The Ontario government announced on Friday (July 9) that the province will be moving to step three of its reopening plan a week earlier than scheduled — next Friday, July 16th.

Crowd limits for events and social gatherings increase to 25 indoors and 100 outdoors, indoor dining at restaurants will be permitted with no table limits (except for physical distancing), and concert and performing arts venues, as well as cinemas, can reopen with a 50 per cent capacity limit indoors.

Retail can operate with no capacity limits, other than ensuring two metres of physical distance between people, and museums, galleries, and historic sites can reopen at 50 per cent capacity indoors.

Face coverings in indoor public settings and physical distancing requirements will remain in place.

In a media release, the government said it made the decision since key public health and health care indicators continue to improve and the province-wide vaccination rate has surpassed the targets set for step three. To enter step three, Ontario needed to have vaccinated 70 to 80 per cent of adults with one dose and 25 per cent of adults with two doses for at least two weeks. As of July 8, over 77 per cent of the population in Ontario ages 12 and over have received one dose of a vaccine and over 50 per cent have received their second dose.

Here’s what will be allowed in step three, which takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on July 16:

• Outdoor social gatherings and organized public events with up to 100 people with limited exceptions.
• Indoor social gatherings and organized public events with up to 25 people.
• Indoor religious services, rites or ceremonies, including wedding services and funeral services permitted with physical distancing.
• Indoor dining permitted with no limits on the number of patrons per table with physical distancing and other restrictions still in effect.
• Indoor sports and recreational fitness facilities to open subject to a maximum 50 per cent capacity of the indoor space. Capacity for indoor spectators is 50 per cent of the usual seating capacity or 1,000 people, whichever is less. Capacity for outdoor spectators is 75 per cent of the usual seating capacity or 15,000 people, whichever is less.
• Indoor meeting and event spaces permitted to operate with physical distancing and other restrictions still in effect and capacity limited to not exceed 50 per cent capacity or 1,000 people, (whichever is less).
• Essential and non-essential retail with capacity limited to the number of people that can maintain a physical distance of two metres.
• Personal care services, including services requiring the removal of a face covering, with capacity limited to the number of people that can maintain a physical distance of two metres.
• Museums, galleries, historic sites, aquariums, zoos, landmarks, botanical gardens, science centres, casinos/bingo halls, amusement parks, fairs and rural exhibitions, festivals, with capacity limited to not exceed 50 per cent capacity indoors and 75 per cent capacity outdoors.
• Concert venues, cinemas, and theatres permitted to operate at up to 50 per cent capacity indoors (or a maximum limit of 1,000 people for seated events, whichever is less) and up to 75 per cent capacity outdoors (or a maximum limit of 5,000 people for unseated events, whichever is less), and up to 75 per cent capacity outdoors or a maximum of 15,000 people for events with fixed seating (whichever is less).
• Real estate open houses with capacity limited to the number of people that can maintain a physical distance of two metres; and
• Indoor food or drink establishments where dance facilities are provided, including nightclubs and restobars, permitted up to 25 per cent capacity or up to a maximum limit of 250 people (whichever is less).

The government says the province will remain in step three for at least 21 days and until 80 per cent of the eligible population aged 12 and over has received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and 75 per cent have received their second, with no public health unit having less than 70 per cent of their population fully vaccinated.

After step three, the province says most public health and workplace safety measures, including capacity limits for indoor and outdoor settings and limits for social gatherings, will be lifted. Only a small number of measures will remain in place, including the requirement for passive screening, such as posting a sign, and businesses requiring a safety plan.

For a complete list of what will be allowed to open in step three, read the Ontario government’s regulation (PDF).

Peterborough Public Health held a drop-in COVID-19 vaccination clinic outside Peterborough City Hall earlier this week for vulnerable residents, including those experiencing homelessness.

The three-day clinic, which took place from Tuesday (July 6) to Thursday, administered first and second doses to 96 people despite the heat, humidity, and rain.

To reduce barriers to getting vaccinations, the health unit did not require appointments. Even those without a health card were able to receive a vaccine dose.

“None of this would have been possible without the help of our community partners in organizing, promoting and staffing this multi-day clinic,” says Hallie Alter, the health unit’s manager of family and community health, in a media release.

Participating community agencies included the Brock Mission, Canadian Mental Health Association, Fourcast, Nogojiwanong Friendship Centre, One City Peterborough, One Roof Community Centre, PARN, Salvation Army, YES Shelter for Youth and families, and YWCA Crossroads Shelter, along with support from the City of Peterborough, Peterborough 360 Degree Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic, and Peterborough Regional Health Centre.

According to Atter, clients of community agencies serving vulnerable people find it harder to protect themselves from exposure to COVID-19 and can be at greater risk for severe illness.

A recent Ontario study found that people experiencing homelessness were at least 20 times more likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19 and over 10 times more likely to be admitted into intensive care with COVID-19.

Due to their circumstances, vulnerable residents may also find it challenging to follow public health measures as well as to register for and attend mass vaccination clinics.

With the highly contagious delta variant circulating in the region, Peterborough Public Health plans to continue increasing local vaccination coverage through various strategies including pop-up clinics.

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

Ontario is reporting 210 cases today, with 7 of the province’s 34 health units reporting double-digit increases: Waterloo (52), Peel (23), Hamilton (19), Toronto (18), Grey Bruce (17), Simcoe Muskoka (12), and Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (11). The seven-day average of daily cases has decreased by 11 to 194.

Hospitalizations have decreased by 7 from yesterday to 194, with the number of ICU patients decreasing by 5 to 215 and the number of patients on ventilators dropping by 10 to 145.

Ontario is reporting 4 new COVID-related deaths, including 1 in a long-term care home.

Almost 16.4 million vaccine doses have been administered, a record increase of 268,884 from yesterday, with over 89% of Ontario’s total population now having received at least one dose. Over 6.3 million people have been fully vaccinated, an increase of 243,259 from yesterday, representing almost 43% of the total population.

For a daily summary of cases in Ontario, including a breakdown of cases in each of Ontario’s 34 health units, visit ontario.ca/page/how-ontario-is-responding-covid-19.

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

An additional 2 cases in the region have been resolved, in Kawartha Lakes.

Regional active cases have increased by 2 in Kawartha Lakes and remain unchanged in Peterborough and Hastings Prince Edward.

There are currently 60 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, an increase of 2 from yesterday, including 29 in Peterborough, 25 in Kawartha Lakes, and 6 in Hastings Prince Edward (1 in Quinte West, 1 in Prince Edward County, 1 in Tyendinaga & Deseronto, 1 in Central Hastings, and 2 in North Hastings). There are no active cases in Northumberland or Haliburton.

Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 1,614 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (1,563 resolved with 22 deaths), 1,120 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (1,050 resolved with 58 deaths), 945 in Northumberland County (928 resolved with 17 deaths), 122 in Haliburton County (121 resolved with 1 death), and 1,134 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (1,117 resolved with 11 deaths). The most recent two deaths were reported in Peterborough and Kawartha Lakes on June 29.

For detailed data for each health unit, visit the COVID-19 trackers for Peterborough Public Health, Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit, and Hastings Prince Edward Public Health.

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

As Ontario’s vaccination rates rise and the province moves through the steps of reopening, Peterborough’s surge in COVID-19 cases this week reminds us that the pandemic is not yet behind us.

During a Peterborough Public Health media briefing held Thursday (July 8), Dr. Rosana Salvaterra reported 29 active cases in the community, more than double the 11 active cases the previous week, with the increase largely due to an outdoor workplace outbreak in the City of Peterborough and community transmission resulting from a Father’s Day social gathering in North Kawartha Township.

As a result, Peterborough region’s weekly case incidence rate has now jumped to 19 per hundred thousand people — up significantly from the 2.7 per hundred thousand reported last week and well above the current provincial average of nine cases per hundred thousand.

“This is the first time in the whole course of the pandemic that Peterborough’s local rate is higher than the provincial case incidence rate,” Dr. Salvaterra said. “It is not only higher, but it’s more than double the provincial rate.”

Peterborough’s case incidence rate is the fourth highest in the entire province this week, according to Dr. Salvaterra.

“When I look at these numbers, it indicates to me that we continue to be at a very precarious point in our pandemic,” Dr. Salvaterra said.

The region’s rise in cases is tied to an active outbreak at an outdoor workplace in the City of Peterborough, as well as a few clusters of transmission in North Kawartha.

The workplace outbreak, which was declared on July 6, is the first outbreak in the Peterborough region for weeks.

Although the workplace is outdoors, Dr. Salvaterra noted that an investigation found workers were not properly adhering to personal protective equipment requirements for workplaces.

“With transmissibility of these variants, despite the workers working outdoors, there was a lot of transmission that occurred,” Dr. Salvaterra said. “These variants are very transmissible, even outdoors.”

Both the alpha and delta variants make up the 29 active cases in the region, according to Dr. Salvaterra.

Along with the workplace outbreak, most of the new cases occurred in North Kawartha, where infections at a social gathering spread to a childcare setting and a local business.

Dr. Salvaterra said the North Kawartha spread is all tied to a single social gathering held on Father’s Day — before the province permitted social gatherings.

“Public health measures were not followed for the social gathering, and it spread from there,” said Dr. Salvaterra. “It doesn’t take much to light the fire and see it spread out. We saw that with the Severn Court outbreak in February. I think we’re seeing a little bit of that in North Kawartha on a smaller scale.”

Noting that other regions with high transmission rates remained in lockdown while the rest of Ontario moved to step one and two of reopening, Dr. Salvaterra said she’s concerned Peterborough could be prohibited from moving to step three unless cases decline.

“If we can follow public health measures, we can potentially move ahead to step three, but if we don’t, we can go backwards,” she noted. “I think it just reminds us that we can’t be complacent. We have to follow the rules. There’s good reason and evidence behind them.”

Among the new cases reported in the Peterborough region this week, Dr. Salvaterra said some were not vaccinated while others had only received a single dose.

“We also can observe elsewhere in the province that most hospitalized cases of COVID-19 are in patients who have either one dose or no dose of the vaccine,” Dr. Salvaterra said. “That’s why it is important to make vaccinations as accessible as possible.”

According to Peterborough Public Health’s immunization reports, 76 per cent of the eligible population have now received their first dose, and 42 per cent have received their second dose. These numbers include Peterborough residents who received their vaccines both within and outside the region.

“The numbers continue to climb, and the gap between those who’ve received just a first dose and those who’ve been fully immunized is starting to narrow,” said Dr. Salvaterra. “For adults hanging on to their late August second-dose appointments, please consider rebooking for an earlier date. We have lots of availability as of July 20.”

As for those who have yet to receive their first dose, Dr. Salvaterra noted the mass immunization clinic at the Evinrude Centre accepts walk-ins. The clinic has been administering first does to 60 to 80 walk-ins per day.

“I do encourage everyone who has not had their first dose to head down and get immunized at one of our mass immunization clinics, or head to your closest pharmacy and get yourself on a list there,” said Dr. Salvaterra.

As of July 7 at 4:50 p.m., there are 29 active cases of COVID-19 in the Peterborough region — an increase of 18 cases this week. There have been 22 COVID-related deaths in the region to date.

Two worlds collided Thursday morning (July 8) in Peterborough as the future of passenger rail service in southern Ontario was unveiled at the site of one of the Ontario’s most historic Canadian Pacific rail stations.

Federal Transport Minister Omar Alghabra, joined by Peterborough-Kawartha MP Maryam Monsef and Peterborough Mayor Diane Therrien, announced Ottawa’s commitment to develop intercity high frequency rail (HFR) service in the Toronto to Quebec City corridor.

With completion of the project forecasted for 2030, and with $500 million already set aside in the federal budget for the early stages of the procurement process, the HFR line will feature stops at a number of communities along the corridor, Peterborough among them.

As a project that has been considered, reviewed, reconsidered, lobbied for and outright promised for years, there’s now a light at the end of the train tunnel.

Being done in conjunction with VIA Rail — the passenger rail service’s president and CEO Cynthia Garneau was also on hand — the project represents the largest transportation infrastructure initiative undertaken in Canada in decades.

The new dedicated rail line will result in shorter travel times and faster trains that will reduce average trip times significantly. For example, as much as 90 minutes will be shaved off the average Toronto-to-Ottawa trip.

The dedicated passenger rail track would allow for train speeds in the 177 to 200 kilometres per hour range.

Other benefits include more reliable on-time performance (up to 95 per cent from the current average of 67 per cent), more direct routes with improved connectivity between communities as well as to other modes of transportation, and new rail service for a number of communities including Peterborough.

The procurement process for the project begins this fall. That will include engaging Indigenous groups and communities for feedback, working with the private sector to determine capacity as well to gather opinions on the best possible delivery model, and starting a dialogue with partner rail companies to negotiate for dedicated routes both in and out of communities situated along the corridor.

“A phased approach will help ensure the success of this project,” said Minister Alghabra.

“A significant amount of work has been done since 2016. We’ve been working closely with VIA Rail and the Canada Infrastructure Bank to make progress in the design and planning stages. Our government plans to select a delivery model prior to the request for proposals that will launch this fall. We want more reliable and cleaner travel options for Canadians and we want it to be done right.”

Terming the announcement “a historic moment for the people of Peterborough, for the people of Ontario and for the people of Canada,” Alghabra acknowledged the restoration of passenger rail service to Peterborough “has been talked about for years.”

In her remarks, MP Monsef echoed that, crediting “leaders in Peterborough-Kawartha who believed this was the right thing to do for our community — who brought others along and did the due diligence. This moment, this celebration, is for you.”

“In post-pandemic Canada, we are all aware of how vital our connections are,” Monsef added. “Whether it’s our internet connections, whether it’s our connections by water, whether it’s our connections by air, whether it’s our connections through land transportation opportunities, these connections are vital.”

Mayor Therrien, meanwhile, shared that her mom told her stories about taking the train to Peterborough when she was a kid.

“This project has been talked about and studied … to know that things are moving forward is exciting,” Therrien said. “I know we still have decisions to make, like where the new station is going to go — this spot (the historic CPR station that houses the Peterborough Chamber of Commerce) looks pretty great to me — but that’s to be decided.”

Afterwards, Therrien talked about the impact the new passenger rail service will have on the city.

“There are a lot of people that live in Peterborough that work in the GTA,” she noted. “It will help alleviate traffic on the 115. There are a lot of people working remotely that might want to live here but still want easy access to not just Toronto but Ottawa and Montreal.”

“We know we’re trying to move people out of their cars as much as possible, so any form of public transportation is a good thing.”

As for the location of a new train station, Therrien said the downtown is her preference.

“Historically, there was a reason this stop was downtown. That would really be a boon to our economy.”

An interested observer of the announcement, who was acknowledged for his behind-the-scenes work lobbying for passenger rail service to the region, was Havelock-Belmont-Methuen Mayor Jim Martin.

“We’re hoping we’re going to be a part of it … we have almost 100 acres right in the middle of town (Havelock) that’s all rail yard,” Mayor Martin noted.

“Whether it’s cleaning the trains or servicing them, and also perhaps a (train) stop, Havelock is a railway town. A lot of things have changed but it’s kind of coming back. Maryam (MP Monsef) has kept things rolling, as did (former Peterborough-Kawartha MP) Dean Del Mastro in the past. It’s my hope that we remain in the conversation.”

Hosting the announcement was Peterborough Chamber of Commerce president and CEO Stu Harrison, who has also been a key player in the lobbying process for a return of passenger rail service to the region. He noted there’s another local benefit to the service.

“There’s a significant amount of freight business that comes through this area,” Harrison pointed out. “But it’s a 10-kilometre-per-hour speed limit all the way into Toronto — a 16-hour trip.”

With passenger trains using the HFR line during the day, freight trains could run on the line at night.

“That freight would now be allowed to run at night at dramatically faster speeds,” he explained. “That’s going to be transformative. It will literally save freight service in this area and save us putting a lot of trucks on the road if we lost the line.”