The Haliburton, Kawartha Pine Ridge District (HKPR) Health Unit has completed a COVID-19 vaccine program and plans to submit it to Ontario’s health ministry later this week.

“We are ready to go as soon as we’ve got a vaccine available, with a focus on the residents, staff, and essential caregivers in long-term care,” the acting medical officer of health, Dr. Ian Gemmill, said during a virtual media briefing on Wednesday (January 20).

According to Dr. Gemmill, the program is based on the health unit’s past immunization plan. However, they have spent the last few weeks reviewing and revising it to be more specific to COVID-19.

“It’s based on our previous experience of mass immunization, and the experience of others who have been running mass immunization in high-instance areas, who have already worked with coronavirus,” he said.

The program includes a plan for vaccine distribution to long-term care homes and high-risk retirement homes — the health unit’s priority when they receive the vaccine supply expected in early February. Healthcare workers will also be offered the vaccine as it becomes available.

“The next in line after long-term care homes, healthcare workers, and home-care patients will be other essential workers,” explained Dr. Gemmill. “People who have to work to keep our society going during this pandemic.”

The health unit will then distribute the vaccine to at-risk older adults, followed by all older adults, followed by the general population.

While Dr. Gemmill said he hopes to begin the HKPR area’s first phase of vaccine distribution in early February, this is subject to change as supplies change.

Retired general Rick Hillier, chair of Ontario’s vaccine distribution task force, announced yesterday there is a shortage of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine due to a production issue in Belgium, and there will be no shipments to Canada next week.

Currently, two vaccines have been approved for use in Canada: the Pfizer vaccine and the Moderna vaccine. Dr. Gemmill said the Moderna vaccine is “probable for this area given the shortage of the Pfizer.”

“It’s too bad that we’re having these supply issues,” said Dr. Gemmill, “but what I’m asking people is to be patient because the commitment, I know, from all of our government, is that the vaccine will be in arms as quickly as we can get the vaccine in place. We are going to make sure that happens in this area.”

“We’ve been told that by March, we won’t have to be worrying about the supply,” he added.

In the meantime, Dr. Gemmill assured the HKPR Health Unit is prepared to distribute the vaccine as soon as supply becomes available.

“We have a plan in place, and once the vaccine is ready to go, we are ready to go.”

Dr. Gemmill said the key principles in their completed immunization plan are efficiency, “once we get the vaccine to get it into arms as fast as possible,” and accessibility, “which means people don’t have to drive for hours to get their dose of vaccine.”

“Then we are also, of course, being guided by, and must adhere to, the priority list given by local direction,” he added. “But within that, we will be looking at local risk. If we don’t have enough vaccine for all the long-term care homes, we will be looking at the ones at the highest risk first.”

There are many aspects involved in preparing to distribute a vaccine, according to Dr. Gemmill.

“We’re talking to healthcare providers, many who have offered to help us to immunize,” he said. “We’ve talked to municipalities about what venues we can use. For security, we’ve talked to our colleagues in the police force. We’ve been talking to our indigenous community at Alderville about how to design it for that community as well.”

As for vaccine distribution venues, Dr. Gemmill says the health unit is looking into large buildings such as arenas.

“We want to ensure we do this in a way that secures safety. So, for instance, people are not exposed to coronavirus as they’re waiting to get their vaccine.”

Dr. Gemmill said the health unit’s shift to vaccine planning is “a bright light.”

“One month ago, we had no vaccine. That meant that we couldn’t do anything. Restrictions in place can hold back the spread, but they can’t be in place forever and, therefore, we need the vaccine to protect the population so we can get back to normal.”

As of January 20th, there are 63 active cases of COVID-19 in the region served by the health unit, including 20 in the City of Kawartha Lakes, 39 in Northumberland County, and four in Haliburton County. There have been eight COVID-related deaths in the region so far this year, including four in Kawartha Lakes and four in Northumberland.

All elementary and secondary school students in the greater Kawarthas region will be returning to in-person learning on Monday, January 25th.

Ontario education minister Stephen Lecce issued a statement about school re-openings late Wednesday afternoon (January 20).

“On the advice from the Chief Medical Officer of Health, the government is allowing seven public health units and over 100,000 students to return to class on Monday, January 25,” Lecce states. “Getting students back into class is our top priority.”

For students returning to in-person learning, masks will now be mandatory inside schools for all students, including those in Grades 1 to 3 (masks are recommended but not mandatory for Kindergarten students). Masks will now also be required outdoors where physical distancing of at least two metres cannot be maintained.

The government will also be introducing additional safety measures, including province-wide targeted asymptomatic testing and enhanced screening.

Schools in the following public health units will be permitted to resume in-person learning on Monday:

• Grey Bruce Health Unit
• Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit
• Hastings and Prince Edward Counties Health Unit
• Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington Health Unit
• Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit
• Peterborough Public Health
• Renfrew County and District Health Unit

All school boards in the greater Kawarthas region are affected by this announcement but, as some of the school boards span multiple public health units, not all schools within every school board will be resuming in-person learning. However, all schools within the greater Kawarthas region will be resuming in-person learning on January 25th.

Below are the details for each school board in in the greater Kawarthas region.

Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board

All elementary and secondary schools will resume in-person learning on Monday, January 25th. Transportation to schools will resume as usual on Monday.

Trillium Lakelands District School Board

All elementary and secondary schools within the City of Kawartha Lakes and Haliburton County will resume in-person learning on Monday, January 25th, with bus service also resuming. Elementary and secondary schools within the District of Muskoka will continue with remote learning.

Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board

All elementary and secondary schools within the city and county of Peterborough and Northumberland County will resume in-person learning on Monday, January 25th, with bus service also resuming. Elementary and secondary schools within the Municipality of Clarington will continue with remote learning.

Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District School Board

All elementary and secondary schools within the city and county of Peterborough, the City of Kawartha Lakes, and Northumberland County will resume in-person learning on Monday, January 25th, with bus service also resuming. Elementary and secondary schools within the Municipality of Clarington will continue with remote learning.

Conseil scolaire de district catholique du Centre-Est de l’Ontario

All elementary and secondary schools outside of Ottawa will resume in-person learning on Monday, January 25th. Elementary and secondary schools in Ottawa will continue with remote learning.

Environment Canada has issued a winter weather travel advisory for Thursday afternoon (January 21) for the northern Kawarthas.

The advisory is in effect for northern Peterborough County including Apsley, northern Kawartha Lakes including Fenelon Falls, and all of Haliburton County.

Locally heavy snow squalls are forecast to develop Thursday afternoon.

While these snow squalls are not expected to linger over any one area very long, heavy snow and reduced visibility caused by blowing snow will make travel difficult at times.

Up to 10 cm of new snowfall can be expected by the time the snow squalls move south of the area Thursday evening.

Travellers should consider changing their travel plans accordingly.

North Kawartha Food Bank in Apsley has issued a public thank you to all those who stepped up to help after the town lost its only grocery store — including year-round and seasonal residents, local and corporate businesses, and community organizations.

In the early morning of Saturday, December 5th, Sayers Independent Food Town in Apsley was devastated by a fire. The family-owned grocery store was the only one in North Kawartha Township, which has around 2,300 year-round residents and around 12,000 seasonal residents.

“The word spread as quickly as the flames and by the next evening a group of concerned citizens met via Zoom to discuss the implications and methods to help the community, the Sayers family and their employees,” says Diane Rothnie, treasurer of the North Kawartha Food Bank, in an email to kawarthaNOW.

Rothnie says the committee still meets weekly, and will continue to do so until the Sayers family rebuilds and reopens the grocery store.

“Community residents, both full and part-time, community organizations, and community-minded corporations were at the ready to help financially, with food donations, with deliveries, and with fundraising,” Rothnie says.

Here are some examples of the donations to the food bank:

• Loblaw’s Real Canadian Superstore in Peterborough donated $5,000 worth of food products.
• Campbell’s donated five skids of food.
• Kawartha Dairy and Gay Lea donated butter.
• Apsley Veterinary Services donated many bags and cans of pet food.
• Peterborough musician Drew Phillips held a virtual Christmas concert, raising more than $2,000.

“Our team of volunteers and clients would like to thank all the individuals, lake associations, and the many companies for your generosity and thoughtfulness,” Rothnie says.

“We are so blessed to be living in such a caring and generous community of concerned citizens.”

Highway 28 is closed between North School Road and the 15th Line of Selwyn Township following a two-vehicle collision early on Wednesday morning (January 20).

At around 5:30 a.m., a car was travelling northbound on Highway 28 near Clear Lake Road north of Young’s Point when it crossed into the southbound lane for an unknown reason and collided with a southbound logging truck.

The car’s driver was taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

The cause of the collision remains under investigation.

Highway 28 remains closed between North School Road and the 15th Line in Selwyn Township while the roadway is cleaned up.

While the highway is closed, traffic is being detoured via North School Road and 15th Line.

Missing 11-year-old Carter Ryan Pollock has been found, Peterborough police announced on Monday (January 25).

Police say Carter returned home at 11 p.m. on Sunday night and “is in good spirits”.

Original story:

Peterborough police are continuing their search for missing 11-year-old Carter Ryan Pollock.

Carter was last seen on Tuesday (January 19) at 10 a.m., walking out of the Peterborough Regional Health Centre.

Police say he approached a dark grey pick-up truck, but then walked away.

Carter is described as white and 4’10” with a thin build, wearing green-framed eyeglasses, a black hat (worn backwards), a white hoodie with black markings on the arm, grey sweat plants, and black sneakers.

Police say they have concerns for Carter’s safety.

“If anyone is harbouring the child or misleading police during the investigation, please come forward immediately to help us locate the child safe and sound,” a police media release states. “Police want to remind the public that it is a criminal offence to obstruct police during an investigation.”

Police say they have received several tips and information on Carter’s whereabouts and are continuing to follow up those leads.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Peterborough Police at 705-876-1122 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-tips (8477), or visit the Crime Stoppers website at stopcrimehere.ca.

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

Ontario is reporting 1,913 new cases today — although the province says Toronto Public Health could not report all of its cases due to a technical issue. Yesterday, Toronto reported 815 new cases and today it is reporting 550 cases.

With today’s reported cases, the seven-day average of daily cases across the province has decreased by 142 to 2,893.

In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 16 new cases to report and 14 additional cases resolved, with the number of active cases across the region increasing by 3 to 149.

Most of today’s new cases are in Toronto (550, with this number under-reported due to a technical issue), Peel (346), and York (235).

There are double-digit increases in Durham (82), Windsor-Essex (81), Waterloo (79), Middlesex-London (73), Halton (71), Hamilton (63), Niagara (52), Simcoe Muskoka (48), Ottawa (41), Huron Perth (37), Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (31), Lambton (28), Southwestern (22), Eastern Ontario (14), and Chatham-Kent (13), with smaller increases in Porcupine (6) and Haldimand-Norfolk (6).

The remaining 15 health units are reporting 5 or fewer new cases, with 3 health units reporting no new cases at all.

Of today’s new cases, 51% are among people 39 and younger, with the highest number of cases (701) among people ages 20-39, followed by 561 cases among people ages 40-59. With 2,873 more cases resolved since yesterday, the percentage of resolved cases has increased by 0.5% to 86.3%. The average positivity rate across Ontario has increased since yesterday by 0.2% to 6.8%, meaning that 68 out of every 1,000 tests performed were positive for COVID-19 on January 18.

Ontario is reporting 46 new COVID-19 deaths today, including 20 in long-term care homes. Hospitalizations have increased by 55 from yesterday to 1,626, with the number of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs increasing by 6 to 400, and the number of patients with COVID-19 on ventilators decreasing by 11 to 293.

A total of 34,531 tests were completed yesterday, pushing the total number of tests completed since the pandemic began to over 9 million. Since yesterday, the backlog of tests under investigation has increased by 18,269 to 36,750. A total of 224,134 doses of vaccine have now been administered, with 14,346 daily doses administered and 25,609 total vaccinations completed (i.e., both doses administered).

Due to the winter break and the remote learning period during the state of emergency, there will be no data to report for schools in southern Ontario until at least January 26. There are 50 new cases in licensed child care settings in Ontario, an increase of 21 from yesterday, with 26 cases among children and 24 cases among staff.

In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 16 new cases to report, including 7 in Peterborough, 3 in Northumberland, 3 in Kawartha Lakes, and 3 in Hastings Prince Edward. There are no new cases to report in Haliburton.

None of the new cases reported today in licensed child care settings are in the greater Kawarthas region.

An additional 14 cases have been resolved, including 6 in Peterborough, 6 in Hastings Prince Edward, 1 in Kawartha Lakes, and 1 in Northumberland.

There are currently 149 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, an increase of 3 from yesterday, including 50 in Peterborough, 47 in Northumberland, 25 in Hastings Prince Edward (9 in Quinte West, 13 in Belleville, 1 in Prince Edward County, and 1 in Central Hastings), 23 in Kawartha Lakes, and 4 in Haliburton.

Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 488 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (432 resolved with 6 deaths), 339 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (293 resolved with 36 deaths), 348 in Northumberland County (295 resolved with 6 deaths), 43 in Haliburton County (39 resolved with no deaths), and 361 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (331 resolved with 5 deaths). The most recent death was reported in Northumberland on January 17.

The provincial data in this report is pulled from Ontario’s integrated Public Health Information System (iPHIS) at 12 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

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: 488 (increase of 7)
Active cases: 50 (increase of 1)
Close contacts: 91 (decrease of 14)
Deaths: 6 (no change)
Resolved: 432 (increase of 6)
Hospitalizations (total to date): 20 (no change)*
Total tests completed: Over 40,650 (increase of 50)
Outbreaks: Fairhaven long-term care home in Peterborough, The Regency retirement home in Lakefield, Centennial Place long-term care home in Millbrook (no change)

*As of January 19, Peterborough Regional Health Centre is reporting fewer than 10 patients hospitalized with COVID-19, with fewer than 10 patients transferred from other areas as a result of a provincial directive. The hospital is not providing exact numbers of patients.

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 statutory holidays.

Confirmed positive: 730, including 338 in Kawartha Lakes, 348 in Northumberland, and 43 in Haliburton (increase of 6, including 3 in Kawartha Lakes and 3 in Northumberland)*
Active cases: 74, including 23 in Kawartha Lakes, 47 in Northumberland, and 4 in Haliburton (net increase of 4)
Probable cases: 1 in Kawartha Lakes (decrease of 1 in Kawartha Lakes)
High-risk contacts: 165, including 71 in Kawartha Lakes, 62 in Northumberland, and 14 in Haliburton (net increase of 2)**
Hospitalizations (total to date): 29, including 19 in Kawartha Lakes, 9 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton (no change)***
Deaths (including among probable cases): 42, including 36 in Kawartha Lakes and 6 in Northumberland (no change)
Resolved: 627, including 293 in Kawartha Lakes, 295 in Northumberland, 39 in Haliburton (increase of 2, including 1 in Kawartha Lakes and 1 in Haliburton)
Institutional outbreaks: Hope St. Terrace long-term care home in Port Hope, Fenelon Court in Fenelon Falls, Island Park Retirement Residence in Campbellford, Maplewood long-term care home in Brighton, Caressant Care McLaughlin Road in Lindsay, Tower of Port Hope, Canadian Centre for Addictions in Port Hope, Golden Plough Lodge in Cobourg, Warkworth Place long-term care home in Warkworth (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.

**This total includes an additional 18 high-risk contacts directly followed up through the Public Health Ontario contact tracing process that are missing the contacts’ county.

***As of January 19, Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay reports 4 patients are hospitalized with COVID-19, a decrease of 1 since yesterday

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, excluding statutory holidays.

Confirmed positive: 361 (increase of 3)
Active cases: 25 (decrease of 3)
Deaths: 5 (no change)
Currently hospitalized: 1 (no change)
Currently hospitalized and in ICU: 0 (no change)
Currently hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator (total to date): 0 (no change)
Resolved: 331 (increase of 6)
Tests completed: 38,391
Institutional outbreaks: Hastings Manor Beech Villa in Belleville, Crown Ridge long-term care home in Quinte West (no change)

Province of Ontario

Confirmed positive: 242,277 (increase of 1,913)*
Resolved: 209,183 (increase of 2,873, 86.3% of all cases)
Positivity rate: 6.8% (increase of 0.2%)
Hospitalized: 1,626 (increase of 55)
Hospitalized and in ICU: 400 (increase of 6)
Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 292 (decrease of 11)
Deaths: 5,479 (increase of 46)
Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 3,232 (increase of 20)
Total tests completed: 9,000,278 (increase of 34,531)
Tests under investigation: 36,750 (increase of 18,269)
Vaccinations: 14,346 daily doses administered, 224,134 total doses administered, 25,609 total vaccinations completed (both doses)

*Due to a technical issue at Toronto Public Health, there is likely an under-reporting of cases today.

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

With a sixth local COVID-19 death reported and January on track to see the most cases reported in a monthly period, Peterborough Public Health is ramping up enforcement of the ongoing provincial stay-at-home order — including an imminent “blitz” inspection of compliance by grocery stores and big-box stores.

During a Peterborough Public Health media briefing held Tuesday (January 19), medical officer of health Dr. Rosana Salvaterra reported a “congregate senior setting” resident died of COVID-19 complications this past weekend. She added the setting where the person lived, which she did not identify, wasn’t and still isn’t in outbreak.

“When we first became aware of this case, we did a risk assessment and determined there were no other high-risk contacts and no need to declare an outbreak,” she explained.

To date in January, 132 new cases of COVID-19 have been reported in the Peterborough region — just shy of the 137 cases reported in December, which was a monthly high locally.

As for declared outbreaks, one that was declared at Fairhaven Long-Term Care in Peterborough is ongoing but “stable” with one case yet to be resolved.

Meanwhile, two new outbreaks were declared Sunday (January 17): one at Regency Retirement in Lakefield where there are two resident cases, and another at Centennial Place Long-Term Care in Millbrook where there is one resident case as well as one staff case.

Overall, local COVID-19 numbers show (as of Tuesday morning) there were 49 active COVID-19 cases in Peterborough city and county, Curve Lake, and Hiawatha region, with 105 close contacts of positive cases are being monitored.

Since the pandemic’s outbreak, Peterborough Public Health has reported a total of 481 cases of which 426 have been resolved. To date, 40,600 residents have been tested.

Much discussion during Tuesday’s briefing focused on the recent stay-at-home order issued by the province. Peterborough Public Health’s manager of environmental health Julie Ingram admitted to it being “an interesting week” since Queen’s Park brought in the new order.

“This order requires members of the public to stay at and in their place of residence, and only leave for essential reasons,” she reminded, listing a few essential trips such as going to a place of employment, accessing child care, getting groceries and prescriptions, and attending medical appointments.

“Just because you can go out doesn’t mean you should,” Ingram said, echoing comments made at last Friday’s briefing by Peterborough-Kawartha MPP Dave Smith. “Consider why you’re thinking about going out. Do you want that thing or do you need that thing? It must be a need and it must be extremely important to justify going out.”

Ingram added a “blitz” of grocery stores and big-box stores by public health inspectors is being planned and is imminent. The focus to this point, she added, has been on parks and public spaces.

While Ingram said there has generally been “a high level of compliance,” Peterborough Police Services Chief Scott Gilbert noted during the briefing that two people have been charged for being in violation of the provincial stay-at-home order while another has been charged under a federal statute for not quarantining for the mandatory 14-day period upon return from travel abroad.

On the vaccine front, there remains encouraging news. According to Dr. Salvaterra, Peterborough Public Health has now received written notification that the first shipment of the Pfizer vaccine will arrive the week of February 1st.

“We will receive enough to immunize residents, staff and essential caregivers in our eight long-term care homes by our February 15th deadline,” confirmed Dr. Salvaterra, saying the number of those immunized with the first dose will be close to 3,000.

Also on hand for Tuesday’s briefing were Peterborough-Kawartha MP Maryam Monsef Peterborough-Kawartha MP Dave Smith, Hiawatha First Nations Chief Laurie Carr, and Peterborough Board of Health chair and Selwyn Mayor Andy Mitchell.