Peterborough Public Health has provided guidance on how area residents should report complaints or concerns related to COVID-19 compliance, while it awaits clarification from the federal government on how police and public health officials should be enforcing the mandatory 14-day self-isolation requirement of people returning from travel outside of Canada.

Last Wednesday (March 25), the federal government established an emergency order under the Quarantine Act that applies to all travellers arriving in Canada, requiring returning travellers to self-isolate for 14 days — whether they are showing symptoms or not.

While violations against the Quarantine Act could lead to up to six months in prison and/or up to $750,000 in fines, it’s not yet clear how this emergency order should be enforced.

The Quarantine Act gives authority to a quarantine officer who identifies returning travellers at a point of entry, who are either allowed to self-isolate at home or sequestered in a federally designated quarantine facility (such as the military base in Trenton, where travellers from COVID-19 hot spots were quarantined earlier this year).

While these quarantine officers are required to share the list of travellers who need to self-isolate with local public health agencies, Peterborough Public Health says it is not yet clear whether local police or public health units are responsible for enforcing compliance.

Complicating matters is the fact that the emergency order under the Quarantine Act only applies to travellers returning to Canada after March 25th. While all returning travellers are urged to comply with the 14-day self-isolation order, it is not mandatory for those who returned prior to March 25th.

Until the federal government clarifies how enforcement will be handled, Peterborough Public Health is relying on education to encourage compliance with the Quarantine Act order. The health unit has made available on its website a fact sheet for returning travellers with no symptoms.

People who call Peterborough Public Health to report concerns about returning travellers will be provided with information and guidance only, as there’s no mechanism currently in place to identify those people who have been directed to self-isolate because of a travel history.

There is also a series of emergency orders made under Ontario’s Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act mandating the closure of non-essential workplaces, prohibiting organized public events and social gatherings of more than five people, and more.

The health unit says it will share additional details about the enforcement of federal and provincial orders once they become available. In the interim, the health unit has created a Reporting Complaints web page to clarify how Peterborough-area residents should report concerns.

This information is summarized below.

Who to call

• For concerns about travellers who are not self-isolating after returning from travel outside Canada on or after March 25th, call the Peterborough Police Service non-emergency line at 705-876-1122 or the Ontario Provincial Police non-emergency line at 1-888-310-1122. Do not call 911.
• For concerns about travellers who are not self-isolating after returning from travel outside Canada before March 25th (or anyone else who should be self-isolating but is not), call Peterborough Public Health at 705-743-1000.
• For concerns about organized public events and social gatherings of more than five people, call the Peterborough Police Service non-emergency line at 705-876-1122 or the Ontario Provincial Police non-emergency line at 1-888-310-1122. Do not call 911.
• For COVID-19 concerns about your workplace or construction site, call the Ministry of Labour’s Health and Safety Contact Centre at 1-877-202-0008.
• For concerns related to landlord or tenant issues, call the Landlord Tenant Board at 1-888-332-3234.
• For concerns about a non-essential business or service that is remaining open, call Peterborough Public Health at 705-743-1000 if your complaint involves any of the following businesses or services: child care facilities, recreational camps, shelter services, personal services settings (including mobile and home-based settings), tanning salons, facilities providing indoor recreational programs including indoor public pools and whirlpools, food premises, including restaurants and bars, grocery stores, farmers’ markets, places of worship, theatres and cinemas (including drive-ins), trailer parks, and schools (public and private).
• For concerns about ano other non-essential business or service that is remaining open, call the Peterborough Police Service non-emergency line at 705-876-1122 or the Ontario Provincial Police non-emergency line at 1-888-310-1122. Do not call 911.

In an effort to stop the spread of COVID-19 and keep people home, the Ontario government has issued a new emergency order under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act to close all outdoor recreational amenities, such as sports fields and playgrounds, effective immediately.

The government is also extending the state of emergency until Monday, April 13th from the original date of Tuesday, March 31st.

This includes the closure of all non-essential workplaces, the restriction on events and gatherings of more than five people, the new fines under the Provincial Offences Act, anti-price gouging provisions, and more.

The new order would close all communal or shared, public or private, outdoor recreational amenities everywhere in Ontario, including but not limited to playgrounds, sports fields, basketball and tennis courts, off-leash dog parks, beaches, skateboard and BMX parks, picnic areas, outdoor community gardens, park shelters, outdoor exercise equipment, condo parks and gardens, and other outdoor recreational amenities.

Green spaces in parks, trails, ravines and conservation areas that aren’t otherwise closed would remain open for walkthrough access, but people must maintain the safe physical distance of at least two metres apart from others.

Ontario’s provincial parks and conservation reserves remain closed.

“I made a commitment to be open and upfront about what we need to do as a province to beat this virus,” Premier Doug Ford says. “Based on the best medical advice available, we are taking further steps today to protect the health and safety of all Ontarians by closing outdoor recreational amenities, like sports fields and playgrounds, and extending our emergency orders to save lives. We all need to work together and do our part to stop COVID-19 by staying home, practising physical distancing, and avoiding social gatherings.”

The new closures are based on the advice of the Chief Medical Officer of Health.

“We are acting on the best advice of our Chief Medical Officer of Health and other leading public health officials across the province,” says Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “We will continue to take decisive action to stop the spread of COVID-19 and protect Ontarians’ health and well-being.”

Many municipalities have already taken similar action. The City of Peterborough has already closed all municipal playgrounds and outdoor gym equipment, and the City of Kawarthas Lakes has already closed all playgrounds, sports fields, sports courts, skateboard parks, picnic areas, outdoor exercise equipment, and washroom facilities.

“The health and well-being of Ontarians is a top priority of our government as we navigate through the COVID-19 health crisis,” says Steve Clark, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. “I know our municipal partners are already taking action locally to protect their residents. This order makes the rules around closing shared outdoor recreational amenities consistent across the province.”

A collective of Peterborough-area makers has come together to produce protective face shields for front-line workers at Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC), as well as other healthcare workers dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.

The group includes Steve Blair and Dylan Radcliffe (who is also president of Peterborough Field Naturalists), who have set up a crowdfunding campaign to help purchase materials for the production of the face shields.

Other members of the collective include Kathryn Bahun, Emerance Baker, Gianne Broughton, Dwayne Collins, Megan Gamble, Bec Groves, Graeme Marrs, Don Murphy, and Rob Southcott.

The group is using an open-source design published by Prusa Research, a 3D printing company based in Prague in the Czech Republic. The company has already printed and donated more than 12,000 shields to healthcare professionals in the Czech Republic and has received requests for 90,000 more.

The company went from design to prototype in three days, and they are continuing to improve the product.

Anyone with a 3D printer can use the design to produce the face shields, and maker communities from around the world have come together to make them.

“It really is incredible,” Prusa Research founder Josef Prusa told Sarah Goehrke of Forbes on Saturday (March 28). “It is just eight days now, and our whole planet, all the 3D printers are printing face shields. I would never have expected 3D printing to act so quickly. It is wonderful.”

In the Peterborough area, local volunteers are working to produce the three components required for each face shield.

They are using laser cutters to accurately cut clear plastic PETG sheets (PETG is commonly used to manufacture water bottles) for the shield component, 3D printers to create the hard plastic brackets that hold the shield away from and curve it around the wearer’s face, and elastic band material that is cut and sewn to attach to the plastic brackets allowing the face shield to be comfortably worn.

According to Radcliffe, they can produce one face shield every 15 minutes.

Hey everyone, we've got a live GoFundMe. Right now we're producing around one face shield for @PRHC1 every 15 minutes. We are donating our machines and our time, but we can't afford all of the materials. Help us out if you can. https://t.co/NVq2vDBYls pic.twitter.com/NctwuqFwAG

— Dylan Radcliffe (@StewardsNotes) March 30, 2020

Everyone involved is donating their personal equipment and time to the project. Donations through the crowdfunding campaign will be used to reimburse volunteers who have already paid for materials out of their own pockets, and will also go towards purchasing more materials so the group can continue production for as long as is necessary.

Any unused donations will go to the PRHC Foundation to support new equipment and technology at the hospital.

For now the group is focusing on supplying face shields to PRHC, but they feel confident they could produce other types of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) if requested.

VIDEO: 3D Printed Face Shield (RC1) – Assembly Guide

In addition to the volunteers involved, supporting organizations and companies include: Artspace; B&B Game Designs; Black’s Distillery; Filaments.ca; Harco Enterprises Ltd; Lulzbot; Peterborough Tool Library; Peterborough, Victoria, Northumberland and Clarington Catholic School Board; Stitch & Witch; Trent University Library; and Watson & Lou.

As of the date of this story, the group has raised over $3,200 of their $5,000 goal. To donate, go to www.gofundme.com/f/peterborough-ppe-initiative.

The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge (HKRP) District Health Unit has confirmed a total of nine deaths related to COVID-19 at the Pinecrest Nursing Home in Bobcaygeon since an outbreak was declared at the facility on Wednesday, March 18th.

There have been some media reports that two of the deaths at the home were not related to COVID-19.

Last Thursday (March 26), the health unit reported that two deaths at the home were epidemiologically linked to the COVID-19 outbreak. Since then, seven additional residents have died due to COVID-19.

In its March 26th report, the health unit also reported that 14 staff at Pinecrest Nursing Home had tested positive for COVID-19 and four staff had tested negative.

As of Monday (March 30), 24 staff have tested positive for COVID. Six staff have tested negative, and results are pending for 10 more staff.

The total number of confirmed cases in the HKRP District Health Unit’s service area is 41, including 33 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (27 of which are related to Pinecrest Nursing Home) and eight in Northumberland County. There are no reported cases in Haliburton County.

Of the 41 confirmed cases, there have been 11 deaths, including nine residents at Pinecrest Nursing Home and two other deaths in the community. One of the community deaths is the wife of a Pinecrest resident who regularly visited her husband at the nursing home.

In the Peterborough area as of Monday (March 30), Peterborough Public Health has confirmed 28 positive COVID-19 cases, with no deaths and three resolved cases. Another 224 possible cases remain under investigation.

Fifteen new positive cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed by Peterborough Public Health, bringing to 28 the total number of cases in Peterborough city and county, Hiawatha and Curve Lake.

During her daily media briefing on Monday (March 30), Peterborough Medical Officer of Health Dr. Rosana Salvaterra said of the new cases, four are receiving care at the Peterborough Regional Health Centre. Another four cases are under investigation in relation to travel history and/or community contacts while three of the new reported cases have been resolved.

Meanwhile, Dr. Salvaterra says the outbreak at St. Joe’s at Fleming reported last week is “under control” but test results are still awaited on one resident.

Asked if Peterborough could see a similar tragic outbreak such as that at Pinecrest Nursing Home in Bobcaygeon where nine residents have died of presumed COVID-19, Dr. Salvaterra says she “wouldn’t be surprised.”

Meanwhile, the results of a Nanos poll released Monday (March 30) revealed 67 percent of Canadians believe the COVID-19 outbreak will become more severe in their respective communities.

Dr. Salvaterra agrees that poll result is an indication that most are clearly aware of the gravity of the situation and are preparing themselves for what’s ahead while following prescribed measures to keep themselves and theirs safe.

“We do expect this to get worse before it gets better and we’re preparing for that,” she says.

To date, 673 COVID-19 tests have been conducted in the Peterborough area with results awaited on 224 of those tested. Another 422 cases have been confirmed negative.

For the area served by the other health unit in the Kawarthas (Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit, which includes Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland, and Haliburton), there have been 41 positive cases reported, including nine deaths (seven associated with the outbreak at Pinecrest Nursing Home).

Of the total positive cases, 33 are in the City of Kawartha Lakes (with nine deaths) and eight in Northumberland County. No positive cases have been identified in Haliburton County.

For the most recent information on COVID-19 in Ontario and the Peterborough area, visit ontario.ca/coronavirus or peterboroughpublichealth.ca.

Peterborough Regional Health Centre is also providing news, updates, information and resources on its website at prhc.on.ca/cms/covid-19-novel-coronavirus.

This story has been updated to include the latest numbers for COVID-19 cases and deaths as of March 30, 2020 from the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit.

As the Bobcaygeon community awoke Monday morning (March 30) to the heartbreaking news that nine Pinecrest Nursing Home residents have died as a result of presumed COVID-19 — seven of those deaths this past weekend — the councillor in whose ward the home is located is frustrated and upset that the seriousness of the situation wasn’t made public sooner.

“When three residents tested positive (on March 20) there should have been something sent out to the public immediately,” says Councillor Kathleen Seymour-Fagan.

“The home finally tried to reach out last Monday (March 23) for help. (MPP) Laurie (Scott) jumped on it immediately but they couldn’t get any answers from the nursing home. They called and couldn’t get in touch with anybody.”

“We hear they are devastated but then we can’t speak with anybody? We’re ready to send in our paramedics and we’re told ‘No?'”

“This had been brewing for over a week. This should have been out to the public a lot quicker than it was. Now we’ve got all those workers in the home who have been out to all the stores around here.”

In addition to the nine resident deaths, an elderly woman who visited her husband daily at Pinecrest died on Saturday (March 28) at Ross Memorial Centre in Lindsay.

In addition, 34 home staff were showing symptoms of COVID-19 as of last Friday (March 27), with 17 of those having tested positive, four tested negative, and test results awaited on the remainder.

kawarthaNOW reached out Monday (March 30) for comment from the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit but has yet to hear back. As of early Monday afternoon, there has been no public communication from the health unit or the home about the deaths, but the health unit’s website was updated at 1:15 p.m. on Monday to reflect the current status of cases.

Located at 3418 County Road 36 in Bobcaygeon, Pinecrest Nursing Home is a 65-bed facility owned by Medlaw Corporation.

On the weekend of March 21st, Lindsay cardiologist Dr. Jeremy Jones — in an open letter widely shared on social media — sounded the alarm bell over the situation then brewing at Pinecrest, writing “What they haven’t revealed is that there are 20 other residents and eight staff at the nursing home that have symptoms but have not been tested. This additional 28 people undoubtedly are further cases of COVID-19. This means that there could be hundreds of cases in the community that have gone undetected.”

Councillor Seymour-Fagan says she got a call from City of Kawartha Lakes Mayor Andy Letham last Monday (March 23), advising her of just how bad the situation was at Pinecrest.

“They (nursing home administration) had finally reached out to him and (MPP) Laurie (Scott),” she says, noting she has since been in regular communication with a nurse at the home.

“When I first knew what was happening at Pinecrest, I didn’t have actual data and facts. Speaking with the MPP, speaking with the mayor, we knew but what could we say? Public health hadn’t put it out there. The nursing home hadn’t put it out there. I don’t know what happened. A communication breakdown? We’re hearing Dr. Noseworthy say she didn’t know. That can’t happen.”

As Pinecrest administration, in conjunction with public health staff, attempt to get a handle what is a dire situation at the home, Councillor Seymour-Fagan says the effect on her community has been nothing short of “devastating.”

“People that work there live in the area. They care deeply for the residents. Being a PSW (Personal Support Worker) or a nurse in that type of environment is not an easy job. The people that are working there, their hearts are in the right place and they try their best. That’s one of the reasons why this is so devastating. Those who are ill want to be in there to help and they can’t.”

Adding to Councillor Seymour-Fagan’s frustration is the refusal of those to adhere to physical distancing directives.

“People are coming up to their cottages thinking they are safer. They’re not safer. It’s everywhere. People need to realize that and they need to stay at home. Don’t go out and hang out with your friends. I have a friend who had to close his hardware store because people were coming in looking for bird feeders. It doesn’t matter if you’re bored. Find something to do.”

Meanwhile, the Community Foundation of Kawartha Lakes was set to announce Monday (March 30) that a fund to help patients, families and health care workers affected by COVID-19 in Bobcaygeon and surrounding area has been established. The fund, called the Bobcaygeon and Area COVID-19 Relief Fund, is being administered by the foundation, advised by members of the community led by Councillor Seymour-Fagan.

“We already have donors; we’ve already raised a significant amount (of money),” she says.

To make a donation, email kawarthafoundation@gmail.com.

This story has been updated to include the three additional resident deaths reported on March 31, 2020 and to include two photos from Fred Thornhill / The Canadian Press.

Trent University is offering temporary housing for healthcare workers from Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) within the Gzowski College residence on the East Bank of Trent University’s Symons Campus.

The university was approached by PRHC early last week about the possibility of using residences to temporarily house hospital staff who choose to self-isolate from their families while caring for patients.

“Trent has been looking for ways to support the community as we navigate our way through the current crisis,” says Trent’s president and vice-chancellor Dr. Leo Groarke. “After our donation of personal protective equipment to the hospital last week, we are pleased to be able to provide housing for those working on the front lines of healthcare in Peterborough.”

As Trent University has been operating with a reduced campus presence since Monday, March 16th, Gzowski College is currently unoccupied. When not occupied by students during the school term, the college’s rooms would normally by occupied in the spring and summer for conferences and weddings. However, due to the pandemic, all such events have been cancelled and the residences are empty.

Beginning as early as Tuesday, March 31st, up to 100 rooms will be available within Gzowski College. Only every second room will be made available to ensure a private bathroom is available for each occupant and to support appropriate social distancing.

Trent University and PRHC are currently working out the details. While using Gzowski College for temporary housing, PRHC will look after cleaning and sanitation. After the emergency passes, the space will be fully sanitized and turned back over to the university to allow for a 21-day vacancy before students arrive.

“Peterborough Regional Health Centre and Trent University have a long-standing partnership between our organizations,” says Brenda Weir, PRHC’s vice president of medicine and regional programs. “We are pleased to continue working with them through the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure our healthcare professionals and staff have access to the important resources they need as they work around the clock to provide care and support for patients.”

“We are grateful to Trent University and to the many other community organizations that have come forward to offer their support in these unprecedented times.”

While 140 Trent University students without alternative living arrangements are remaining on campus, they are currently residing at the Water Street residences on the west side of Water Street, across from the campus entrance and on the other side of the river from Gzowski College.

Gzowski College, named after the late Canadian journalist and broadcaster Peter Gzowski, is Trent University’s youngest college, officially opening in October 2004.