All open-air burning permits are suspended. Certified gas appliances such as CSA-approved fire tables, bowls, pits, and BBQs are not considered an open-air fire and can be used in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions during the fire ban.

In Otonabee-South Monaghan, no open-air burning is allowed. This does not include a small and confined fire that is used to cook food on a grill, barbeque, or spit and is supervised at all times.

In Selwyn, brush burning or fireworks are not permitted. Small campfires are allowed but all fires must be supervised. No burning is allowed in built-up areas of the township, including Lakefield, Bridgenorth, Woodland Acres, Ennismore, and Young’s Point.

In both Cavan Monaghan and Havelock-Belmont-Methuen townships, no open-air burning is permitted except for campfires in the evenings from 7 p.m. until 6 a.m.

On Tuesday (July 7), Trent Lakes issued a ban on all open-air burning until further notice. This ban suspends all approved open-air burning permits and includes burning of clean wood and brush, outdoor campfires, all outdoor wood burning appliances, and fireworks.

This story has been updated to include an announcement from Trent Lakes.