Ontario’s publicly funded schools will remain closed until at least Sunday, May 31st, the Ontario government announced on Sunday (April 26).

Education minister Stephen Lecce said the extension of the closure is based on the advice of Ontario’s chief medical officer of health and other public health officials to extend school closures for an additional period of time to permit updated modelling and data to inform next steps.

“We will do whatever it takes to keep our students safe,” Lecce said. “The government is taking a careful approach which provides our medical experts the time to review the modelling and make the best decision for the safety of our students and the future of learning.”

On March 12th, the government initially announced schools would be closed until April 5th. On March 31st, the government then extended the closure until May 4th.

The additional extension announced on Sunday was expected, based on remarks made by Premier Doug Ford on April 14th that schools would not reopen on May 4th.

Lecce says the closure may be extended to later than May 31st if necessary to protect the health and safety of Ontario’s school communities.

Despite students losing more than two months of traditional classroom education, Lecce says students will be able to finish the school year even if the closure is extended beyond May 31st.

“Regardless of what transpires over the coming weeks, Ontario’s students will be able to complete their school year with confidence,” Lecce said. “In particular, for students in their final year, we are removing all impediments to ensure students graduate and pursue post-secondary education.”

The Ontario government is temporarily bumping up the wages of frontline workers by $4 per hour during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Premier Doug Ford made the announcement on Saturday (April 25) with Treasury Board president Peter Bethlenfalvy, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health Christine Elliott, and Minister of Long-Term Care Dr. Merrilee Fullerton.

“These people put themselves in harm’s way to care for our sick and vulnerable citizens,” Ford said. “I am truly grateful, as are the people of Ontario, for their service, and it’s time we give something back to those who sacrifice so much day in and day out.”

VIDEO: Ontario Premier Doug Ford announces pandemic pay – April 25, 2020

The pandemic pay will provide an additional $4 per hour on top of workers’ hourly wages, regardless of how much they are currently being paid. On top of the hourly wage bump, the government will also provide a $250 lump sum payment per month over the next four months for employees who work more than 100 hours per month.

More than 350,000 frontline workers are expected to be eligible for pandemic pay, which will be effective for 16 weeks from April 24th to August 13th.

Those eligible to receive the payment include workers in long-term care homes, retirement homes, emergency shelters, supportive housing, social services congregate care settings, corrections institutions and youth justice facilities, and workers providing home and community care as well as some workers in hospitals.

Staff providing frontline clinical services, along with those providing support services such as cleaning and meal preparation, will be eligible to receive pandemic pay. The temporary wage increase does not apply to management.

Eligible workplaces and workers for pandemic pay

Health care and long-term care

Eligible workplaces

• Acute hospitals
• Long-term care homes (including private, municipal and not-for-profit homes)
• Licensed retirement homes
• Home and community care

Eligible workers

• Personal support workers
• Registered nurses
• Registered practical nurses
• Nurse practitioners
• Attendant care workers
• Auxiliary staff, including porters, cook, custodian, housekeeping, laundry facilities and other key workers.
• Developmental services workers
• Mental health and addictions workers

Social services

Eligible workplaces

• Homes supporting people with developmental disabilities
• Intervenor residential sites
• Indigenous healing and wellness facilities/shelters
• Shelters for survivors of gender-based violence and human trafficking
• Youth justice residential facilities
• Licensed children’s residential sites
• Directly operated residential facility ? Child and Parent Resource Institute
• Emergency shelters
• Supportive housing facilities
• Respite/drop-in centres
• Temporary shelter facilities, such as re-purposed community centres or arenas
• Hotels/motels used for self-isolation and/or shelter overflow

Eligible workers

• Direct support workers (e.g. developmental service workers, staff in licensed children’s residential sites, in-take/outreach workers)
• Clinical staff
• Housekeeping staff
• Security staff
• Administration personnel
• Maintenance staff
• Food service workers
• Nursing staff

Corrections

Eligible workplaces

• Adult correctional facilities and youth justice facilities in Ontario

Eligible workers

• Correctional officers
• Youth services officers
• Nurses
• Healthcare staff
• Social workers
• Food service
• Maintenance staff
• Programming personnel
• Administration personnel
• Institutional liaison officers
• TRILCOR personnel
• Native inmate liaison officers
• Chaplains

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

Here’s today summary: there are 66 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area, 122 in the City of Kawartha Lakes, 13 in Northumberland County, 7 in Haliburton County, and 38 in Hastings County and Prince Edward County.

That’s an increase of 10 cases from yesterday’s report, with 5 additional cases in Peterborough, 4 additional cases in Kawartha Lakes, and 1 additional case in Hastings County and Prince Edward County. This is the largest single-day increase in the number of cases in recent weeks.

There have been 34 deaths, with the last reported death was in Peterborough on Sunday, April 12th.

Province-wide, there are 13,995 confirmed cases, an increase of 476 from yesterday’s report, and 811 deaths, an increase of 48 from yesterday’s report. A total of 217,618 tests have been completed, an increase of 10,578 from yesterday’s report, with 8,171 cases under investigation.

This report is based on data supplied by the province’s integrated Public Health Information System (iPHIS), as well as any additional information supplied by hospitals. This information is at least 24 hours old, so it is not real-time data.

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

Peterborough Public Health

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

Confirmed positive: 66 (increase of 5 from April 24)
Confirmed negative: 1,956 (decrease of 2 from April 24)
Results pending: 475 (increase of 56 from April 24)
Deaths: 1 (no change from April 24)
Resolved: 40 (no change from April 24)
Total tests completed: 2,497 (increase of 59 from April 24)
Institutional Outbreaks: St. Joseph’s at Fleming, St. John’s Senior Centre*

*Number of cases not reported.

Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit

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

Confirmed positive: 142, including 122 in Kawartha Lakes, 13 in Northumberland, 7 in Haliburton (increase of 4 from April 24)
Hospitalizations: 10 (no change from April 24)
Deaths: 32, including 28 in Pinecrest Nursing Home in Bobcaygeon (no change from April 24)
Resolved: 111 (increase of 8 from April 24)
Institutional Outbreaks: Pinecrest Nursing Home, Ross Memorial Hospital* (no change from April 24)

*Number of cases not reported.

Hastings Prince Edward Public Health

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

Confirmed positive: 38 (increase of 1 from April 24)
Probable cases: 238 (increase of 3 from April 24)
Deaths: 1 (no change from April 24)
Hospitalized: 6 (no change from April 24)
Hospitalized and in ICU: 2 (no change from April 24)
Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 0 (no change from April 24)
Recovered: 17 (no change from April 24)
Total tests completed: 1,689
Institutional Outbreaks: Hastings Manor (Belleville)*

*Number of cases not reported.

Province of Ontario

Confirmed positive: 13,995 (increase of 476 from April 24)
Hospitalized: 925 (increase of 15 from April 24)
Hospitalized and in ICU: 245 (increase of 2 from April 24)
Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 195 (increase of 2 from April 24)
Deaths: 811 (increase of 48 from April 24)
Total tests completed 217,618 (increase of 10,578 from April 24)
Tests under investigation: 8,171 (increase of 2,757 from April 24)
Resolved: 7,509 (increase of 422 from April 24)

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

This story was updated to revise an incorrect total for positive cases for Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit from 138 to 142.

The Ontario government announced on Saturday (April 25) that all provincial parks will remain closed until Sunday, May 31st.

“In order to keep Ontarians safe during this COVID-19 outbreak, our government is extending the closure of Ontario’s provincial parks and conservation reserves to May 31, 2020,” reads a statement issued by Deputy Premier and Minister of Health Christine Elliott and Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks Jeff Yurek.

“This includes car camping, backcountry camping, roofed accommodations, day use opportunities, access points and all public buildings. Provincial parks and conservation reserves will continue to remain fully closed to all recreational activities.”

Reservations already made up to and including May 31st will be automatically cancelled and reservation holders will receive a full refund with no penalty.

The Ontario government is also providing penalty-free refunds to reservation holders who wish to change or cancel their 2020 camping reservation, regardless of arrival date.

“We understand this extension may impact many Ontarians’ plans during the month of May,” the statement reads. “However, the health and well-being of Ontarians is our government’s number one priority.”

“Although we are making progress to stop the spread, the virus has not yet been contained. As a result, all but essential service workers must continue to stay at home and practice physical distancing.”

A week after launching an online guide to local food across the Peterborough area, Local Food Peterborough has launched a new Facebook group for people planning to grow food this season.

The “Grow Food Peterborough” Facebook group at facebook.com/groups/growfoodpeterborough is intended for people who are experienced in growing food as well as those who are new to growing.

Members can share questions, ideas, and information and find inspiration. Some experienced members, including local farmers, are volunteering as mentors in the group.

Local Food Peterborough is an initiative of members of the Future of Food and Farming Working Group of Sustainable Peterborough, formed in 2012.

The working group’s co-chairs are Dawn Berry Merriam, partner with Merriam & Associates and a local farmer, and Pat Learmonth, director of Farms at Work, a non-profit regional project supporting new farmers, food system development, and farmland protection in east central Ontario. Working group members include Jillian Bishop of local food organization Nourish and manager of the Peterborough Downtown Farmers’ Market, local food activist Linda Slavin, Peterborough Public Health dietitian Lauren Kennedy, and more.

The new Grow Food Peterborough Facebook group will complement the work of Nourish, known for food skills workshops that teach participants to cook, grow, and preserve their own food.

Nourish also coordinates community gardens throughout the area. In related news, the Ontario government announced on Saturday (April 24) that it would be permitting the use of allotment gardens and community gardens across the province during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Those wishing to join the Grow Food Peterborough group will have to answer three brief questions. Approved members of the Facebook group can directly post pictures of their growing projects, as well as questions and comments. Businesses are not permitted to advertise in the group.

Farms at Work is facilitating the Facebook group, as well as maintaining and developing the Local Food Peterborough website at localfoodptbo.ca and its social media channels on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

The organization is seeking charitable donations for website maintenance and development as well as promotion of local food and any special projects. To donate, visit tidescanadagifts.secure.force.com/donate/?id=a304N000002vH3K.

The Ontario government announced on Saturday (April 25) that emergency orders under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act will be amended to permit the use of allotment gardens and community gardens across the province.

The gardens, which are a source of fresh food for people including those who face food insecurity, were previously not considered an essential service.

With the growing season fast approaching, many advocates for food security and community gardens raised concerns that the gardens were forced to remain closed under Ontario’s state of emergency.

Local medical officers of health will provide advice, recommendation and instructions that the gardens must meet to operate, such as physical distancing, and cleaning and disinfecting commonly used equipment and surfaces.

There are more than 40 community gardens in the City of Peterborough alone.

The largest community garden in the Kawarthas is Edwin Binney’s Community Garden in Lindsay. It comprises 30,000 square feet of Crayola Canada’s previously unused land that the United Way and Fleming College staff have developed into a fully operational community garden.

The garden is maintained by staff from both United Way City of Kawartha Lakes and the Sustainable Agriculture program at Fleming College’s Frost Campus, as well as several volunteers from Crayola Canada, Farm Credit Canada, and the community.

In its first year of operation in 2019, the garden harvested 5,500 pounds of vegetables, all of which were donated to social service agencies, food banks, shelters, and children’s programming agencies. The estimated dollar value of the food donated to the community to date is more than $14,000.

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

Here’s today summary: there are 61 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area, 118 in the City of Kawartha Lakes, 13 in Northumberland County, 7 in Haliburton County, and 37 in Hastings County and Prince Edward County.

That’s an increase of 2 cases from yesterday’s report, with 1 additional case in Peterborough and 1 additional case in Kawartha Lakes.

There have been 34 deaths, with the last reported death in Peterborough on Sunday, April 12th.

Province-wide, there are 13,519 confirmed cases, an increase of 640 from yesterday’s report, and 763 deaths, an increase of 50 from yesterday’s report. A total of 207,040 tests have been completed, an increase of 12,295 from yesterday’s report, with 5,414 cases under investigation.

This report is based on data supplied by the province’s integrated Public Health Information System (iPHIS), as well as any additional information supplied by hospitals. This information is at least 24 hours old, so it is not real-time data.

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

Peterborough Public Health

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

Confirmed positive: 61 (increase of 1 from April 23)
Confirmed negative: 1,958 (increase of 195 from April 23)
Results pending: 419 (increase of 10 from April 23)
Deaths: 1 (no change from April 23)
Resolved: 40 (increase of 3 from April 23)
Total tests completed: 2,438 s(increase of 186 from April 23)
Institutional Outbreaks: St. Joseph’s at Fleming, St. John’s Senior Centre*

*Number of cases not reported.

Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit

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

Confirmed positive: 138, including 118 in Kawartha Lakes, 13 in Northumberland, 7 in Haliburton (increase of 1 from April 23)
Hospitalizations: 10 (no change from April 23)
Deaths: 32, including 28 in Pinecrest Nursing Home in Bobcaygeon (no change from April 23)
Resolved: 103 (increase of 5 from April 23)
Institutional Outbreaks: Pinecrest Nursing Home, Ross Memorial Hospital* (no change from April 23)

*Number of cases not reported.

Hastings Prince Edward Public Health

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

Confirmed positive: 37 (no change from April 23)
Probable cases: 235 (decrease of 3 from April 23)
Deaths: 1 (no change from April 23)
Hospitalized: 6 (no change from April 23)
Hospitalized and in ICU: 2 (no change from April 23)
Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 0 (decrease of 1 from April 23)
Recovered: 17
Institutional Outbreaks: Hastings Manor (Belleville)*

*Number of cases not reported.

Province of Ontario

Confirmed positive: 13,519 (increase of 640 from April 23)
Hospitalized: 910 (increase of 23 from April 23)
Hospitalized and in ICU: 243 (increase of 10 from April 23)
Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 193 (increase of 8 from April 23)
Deaths: 763 (increase of 50 from April 23)
Total tests completed 207,040 (increase of 12,295 from April 23)
Tests under investigation: 5,414 (decrease of 1,343 from April 23)
Resolved: 7,087 (increase of 407 from April 23)

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

If you were planning to head to the Ganaraska River in Port Hope for the opening of the trout fishing season on Saturday (April 25), you’ll need to change your plans.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Municipality of Port Hope has closed all municipal lands and parks bordering the Ganaraska River, and the Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority (GRCA) has closed all of its properties that border the river. The closures remain in effect until May 12th as per the Ontario government’s emergency orders.

The annual opening of the spring trout fishing season attracts hundreds of anglers to Port Hope to fish the “Ganny”. The river is one of Ontario’s most popular fishing destinations, with a steelhead and rainbow trout run in the spring and a chinook salmon run in the late summer and early fall.

As most of the upper river is located on private property, anglers usually access the river from properties owned by the municipality and the GRCA.

According to a media release from Port Hope, municipal council and staff have received many emails throughout March and April, both from tourists asking where they can fish on the Ganaraska River and from residents concerned about a large influx of anglers to the community during a period where the Ontario government has ordered the closure of recreational activities and limited gatherings to five or fewer people.

However, the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, which regulates hunting and fishing in the province, has not postponed the opening of any of the seasons so far this year.

At its meeting on Tuesday, April 7th, Port Hope council authorized a request to the ministry to consider postponing or cancelling the April 25th opening of the trout fishing season, but has not received a response.

“Restricting access to the Ganaraska River was not council’s ideal scenario, nor the first choice for the community,” the media release from Port Hope reads. “The municipality does not have the ability to restrict or prohibit fishing, as this is regulated by the Province; however, it does have the ability to restrict access to municipal properties.”

“After consultation with the GCRA, it was determined that the best way to limit the number of group gatherings along the river is to restrict all access to municipal and GRCA properties in this area.”

A side effect of this decision is that the trail network is also closed.

“Given all of the other restrictions and closures in our community, this closure is understandably difficult,” reads the media release. “The fencing and barricades are unsightly, and it is certainly disrupting routines. However, it was necessary to discourage non-essential travel to our municipality.”

Other trails in the Port Hope area, including the waterfront trail and the Monkey Mountain trail network, remain open for public use as long as physical distancing directives are followed.