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Ontario reports 3,947 new COVID-19 cases, including 12 in Peterborough and 9 in Hastings Prince Edward

By kawarthaNOW -

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

Ontario is reporting 3,947 new cases today, with Toronto reporting 1,136 cases and 10 other health units reporting triple-digit increases. The seven-day average of daily cases has decreased by 43 to 4,051.

There are also 2,538 more cases of the B.1.1.7 UK variant, 14 more cases of the B.1.351 South Africa variant, and 80 more cases of the P.1 Brazilian variant.

Hospitalizations have decreased for the third day in a row, but more than 10% of hospitals did not submit data for today’s report so the number of patients may actually be higher. The number of ICU admissions has reached a new record high, but the number of patients on ventilators has decreased slightly.

In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 21 new cases to report and an additional 27 cases resolved, with the number of active cases decreasing by 11 to 268. These numbers do not include Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland, and Haliburton as the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit does not issue updates on Sundays.

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Most of the new cases reported today are in Toronto (1,136), Peel (901), York (406), Ottawa (209), Durham (207), Halton (153), Waterloo (118), Niagara (115), Simcoe Muskoka (111), Hamilton (109), and Middlesex-London (104).

There are double-digit increases reported today in Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (73), Windsor-Essex (59), Southwestern (33), Eastern Ontario (31), Brant (31), Haldimand-Norfolk (16), Peterborough (14), Thunder Bay (13), Hastings Prince Edward (13), Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington (12), Northwestern (11), Renfrew (11), Sudbury (10), and Leeds, Grenville & Lanark (10), with smaller increases in Lambton (8), Grey Bruce (7), Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge (6), and Huron Perth (6).

The remaining 5 health units are reporting 5 or fewer new cases, with all of them reporting at least 1 case.

Of today’s new cases, 57% are among people 39 and younger, with the highest number of cases (1,510) among people ages 20-39 followed by 1,177 cases among people ages 40-59 and 748 cases among people 19 and under.

With 4,239 more cases resolved since yesterday, the percentage of resolved cases has increased by 0.2% to at 89.0% — the sixth straight day the percentage of resolved cases has increased. The average positivity rate across Ontario has increased by 0.9% to 8.7%, meaning that 87 out of every 1,000 tests performed were positive for COVID-19 on April 24.

Ontario is reporting 24 new COVID-19 deaths today, with 1 new death in a long-term care home. Ontario has averaged 28 new daily deaths over the past week, an increase of 1 from yesterday.

The number of hospitalizations has decreased by 151 to 2,126, but more than 10% of hospitals did not submit data for this report so the number of hospitalized patients may actually be higher. The number of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs has increased by 18 to a new record high of 851, but the number of patients with COVID-19 on ventilators has decreased by 4 to 596.

A total of 46,694 tests were completed yesterday, with the backlog of tests under investigation decreasing by 6,292 to 25,641.

A total of 4,626,903 doses of vaccine have now been administered, an increase of 99,535 from yesterday, with 360,354 people fully vaccinated with both doses of vaccine, an increase of 1,578 from yesterday.

The number of fully vaccinated people represents 2.45% of Ontario’s population, an increase of 0.01% from yesterday, with fully and partially vaccinated people representing 30.40% of the population, an increase of 0.68% from yesterday. An estimated 70-90% of the population must be immunized to achieve herd immunity.

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In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 21 new cases to report, including 12 in Peterborough and 9 in Hastings Prince Edward. Updated numbers are unavailable for Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland, and Haliburton as the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit does not issue reports on Sundays.

An outbreak at an unidentified workplace in Belleville, with 5 cases, was declared on April 23.

There are 6 new regional cases of variants of concern, including 4 in Peterborough and 2 in Hastings Prince Edward.

An additional 27 cases have been resolved, including 14 in Hastings Prince Edward and 13 in Peterborough.

There are currently 268 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, a decrease of 11 from yesterday, including 92 in Peterborough, 79 in Hastings Prince Edward (16 in Quinte West, 39 in Belleville, 2 in Tyendinaga & Deseronto, 6 in Prince Edward County, 13 in Central Hastings, and 3 in North Hastings), 55 in Northumberland, 35 in Kawartha Lakes, and 7 in Haliburton.

Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 1,174 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (1,069 resolved with 13 deaths), 691 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (613 resolved with 56 deaths), 785 in Northumberland County (717 resolved with 13 deaths), 95 in Haliburton County (87 resolved with 1 death), and 874 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (786 resolved with 8 deaths). The two most recent deaths were reported in Northumberland and in Peterborough on April 20.

The provincial data in this report is pulled from Ontario’s integrated Public Health Information System (iPHIS) at 4 p.m. the previous day, as well as from systems in Toronto, Ottawa, and Middlesex-London at 2 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).

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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: 1,174 (increase of 9)*
Total variants of concern cases: 404 (increase of 4)
Active cases: 92 (decrease of 4)
Close contacts: 245 (decrease of 6)
Deaths: 13 (no change)
Resolved: 1,069 (increase of 13)
Hospitalizations (total to date): 47 (no change)**
ICU admissions (total to date): 8 (no change)
Total tests completed: Over 49,500 (increase of 500)
Outbreaks: Empress Gardens retirement home in Peterborough, Unidentified congregate living facility #3 in Peterborough, Unidentified workplace #5 in Peterborough, Trent Champlain Residence: West Towers in Peterborough (no change)
Vaccine doses administered: 43,602 (increase of 2,454 as of April 22)
Number of people fully vaccinated: 2,481 (increase of 54 as of April 22)

*The health unit is reporting 12 new cases in the last 24 hours. The total case count has only increased by 9 because 3 cases have been removed from previous days.

**As of April 23, Peterborough Regional Health Centre is reporting 13 patients currently hospitalized with COVID-19 (no change) and a total of 55 patients transferred from other areas as a result of a provincial directive (no change).

 

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 Sundays and statutory holidays. These numbers are from April 24.

Confirmed positive: 1,571, including 691 in Kawartha Lakes, 786 in Northumberland, and 95 in Haliburton (increase of 7, including 4 in Kawartha Lakes and 3 in Northumberland)*
Cases with N501Y mutation: 330, including 102 in Kawartha Lakes, 214 in Northumberland, and 14 in Haliburton (increase of 12, including 6 in Kawartha Lakes and 6 in Northumberland)**
Active cases: 97, including 35 in Kawartha Lakes, 55 in Northumberland, and 7 in Haliburton (net decrease of 5)
Probable cases: 5, including 2 in Kawartha Lakes, 2 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton (increase of 1 in Haliburton)
Hospitalizations (total to date): 57, including 33 in Kawartha Lakes, 21 in Northumberland, and 3 in Haliburton (increase of 1 in Northumberland)***
Deaths (including among probable cases): 70, including 56 in Kawartha Lakes, 13 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton (no change)
Resolved: 1,417, including 613 in Kawartha Lakes, 717 in Northumberland, and 87 in Haliburton (increase of 12, including 2 in Kawartha Lakes and 10 in Northumberland)
Tests completed: 177,317 (increase of 565)
Vaccine doses administered: 51,711 (increase of 13,296 as of April 19)
Number of people fully vaccinated: 3,408 (increase of 361 as of April 19)
Outbreaks: Fenelon Court long-term care home in Fenelon Falls, Grafton Public School in Grafton, Grafton Post Office in Grafton, Mariposa Elementary School in Oakwood, Summersweet Custom Design & Build Inc. in Haliburton (net decrease of 3)*****

*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.

**The N501Y mutation has been identified in variants of concern including the B.1.1.7 UK variant, the B.1.351 South Africa variant, and the P.1 Brazilian variant.

***As of April 23, Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay reports 9 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 (increase of 2).

****A workplace outbreak at Summersweet Custom Design & Build Inc. in Haliburton was declared on April 23. Outbreaks at St. Mary Catholic Secondary School in Cobourg, Cobourg Collegiate Institute in Cobourg, North Hope Central Public School in Campbellcroft, and St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Secondary School in Lindsay have been resolved.

 

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, including on weekends, excluding statutory holidays.

Confirmed positive: 874 (increase of 9)
Confirmed variants of concern cases: 264 (increase of 2)
Active cases: 79 (decrease of 7)
Deaths: 8 (no change)
Currently hospitalized: 17 (no change)
Currently hospitalized and in ICU: 6 (no change)
Currently hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 2 (no change)
Resolved: 786 (increase of 14)
Tests completed: 127,944 (increase of 3,066)
Vaccine doses administered: 62,873 (increase of 615)
Number of people fully vaccinated: 3,960 (increase of 93)
Outbreaks: Unidentified congregate living facility in Belleville, Unidentified community outbreak in Belleville, Unidentified workplace in Prince Edward County, Unidentified workplace in Belleville (increase of 1)*

*An outbreak at an unidentified workplace in Belleville, with 5 cases, was declared on April 23.

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Province of Ontario

Confirmed positive: 445,351 (increase of 3,947)
COVID-19 variants of concern (VOC) cases: 52,398 of B.1.1.7 UK variant (increase of 2,538); 164 of B.1.351 South Africa variant (increase of 14); 267 of P.1 Brazilian variant (increase of 80)*
7-day average of daily new cases: 4,051 (decrease of 43)
Positivity rate: 8.7% (increase of 0.9%)
Resolved: 396,283 (increase of 4,239), 89.0% of all cases (increase of 0.2%)
Hospitalizations: 2,126 (decrease of 151)**
Hospitalizations in ICU: 851 (increase of 18)
Hospitalizations in ICU on ventilator: 596 (decrease of 4)
Deaths: 7,911 (increase of 24)
7-day average of daily new deaths: 28 (increase of 1)
Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 3,914 (increase of 1)
Total tests completed: 13,877,809 (increase of 46,694)
Tests under investigation: 25,641 (decrease of 6,292)
Vaccination doses administered: 4,626,903 (increase of 99,535), 31.40% of Ontario’s population (increase of 0.68%)***
People fully vaccinated (two doses): 360,354 (increase of 1,578), 2.45% of Ontario’s population (increase of 0.01%)***

*While Ontario’s daily update is not yet reporting this information, Public Health Ontario confirmed on April 23 that 36 cases of the B.1.617 variant, a so-called “double mutation” variant first identified in India, have been detected in Ontario.

**As more than 10% of hospitals did not submit data for this report, the number of hospitalized patients may actually be higher.

***An estimated 70-90% of the population must be immunized to achieve herd immunity.

COVID-19 cases in Ontario from March 25 - April 24, 2021. The red line is the number of new cases reported daily, and the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of new cases. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)
COVID-19 cases in Ontario from March 25 – April 24, 2021. The red line is the number of new cases reported daily, and the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of new cases. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)
COVID-19 tests completed in Ontario from March 25 - April 24, 2021. The red line is the daily number of tests completed, and the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of tests completed. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)
COVID-19 tests completed in Ontario from March 25 – April 24, 2021. The red line is the daily number of tests completed, and the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of tests completed. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)
COVID-19 hospitalizations and ICU admissions in Ontario from March 25 - April 24, 2021. The red line is the daily number of COVID-19 hospitalizations, the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of hospitalizations, the purple line is the daily number of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs, and the dotted orange line is a five-day moving average of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)
COVID-19 hospitalizations and ICU admissions in Ontario from March 25 – April 24, 2021. The red line is the daily number of COVID-19 hospitalizations, the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of hospitalizations, the purple line is the daily number of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs, and the dotted orange line is a five-day moving average of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)
COVID-19 deaths in Ontario from March 25 - April 24, 2021. The red line is the cumulative number of daily deaths, and the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of daily deaths. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)
COVID-19 deaths in Ontario from March 25 – April 24, 2021. The red line is the cumulative number of daily deaths, and the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of daily deaths. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)
COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in Ontario from March 25 - April 24, 2021. The red line is the cumulative number of daily doses administered, and the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of daily doses. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)
COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in Ontario from March 25 – April 24, 2021. The red line is the cumulative number of daily doses administered, and the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of daily doses. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)

 

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

Ontario reports 4,094 new COVID-19 cases, including first cases of B.1.617 variant from India

By kawarthaNOW -

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

Ontario is reporting 4,094 new cases today, with more than 1,000 cases in Toronto and in Peel (for the second day in a row) and 7 other health units reporting triple-digit increases. The seven-day average of daily cases has decreased by 39 to 4,094.

Public Health Ontario has confirmed 36 cases of the B.1.617 variant, first identified in India, have been detected in the province.

“I am extremely concerned about the threat of this latest variant,” said Premier Doug Ford in a statement on Saturday, pleading with the federal government to prohibit all non-essential travel to Canada immediately. “The images we are seeing from other parts of the world right now are heartbreaking. These deadly new variants are causing devastation in India and other countries. We can’t let that happen here.”

There are also 2,955 more cases of the B.1.1.7 UK variant, 16 more cases of the B.1.351 South Africa variant, and 32 more cases of the P.1 Brazilian variant.

Hospitalizations have decreased slightly for the second day in a row, but ICU admissions and patients on ventilators have increased to new record highs. More than 4.5 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine have now been administered in Ontario, with 30% of the population now having received at least one dose; an estimated 70-90% of the population must be immunized to achieve herd immunity.

In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 35 new cases to report and an additional 33 cases resolved, with the number of active cases increasing by 2 to 279.

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Most of the new cases reported today are in Toronto (1,191), Peel (1,014), York (406), Niagara (226), Durham (199), Ottawa (158), Hamilton (133), Waterloo (111), and Halton (109).

There are double-digit increases reported today in Middlesex-London (96), Simcoe Muskoka (86), Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (78), Windsor-Essex (45), Eastern Ontario (32), Brant (32), Haldimand-Norfolk (21), Southwestern (16), Porcupine (15), Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge (14), Grey Bruce (14), Leeds, Grenville & Lanark (12), and Lambton (12), with smaller increases in Northwestern (9), Thunder Bay (9), Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington (9), Peterborough (8), Huron Perth (7), Hastings Prince Edward (6).

The remaining 6 health units are reporting 5 or fewer new cases, with all of them reporting at least 1 case.

Of today’s new cases, 56% are among people 39 and younger, with the highest number of cases (1,594) among people ages 20-39 followed by 1,198 cases among people ages 40-59 and 707 cases among people 19 and under.

With 4,332 more cases resolved since yesterday, the percentage of resolved cases has increased by 0.1% to at 88.8% — the fifth day in a row of an increase in resolved cases. The average positivity rate across Ontario has decreased by 1.0% to 7.8%, meaning that 78 out of every 1,000 tests performed were positive for COVID-19 on April 23.

Ontario is reporting 24 new COVID-19 deaths today, with no new deaths in long-term care homes. Ontario has averaged 27 new daily deaths over the past week, a decrease of 1 from yesterday.

The number of hospitalizations has decreased by 10 to 2,277, but the number of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs has increased by 15 to 833 and the number of patients with COVID-19 on ventilators has increased by 7 to 600.

A total of 52,160 tests were completed yesterday, with the backlog of tests under investigation increasing by 570 to 31,933.

A total of 4,527,368 doses of vaccine have now been administered, an increase of 126,694 from yesterday, with 358,776 people fully vaccinated with both doses of vaccine, an increase of 3,568 from yesterday.

The number of fully vaccinated people represents 2.44% of Ontario’s population, an increase of 0.03% from yesterday, with fully and partially vaccinated people representing 30.73% of the population, an increase of 0.86% from yesterday. An estimated 70-90% of the population must be immunized to achieve herd immunity.

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In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 35 new cases to report, including 18 in Hastings Prince Edward, 10 in Peterborough, 4 in Kawartha Lakes, and 3 in Northumberland. There are no new cases in Haliburton.

A workplace outbreak at Summersweet Custom Design & Build Inc. in Haliburton was declared on April 23.

There are 4 new hospitalizations and 1 new ICU admission in Hastings Prince Edward, and 1 new hospitalization in Northumberland.

There are 17 new regional cases of variants of concern, including 6 in Kawartha Lakes, 6 in Northumberland, 4 in Peterborough, and 1 in Hastings Prince Edward.

An additional 33 cases have been resolved, including 12 in Hastings Prince Edward, 10 in Northumberland, 9 in Peterborough, and 2 in Kawartha Lakes. Outbreaks at an unidentified workplace in Peterborough, St. Mary Catholic Secondary School in Cobourg, Cobourg Collegiate Institute in Cobourg, North Hope Central Public School in Campbellcroft, and St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Secondary School in Lindsay have been declared resolved.

There are currently 279 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, an increase of 2 from yesterday, including 96 in Peterborough, 86 in Hastings Prince Edward (15 in Quinte West, 41 in Belleville, 3 in Tyendinaga & Deseronto, 6 in Prince Edward County, 17 in Central Hastings, and 4 in North Hastings), 55 in Northumberland, 35 in Kawartha Lakes, and 7 in Haliburton.

Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 1,165 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (1,056 resolved with 13 deaths), 691 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (613 resolved with 56 deaths), 785 in Northumberland County (717 resolved with 13 deaths), 95 in Haliburton County (87 resolved with 1 death), and 866 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (771 resolved with 8 deaths). The two most recent deaths were reported in Northumberland and in Peterborough on April 20.

The provincial data in this report is pulled from Ontario’s integrated Public Health Information System (iPHIS) at 4 p.m. the previous day, as well as from systems in Toronto, Ottawa, and Middlesex-London at 2 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).

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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: 1,165 (increase of 12)*
Total variants of concern cases: 400 (increase of 4)
Active cases: 96 (increase of 3)
Close contacts: 251 (decrease of 44)
Deaths: 13 (no change)
Resolved: 1,056 (increase of 9)
Hospitalizations (total to date): 47 (no change)**
ICU admissions (total to date): 8 (no change)
Total tests completed: Over 49,000 (increase of 250)
Outbreaks: Empress Gardens retirement home in Peterborough, Unidentified congregate living facility #3 in Peterborough, Unidentified workplace #5 in Peterborough, Trent Champlain Residence: West Towers in Peterborough (decrease of 1)***
Vaccine doses administered: 43,602 (increase of 2,454 as of April 22)
Number of people fully vaccinated: 2,481 (increase of 54 as of April 22)

*The health unit is reporting 10 new cases in the last 24 hours. The total case count has increased by 2 because 2 cases have been added from previous days.

**As of April 23, Peterborough Regional Health Centre is reporting 13 patients currently hospitalized with COVID-19 (no change) and a total of 55 patients transferred from other areas as a result of a provincial directive (no change).

***An outbreak at unidentified workplace #6 in Peterborough was declared resolved on April 24.

 

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 Sundays and statutory holidays.

Confirmed positive: 1,571, including 691 in Kawartha Lakes, 786 in Northumberland, and 95 in Haliburton (increase of 7, including 4 in Kawartha Lakes and 3 in Northumberland)*
Cases with N501Y mutation: 330, including 102 in Kawartha Lakes, 214 in Northumberland, and 14 in Haliburton (increase of 12, including 6 in Kawartha Lakes and 6 in Northumberland)**
Active cases: 97, including 35 in Kawartha Lakes, 55 in Northumberland, and 7 in Haliburton (net decrease of 5)
Probable cases: 5, including 2 in Kawartha Lakes, 2 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton (increase of 1 in Haliburton)
Hospitalizations (total to date): 57, including 33 in Kawartha Lakes, 21 in Northumberland, and 3 in Haliburton (increase of 1 in Northumberland)***
Deaths (including among probable cases): 70, including 56 in Kawartha Lakes, 13 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton (no change)
Resolved: 1,417, including 613 in Kawartha Lakes, 717 in Northumberland, and 87 in Haliburton (increase of 12, including 2 in Kawartha Lakes and 10 in Northumberland)
Tests completed: 177,317 (increase of 565)
Vaccine doses administered: 51,711 (increase of 13,296 as of April 19)
Number of people fully vaccinated: 3,408 (increase of 361 as of April 19)
Outbreaks: Fenelon Court long-term care home in Fenelon Falls, Grafton Public School in Grafton, Grafton Post Office in Grafton, Mariposa Elementary School in Oakwood, Summersweet Custom Design & Build Inc. in Haliburton (net decrease of 3)*****

*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.

**The N501Y mutation has been identified in variants of concern including the B.1.1.7 UK variant, the B.1.351 South Africa variant, and the P.1 Brazilian variant.

***As of April 23, Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay reports 9 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 (increase of 2).

****A workplace outbreak at Summersweet Custom Design & Build Inc. in Haliburton was declared on April 23. Outbreaks at St. Mary Catholic Secondary School in Cobourg, Cobourg Collegiate Institute in Cobourg, North Hope Central Public School in Campbellcroft, and St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Secondary School in Lindsay have been resolved.

 

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, including on weekends, excluding statutory holidays.

Confirmed positive: 866 (increase of 18)
Confirmed variants of concern cases: 261 (increase of 1)
Active cases: 86 (increase of 4)
Deaths: 8 (no change)
Currently hospitalized: 17 (increase of 4)
Currently hospitalized and in ICU: 6 (increase of 1)
Currently hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 2 (no change)
Resolved: 771 (increase of 12)
Tests completed: 124,878 (no change)
Vaccine doses administered: 62,258 (increase of 1,112)
Number of people fully vaccinated: 3,867 (increase of 2)
Outbreaks: Unidentified congregate living facility in Belleville, Unidentified community outbreak in Belleville, Unidentified workplace in Prince Edward County (no change)

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Province of Ontario

Confirmed positive: 441,404 (increase of 4,094)
COVID-19 variants of concern (VOC) cases: 49,860 of B.1.1.7 UK variant (increase of 2,955); 150 of B.1.351 South Africa variant (increase of 16); 267 of P.1 Brazilian variant (increase of 43)**
7-day average of daily new cases: 4,094 (decrease of 38)
Positivity rate: 7.8% (decrease of 1.0%)
Resolved: 392,044 (increase of 4,332), 88.8% of all cases (increase of 0.1%)
Hospitalizations: 2,277 (decrease of 10)
Hospitalizations in ICU: 833 (increase of 15)
Hospitalizations in ICU on ventilator: 600 (increase of 7)
Deaths: 7,887 (increase of 24)
7-day average of daily new deaths: 27 (decrease of 1)
Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 3,913 (no change)
Total tests completed: 13,831,115 (increase of 52,160)
Tests under investigation: 31,933 (increase of 570)
Vaccination doses administered: 4,527,368 (increase of 126,694), 30.73% of Ontario’s population (increase of 0.86%)**
People fully vaccinated (two doses): 358,776 (increase of 3,568), 2.44% of Ontario’s population (increase of 0.03%)**

*While Ontario’s daily update is not yet reporting this information, Public Health Ontario has confirmed 36 cases of the B.1.617 variant, a so-called “double mutation” variant first identified in India, have been detected in Ontario.

**An estimated 70-90% of the population must be immunized to achieve herd immunity.

COVID-19 cases in Ontario from March 24 - April 23, 2021. The red line is the number of new cases reported daily, and the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of new cases. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)
COVID-19 cases in Ontario from March 24 – April 23, 2021. The red line is the number of new cases reported daily, and the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of new cases. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)
COVID-19 tests completed in Ontario from March 24 - April 23, 2021. The red line is the daily number of tests completed, and the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of tests completed. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)
COVID-19 tests completed in Ontario from March 24 – April 23, 2021. The red line is the daily number of tests completed, and the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of tests completed. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)
COVID-19 hospitalizations and ICU admissions in Ontario from March 24 - April 23, 2021. The red line is the daily number of COVID-19 hospitalizations, the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of hospitalizations, the purple line is the daily number of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs, and the dotted orange line is a five-day moving average of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)
COVID-19 hospitalizations and ICU admissions in Ontario from March 24 – April 23, 2021. The red line is the daily number of COVID-19 hospitalizations, the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of hospitalizations, the purple line is the daily number of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs, and the dotted orange line is a five-day moving average of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)
COVID-19 deaths in Ontario from March 24 - April 23, 2021. The red line is the cumulative number of daily deaths, and the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of daily deaths. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)
COVID-19 deaths in Ontario from March 24 – April 23, 2021. The red line is the cumulative number of daily deaths, and the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of daily deaths. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)
COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in Ontario from March 24 - April 23, 2021. The red line is the cumulative number of daily doses administered, and the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of daily doses. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)
COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in Ontario from March 24 – April 23, 2021. The red line is the cumulative number of daily doses administered, and the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of daily doses. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)

 

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

Short film by Peterborough filmmaker finds success on international film festival circuit

By Sarah McNeilly -
A scene from Peterborough filmmaker Keith Smith's 2019 short "The Photo", inspired by a real-life encounter Smith had 20 years ago. The 12-minute film, which was shot at the Peterborough Lift Lock, has garnered numerous accolades and award nominations at international film festivals in 2021. The film stars Peterborough community theatre actors Glen Walker and Rhonda Brewster. (Screenshot)

A short film called “The Photo” by Peterborough-based filmmaker R. Keith Smith — shot at the Peterborough Lift Lock in 2019 — has recently been making waves on the international film festival circuit.

Written and directed by Smith and produced and edited by Christian Moes, “The Photo” has now been shown at more than 40 international film festivals. It stars Peterborough community theatre actors Glen Walker, a veteran of the Peterborough Theatre Guild and a Pathway of Fame inductee, and Rhonda Brewster.

The 12-minute film has garnered numerous accolades and award nominations in 2021, including winner at the Cairo Indie Short Festival, finalist at both the Paris International Short Festival and the Vancouver Independent Film Festival, and a best actress nomination for Brewster at both the San Francisco Indie Short Film Festival and the Vienna Indie Short Film Festival.

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“The Photo” details a chance encounter between a travelling photographer (Brewster) and an elderly gentleman (Walker). Their endearing chat ends with a photographic exchange, making present that which is absent from the photo.

“The Photo” is based on a true story, one that has stayed with Smith for the better part of 20 years.

On a family vacation to Banff National Park, Smith was photographing his wife and children on the picturesque landscape. An older gentleman approached him and offered to photograph Smith and his family together. Once the photo had been taken, the gentleman asked if Smith would return the gesture by photographing him.

"The Photo" was written and directed by Peterborough filmmaker R. Keith Smith. (Photo courtesy of R. Kevin Smith)
“The Photo” was written and directed by Peterborough filmmaker R. Keith Smith. (Photo courtesy of R. Kevin Smith)

“He handed me his old Brownie camera — one of those old box cameras — and he was directing me quite meticulously in terms of positioning,” Smith recalls.

“He was very precise about where he ought to stand and where I ought to stand,” he laughs.

“I mentioned to him that the positioning made for a lot of empty space in the frame, and he said ‘That’s where my wife stands.’ But he was there all alone. He then told me that his wife had passed away. Every year during their 65-year marriage, they would come to that spot — the spot where they first met — and have their photo taken on their anniversary.”

“This was the first year that his wife was not there,” recalls a visibly moved Smith. “I still get choked up every time I think about it, and that was close to 20 years ago.”

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Smith felt compelled to share the story with the world and film, he decided, was the perfect medium to do so.

Smith grew up immersed in the magic of film, with most of his immediate and extended family prolific photographers and filmmakers.

“My dad was an avid photographer,” Smith explains. “We had a darkroom in the basement. I grew up surrounded by people in the film and television industries.”

In fact, some of Smith’s earliest childhood memories are of making films and even, on occasion, helping the grown-ups get that perfect shot.

R. Keith Smith's 2019 short "The Photo" has received several honours at international film festivals in 2021. (Poster detail courtesy of Chorister Productions)
R. Keith Smith’s 2019 short “The Photo” has received several honours at international film festivals in 2021. (Poster detail courtesy of Chorister Productions)

One memory, in particular, sticks out for Smith as his introduction to filmmaking.

“Don, a family friend, was a documentarian detailing most of the rail systems within Ontario,” Smith recalls. “It was the last run of this steam engine [train] that was being parked down at the CNE. So my was dad was driving this Chev, which was not designed to go at that speed, down Bayview along the tracks. And Don was hanging his arse out the window trying to film this thing.”

“And me, I was like five years old, I was hanging on to him as tight as I could,” laughs Smith.

As a filmmaker, Smith is able to combine his experience with business systems and engineering with his capacity for creative writing and theatrical expertise. Film, for Smith, is the perfect marriage of technology and storytelling.

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“It was the technical side of film that first fascinated me — I love that techie stuff — but it isn’t just about the machines,” he says.

“I’ll always remember Norman Jewison’s Oscar acceptance speech,” Smith says. “He summarized film so nicely. He said, ‘Tell a story. At the heart of it, film isn’t about technique, it’s about that human interaction of telling a story from one person to another.’ That always struck me.”

In telling a story based on truth, Smith’s short film “The Photo” honours that story with every retelling — it gives the story a new and lasting life.

VIDEO: “The Photo” by R. Keith Smith

“I’m just honouring that man,” Smith says, referring to the older gentleman he and his family encountered almost 20 years ago. “And honouring life. Life is life is worth living — it’s a series of events that will take you in so many different directions.”

Smith attributes the positive response and international success of “The Photo” to the universality of the film’s themes.

“It’s incredibly humbling to think that I actually touched on those universalities of life,” he says. “Bottom line, I’m humbled by the fact that I have this amalgam of a story and incredible people around me to be able to tell that story.”

Ontario reports 4,505 new COVID-19 cases, including 30 in greater Kawarthas

By kawarthaNOW -

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

The rollercoaster of new cases continues with Ontario reporting 4,505 cases today after yesterday’s 3,682 cases. For the first time ever, Peel is reporting more than 1,000 cases along with Toronto, with 6 other health units reporting triple-digit increases — a smaller number than in previous days.

The seven-day average of daily cases has decreased by 44 to 4,132. There are 2,700 more cases of the B.1.1.7 UK variant, along with 21 more cases of the B.1.351 South Africa variant and 6 more cases of the P.1 Brazilian variant.

Hospitalizations have decreased slightly, but ICU admissions and patients on ventilators have increased to record highs, with Ontario reporting 34 new deaths today. An additional 3,854 people were fully immunized yesterday, the highest daily number since vaccinations began in Ontario.

In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 30 new cases to report and an additional 47 cases resolved, reducing the number of active cases by 19 to 277. This is the fifth straight day the number of regional active cases has decreased, falling by 145 since April 18. The highest number of regional active cases was 464 on April 15.

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Most of the new cases reported today are in Toronto (1,257), Peel (1,232), York (412), Ottawa (247), Durham (224), Niagara (179), Halton (144), and Hamilton (135).

There are double-digit increases reported today in Simcoe Muskoka (96), Middlesex-London (96), Waterloo (83), Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (66), Windsor-Essex (65), Brant (58), Eastern Ontario (25), Haldimand-Norfolk (22), Lambton (19), Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge (16), Thunder Bay (15), Porcupine (15), Northwestern (13), Southwestern (13), Hastings Prince Edward (12), Chatham-Kent (12), Sudbury (11), and Leeds, Grenville & Lanark (11), with smaller increases in Peterborough (9) and Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington (8).

The remaining 6 health units are reporting 5 or fewer new cases, with 2 health units (North Bay Parry Sound and Renfrew) reporting no new cases at all.

Of today’s new cases, 55% are among people 39 and younger, with the highest number of cases (1,685) among people ages 20-39 followed by 1,401 cases among people ages 40-59 and 793 cases among people 19 and under.

With 4,698 more cases resolved since yesterday, the percentage of resolved cases has increased by 0.2% to at 88.7% — the fourth day in a row of an increase in resolved cases. The average positivity rate across Ontario has increased by 1.0% to 8.8%, meaning that 88 out of every 1,000 tests performed were positive for COVID-19 on April 22.

Ontario is reporting 34 new COVID-19 deaths today, with 1 new death in a long-term care home. Ontario has averaged 28 new daily deaths over the past week, an increase of 1 from yesterday.

The number of hospitalizations has decreased by 63 to 2,287, but the number of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs has increased by 12 to 818 and the number of patients with COVID-19 on ventilators has increased by 5 to 593.

A total of 56,206 tests were completed yesterday, with the backlog of tests under investigation decreasing by 1,964 to 31,363.

A total of 4,400,674 doses of vaccine have now been administered, an increase of 133,872 from yesterday, with 355,208 people fully vaccinated with both doses of vaccine, an increase of 3,854 from yesterday — the highest daily number since vaccinations began in Ontario.

The number of fully vaccinated people represents 2.41% of Ontario’s population, an increase of 0.03% from yesterday, with fully and partially vaccinated people representing 29.87% of the population, an increase of 0.91% from yesterday. An estimated 70-90% of the population must be immunized to achieve herd immunity.

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In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 30 new cases to report, including 9 in Northumberland, 7 in Peterborough, 6 in Hastings Prince Edward, 4 in Kawartha Lakes, and 4 in Haliburton.

There are 2 new hospitalizations and 1 new ICU admission in Peterborough. There is 1 new hospitalization, 3 new ICU admissions, and 1 additional patient on a ventilator in Hastings Prince Edward.

There are 35 new regional cases of variants of concern, including 15 in Hastings Prince Edward, 9 in Peterborough, 6 in Northumberland, and 5 in Kawartha Lakes.

An additional 47 cases have been resolved, including 20 in Northumberland, 16 in Peterborough, 5 in Haliburton, 3 in Kawartha Lakes, and 3 in in Hastings Prince Edward.

There are currently 277 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, a decrease of 19 from yesterday, including 93 in Peterborough, 82 in Hastings Prince Edward (17 in Quinte West, 38 in Belleville, 4 in Tyendinaga & Deseronto, 4 in Prince Edward County, 13 in Central Hastings, and 6 in North Hastings), 62 in Northumberland, 33 in Kawartha Lakes, and 7 in Haliburton.

Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 1,153 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (1,047 resolved with 13 deaths), 687 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (611 resolved with 56 deaths), 782 in Northumberland County (707 resolved with 13 deaths), 95 in Haliburton County (87 resolved with 1 death), and 848 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (758 resolved with 8 deaths). The two most recent deaths were reported in Northumberland and in Peterborough on April 20.

The provincial data in this report is pulled from Ontario’s integrated Public Health Information System (iPHIS) at 4 p.m. the previous day, as well as from systems in Toronto, Ottawa, and Middlesex-London at 2 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).

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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: 1,153 (increase of 7)
Total variants of concern cases: 396 (increase of 9)
Active cases: 93 (decrease of 9)
Close contacts: 295 (decrease of 25)
Deaths: 13 (no change)
Resolved: 1,047 (increase of 16)
Hospitalizations (total to date): 47 (increase of 2)*
ICU admissions (total to date): 8 (increase of 1)
Total tests completed: Over 49,150 (increase of 150)
Outbreaks: Empress Gardens retirement home in Peterborough, Unidentified congregate living facility #3 in Peterborough, Unidentified workplace #5 in Peterborough, Unidentified workplace #6 in Peterborough, Trent Champlain Residence: West Towers in Peterborough (no change)
Vaccine doses administered: 43,602 (increase of 2,454 as of April 22)
Number of people fully vaccinated: 2,481 (increase of 54 as of April 22)

*As of April 23, Peterborough Regional Health Centre is reporting 13 patients currently hospitalized with COVID-19 (no change) and a total of 55 patients transferred from other areas as a result of a provincial directive (no change).

 

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 Sundays and statutory holidays.

Confirmed positive: 1,564, including 687 in Kawartha Lakes, 782 in Northumberland, and 95 in Haliburton (increase of 17, including 4 in Kawartha Lakes, 9 in Northumberland, and 4 in Haliburton)*
Cases with N501Y mutation: 318, including 96 in Kawartha Lakes, 208 in Northumberland, and 14 in Haliburton (increase of 11, including 5 in Kawartha Lakes and 6 in Northumberland)**
Active cases: 102, including 33 in Kawartha Lakes, 62 in Northumberland, and 7 in Haliburton (net decrease of 9)
Probable cases: 4, including 2 in Kawartha Lakes and 2 in Northumberland (increase of 2 in Northumberland)
Hospitalizations (total to date): 56, including 33 in Kawartha Lakes, 20 in Northumberland, and 3 in Haliburton (no change)***
Deaths (including among probable cases): 70, including 56 in Kawartha Lakes, 13 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton (no change)
Resolved: 1,405, including 611 in Kawartha Lakes, 707 in Northumberland, and 87 in Haliburton (increase of 28, including 3 in Kawartha Lakes, 20 in Northumberland, and 5 in Haliburton)
Tests completed: 176,752 (increase of 739)
Vaccine doses administered: 51,711 (increase of 13,296 as of April 19)
Number of people fully vaccinated: 3,408 (increase of 361 as of April 19)
Outbreaks: St. Mary Catholic Secondary School in Cobourg, Cobourg Collegiate Institute in Cobourg, Fenelon Court long-term care home in Fenelon Falls, North Hope Central Public School in Campbellcroft, Grafton Public School in Grafton, Grafton Post Office in Grafton, St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Secondary School in Lindsay, Mariposa Elementary School in Oakwood (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.

**The N501Y mutation has been identified in variants of concern including the B.1.1.7 UK variant, the B.1.351 South Africa variant, and the P.1 Brazilian variant.

***As of April 23, Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay reports 9 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 (increase of 2).

 

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, including on weekends, excluding statutory holidays.

Confirmed positive: 848 (increase of 6)
Confirmed variants of concern cases: 260 (increase of 15)
Active cases: 82 (decrease of 1)
Deaths: 8 (no change)
Currently hospitalized: 13 (increase of 1)
Currently hospitalized and in ICU: 5 (increase of 3)
Currently hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 2 (increase of 1)
Resolved: 758 (increase of 3)
Tests completed: 124,878 (increase of 3)
Vaccine doses administered: 61,146 (increase of 5,426)
Number of people fully vaccinated: 3,865 (increase of 283)
Outbreaks: Unidentified congregate living facility in Belleville, Unidentified community outbreak in Belleville, Unidentified workplace in Prince Edward County (no change)

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Province of Ontario

Confirmed positive: 437,310 (increase of 4,505)
COVID-19 variants of concern (VOC) cases: 46,905 of B.1.1.7 UK variant (increase of 2,700); 134 of B.1.351 South Africa variant (increase of 21); 224 of P.1 Brazilian variant (increase of 6)
7-day average of daily new cases: 4,132 (decrease of 44)
Positivity rate: 8.8% (increase of 1.0%)
Resolved: 387,712 (increase of 4,698), 88.7% of all cases (increase of 0.2%)
Hospitalizations: 2,287 (decrease of 63)
Hospitalizations in ICU: 818 (increase of 12)
Hospitalizations in ICU on ventilator: 593 (increase of 5)
Deaths: 7,863 (increase of 34)
7-day average of daily new deaths: 28 (increase of 1)
Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 3,913 (increase of 1)
Total tests completed: 13,778,955 (increase of 56,206)
Tests under investigation: 31,363 (decrease of 1,964)
Vaccination doses administered: 4,400,674 (increase of 133,872), 29.87% of Ontario’s population (increase of 0.91%)*
People fully vaccinated (two doses): 355,208 (increase of 3,854), 2.41% of Ontario’s population (increase of 0.03%)*

*An estimated 70-90% of the population must be immunized to achieve herd immunity.

COVID-19 cases in Ontario from March 23 - April 22, 2021. The red line is the number of new cases reported daily, and the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of new cases. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)
COVID-19 cases in Ontario from March 23 – April 22, 2021. The red line is the number of new cases reported daily, and the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of new cases. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)
COVID-19 tests completed in Ontario from March 23 - April 22, 2021. The red line is the daily number of tests completed, and the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of tests completed. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)
COVID-19 tests completed in Ontario from March 23 – April 22, 2021. The red line is the daily number of tests completed, and the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of tests completed. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)
COVID-19 hospitalizations and ICU admissions in Ontario from March 23 - April 22, 2021. The red line is the daily number of COVID-19 hospitalizations, the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of hospitalizations, the purple line is the daily number of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs, and the dotted orange line is a five-day moving average of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)
COVID-19 hospitalizations and ICU admissions in Ontario from March 23 – April 22, 2021. The red line is the daily number of COVID-19 hospitalizations, the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of hospitalizations, the purple line is the daily number of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs, and the dotted orange line is a five-day moving average of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)
COVID-19 deaths in Ontario from March 23 - April 22, 2021. The red line is the cumulative number of daily deaths, and the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of daily deaths. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)
COVID-19 deaths in Ontario from March 23 – April 22, 2021. The red line is the cumulative number of daily deaths, and the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of daily deaths. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)
COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in Ontario from March 23 - April 22, 2021. The red line is the cumulative number of daily doses administered, and the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of daily doses. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)
COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in Ontario from March 23 – April 22, 2021. The red line is the cumulative number of daily doses administered, and the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of daily doses. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)

 

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

Police can’t stop Saturday’s anti-lockdown protest in Peterborough, but they will be there

By Paul Rellinger -
On April 22, 2021, Peterborough Mayor Diane Therrien tweeted this image to anti-lockdown politicans Randy Hillier and Maxime Bernier, both of whom are scheduled to speak at an anti-lockdown protest in Peterborough on April 24, prefacing the image with the comment "I know you boys are bored but". (Image: @DianeNTherrien / Twitter)

A protest of COVID-19 restrictions planned for this Saturday (April 24) in Confederation Park across from Peterborough City Hall is casting a dark shadow over some encouraging news in terms of active case counts in the Peterborough region, but police say they don’t have the authority to stop the protest from taking place.

During a Peterborough Public Health briefing held Friday (April 23), local politicians representing all three levels of government urged those planning to protest to stay home, citing concern that the gathering will turn into a virus super-spreader event.

“There is a high likelihood that they (protesters) will be bringing COVID-19 here with them and there is a high likelihood that there will be a spread of COVID-19 as a result,” said Peterborough-Kawartha MPP Dave Smith, referencing the earlier outbreak at the Severn Court Student Residence that resulted in close to 60 positive cases and one death.

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“You have the right to protest. You have the right to object. You do not have the right to harm someone else and that is what you will be doing. You are entitled to your opinion but you are not entitled to make up facts. Social distancing works. Masking works. Vaccination works. All you have to do is look at Israel.”

MPP Smith saved his harshest comments for anti-lockdown advocate Randy Hillier, Ontario independent MPP for Lanark-Frontenac-Kingston, who — along with Maxime Bernier, former MP and leader of the federal People’s Party of Canada — is scheduled to come to Peterborough to speak at the protest.

“Stay home, I don’t want you here,” MPP Smith said. “Go away. You don’t belong here.”

On social media, both Hillier and Bernier have encouraged their followers — many of whom are not from the Peterborough area — to attend the protest, as has the Facebook page No More Lockdowns Canada.

Peterborough-Kawartha MP Maryam Monsef and Peterborough County Warden J. Murray Jones echoed MPP Smith’s comments regarding the planned protest. While unable to attend the briefing, Peterborough Mayor Diane Therrien made a similar plea earlier this week via a joint statement issued by all four politicians. Mayor Therrien also issued a tweet on Thursday asking Hillier and Bernier to “Stay TF home.”

For his part, Peterborough Police Services Chief Scott Gilbert made it clear that people have a right to protest and, as such, police cannot prevent that from happening. However, his comments made it clear he does not support people gathering in large numbers to protest.

“This group is going to come and stand on the cenotaph, using the monument that the city and county has dedicated all those men and women that went off to war and fought,” Chief Gilbert noted. “They’re going to stand on that monument and risk infecting the elderly in our community whose names are reflected on that monument. That’s a shame.”

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“I wish they would stay home and not come here and endanger our community, but the reality is the power doesn’t exist right now to prevent people from coming here,” he added. “The law does not allow us to be pre-emptive. It’s not like somebody is about to commit an armed robbery and you can arrest them in advance in the planning stage. That legal authority doesn’t exist in relation to the stay-at-home order.”

Noting there will be a strong police presence at the protest, Chief Gilbert wouldn’t elaborate on the planned police response, saying “There’s a reason we have plans and we like to keep those to ourselves. We’ll see how things unfold tomorrow. We don’t have the ability or the authority to kettle an entire crowd and funnel them to one point and give them all a ticket.”

Saturday’s protest will occur during a time when the active COVID-19 case count in the Peterborough region is showing some improvement. As of Thursday afternoon, active cases stood at 102 in Peterborough city and county, Curve Lake and Hiawatha — down 21 from two days earlier. To date this week, 36 new cases have emerged, a stark contrast to last week’s record 112 new cases.

More telling of positive news is the reported 55 active cases per 100,000 residents reported for the Peterborough region, down from 70 cases per 100,000 people just last week. By contrast, Durham Region is reporting 300 cases per 100,000 people.

Still, the number of close contacts of positive cases being monitored by public health staff has risen by 14 since Tuesday to 320 and there has been another COVID-related death, bringing that total to 13 during the course of pandemic.

Medical officer of health Dr. Rosanna Salvaterra confirmed the death is not related to any one of the five ongoing outbreaks in the region, all of which she reported as being “stable.”

“Every day that has fewer cases than the day before is reason to be optimistic and be encouraged,” she said, adding “Certainly the last few days have been a bit of a relief.”

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Nonetheless, Dr. Salvaterra stressed the lower case count number shouldn’t be a sign to people that we’re out of the woods. Quite the contrary, she said.

“As more and more people are receiving their first dose (of vaccine), the question we’re hearing often is ‘Now what? Can I go back to my pre-pandemic ways? Can I kiss my grandchildren?’ The short answer is no.”

“We all need to follow public health measures even if we’ve had a first dose. One dose does not mean you’re fully immunized. It does not bestow on you any special superpowers.”

Dr. Salvaterra also provided an update of local vaccination numbers. To date, 45,917 people have received at least their first dose — about 5,000 more over the past week. Of these, 43,602 are Peterborough residents. As for those who have received a second dose, the majority of which are long-term care and retirement home residents, that number stands at 2,481.

In addition, Dr. Salvaterra noted, per a new provincial directive, vaccine eligibility has been extended to include to those who are pregnant, who have been re-classified as at high risk. Those who pregnant are “encouraged” to consult with their health care provider about the benefits and risks of vaccination.

Ontario reports 3,682 new COVID-19 cases, including 35 in greater Kawarthas

By kawarthaNOW -

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

Today Ontario is reporting 3,682 new cases, with the seven-day average of daily cases decreasing by 151 to 4,176. Toronto is reporting 1,131 cases and 8 other health units are reporting triple-digit increases. There are 2,810 more cases of the B.1.1.7 UK variant, 5 more cases of the B.1.351 South Africa variant, and 6 more cases of the P.1 Brazilian variant.

Hospitalizations, ICU admissions, and patients on ventilators have continued to increase to record highs, with Ontario reporting 40 new deaths — the highest daily increase since February 18 when 47 deaths were reported. None of today’s deaths are in long-term care homes.

In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 35 new cases to report. However, with an additional 65 cases resolved, the number of active cases has decreased by 21 to 296.

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Most of the new cases reported today are in Toronto (1,131), Peel (507), York (436), Ottawa (279), Durham (200), Niagara (165), Hamilton (144), Halton (129), and Middlesex-London (113).

There are double-digit increases reported today in Waterloo (94), Simcoe Muskoka (69), Eastern Ontario (64), Windsor-Essex (47), Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (46), Brant (38), Haldimand-Norfolk (34), Southwestern (24), Grey Bruce (18), Porcupine (17), Sudbury (16), Lambton (16), Northwestern (14), Renfrew (12), and Leeds, Grenville & Lanark (10), with smaller increases in Hastings Prince Edward (9), Peterborough (9), Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington (8), Thunder Bay (7), and Algoma (6).

The remaining 5 health units are reporting 5 or fewer new cases, with all of them reporting at least 3 cases.

Of today’s new cases, 55% are among people 39 and younger, with the highest number of cases (1,395) among people ages 20-39 followed by 1,120 cases among people ages 40-59 and 634 cases among people 19 and under.

With 4,597 more cases resolved since yesterday, the percentage of resolved cases has increased by 0.3% to at 88.5%. The average positivity rate across Ontario has decreased by 0.1% to 7.8%, meaning that 78 out of every 1,000 tests performed were positive for COVID-19 on April 21.

Ontario is reporting 40 new COVID-19 deaths today, with no new deaths in long-term care homes. This is the highest daily increase since February 18 when 47 deaths were reported, 18 of which were in long-term care homes. Ontario has averaged 27 new daily deaths over the past week, an increase of 1 from yesterday.

The number of hospitalizations has increased by 15 to 2,350, with the number of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs increasing by 16 to 806 and the number of patients with COVID-19 on ventilators increasing by 22 to 588.

A total of 54,246 tests were completed yesterday, with the backlog of tests under investigation increasing by 1,208 to 33,327.

A total of 4,266,802 doses of vaccine have now been administered, an increase of 134,920 from yesterday, with 351,354 people fully vaccinated with both doses of vaccine, an increase of 1,958 from yesterday.

The number of fully vaccinated people represents 2.38% of Ontario’s population, an increase of 0.01% from yesterday, with fully and partially vaccinated people representing 28.96% of the population, an increase of 0.92% from yesterday. An estimated 70-90% of the population must be immunized to achieve herd immunity.

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In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 35 new cases to report, including 12 in Peterborough, 10 in Hastings Prince Edward, 7 in Kawartha Lakes, 5 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton.

There is 1 new hospitalization in Peterborough.

There are 65 new regional cases of variants of concern, including 55 in Northumberland, 8 in Peterborough, 1 in Hastings Prince Edward, and 1 in Kawartha Lakes.

An additional 53 cases have been resolved, including 17 in Peterborough, 12 in Hastings Prince Edward, 13 in Northumberland, and 11 in Kawartha Lakes.

There are currently 296 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, a decrease of 21 from yesterday, including 102 in Peterborough, 83 in Hastings Prince Edward (16 in Quinte West, 40 in Belleville, 4 in Tyendinaga & Deseronto, 5 in Prince Edward County, 12 in Central Hastings, and 6 in North Hastings), 71 in Northumberland, 31 in Kawartha Lakes, and 9 in Haliburton.

Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 1,146 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (1,031 resolved with 13 deaths), 682 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (608 resolved with 56 deaths), 771 in Northumberland County (687 resolved with 13 deaths), 92 in Haliburton County (82 resolved with 1 death), and 845 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (754 resolved with 8 deaths). The two most recent deaths were reported in Northumberland and in Peterborough on April 20.

The provincial data in this report is pulled from Ontario’s integrated Public Health Information System (iPHIS) at 4 p.m. the previous day, as well as from systems in Toronto, Ottawa, and Middlesex-London at 2 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).

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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: 1,146 (increase of 12)
Total variants of concern cases: 387 (increase of 8)
Active cases: 102 (decrease of 5)
Close contacts: 320 (decrease of 17)
Deaths: 13 (no change)
Resolved: 1,031 (increase of 17)
Hospitalizations (total to date): 45 (increase of 1)*
Total tests completed: Over 49,000 (increase of 100)
Outbreaks: Empress Gardens retirement home in Peterborough, Unidentified congregate living facility #3 in Peterborough, Unidentified workplace #5 in Peterborough, Unidentified workplace #6 in Peterborough, Trent Champlain Residence: West Towers in Peterborough (no change)
Vaccine doses administered: 43,602 (increase of 2,454 as of April 22)
Number of people fully vaccinated: 2,481 (increase of 54 as of April 22)

*As of April 22, Peterborough Regional Health Centre is reporting 13 patients currently hospitalized with COVID-19 (increase of 3) and a total of 55 patients transferred from other areas as a result of a provincial directive (increase of 9).

 

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 Sundays and statutory holidays.

Confirmed positive: 1,545, including 682 in Kawartha Lakes, 771 in Northumberland, and 92 in Haliburton (increase of 13, including 7 in Kawartha Lakes, 5 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton)*
Cases with N501Y mutation: 307, including 91 in Kawartha Lakes, 202 in Northumberland, and 14 in Haliburton (increase of 56, including 1 in Kawartha Lakes and 55 in Northumberland)**
Active cases: 111, including 31 in Kawartha Lakes, 71 in Northumberland, and 9 in Haliburton (net decrease of 23)
Probable cases: 2, including 2 in Kawartha Lakes (no change)
Hospitalizations (total to date): 56, including 33 in Kawartha Lakes, 20 in Northumberland, and 3 in Haliburton (no change)***
Deaths (including among probable cases): 70, including 56 in Kawartha Lakes, 13 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton (no change)
Resolved: 1,377, including 608 in Kawartha Lakes, 687 in Northumberland, and 82 in Haliburton (increase of 24, including 11 in Kawartha Lakes and 13 in Northumberland)
Tests completed: 176,013 (increase of 722)
Vaccine doses administered: 51,711 (increase of 13,296 as of April 19)
Number of people fully vaccinated: 3,408 (increase of 361 as of April 19)
Outbreaks: St. Mary Catholic Secondary School in Cobourg, Cobourg Collegiate Institute in Cobourg, Fenelon Court long-term care home in Fenelon Falls, North Hope Central Public School in Campbellcroft, Grafton Public School in Grafton, Grafton Post Office in Grafton, St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Secondary School in Lindsay, Mariposa Elementary School in Oakwood (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.

**The N501Y mutation has been identified in variants of concern including the B.1.1.7 UK variant, the B.1.351 South Africa variant, and the P.1 Brazilian variant.

***As of April 22, Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay reports 7 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 (no change).

 

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, including on weekends, excluding statutory holidays.

Confirmed positive: 845 (increase of 10)
Confirmed variants of concern cases: 245 (increase of 1)
Active cases: 83 (decrease of 3)
Deaths: 8 (no change)
Currently hospitalized: 12 (no change)
Currently hospitalized and in ICU: 2 (decrease of 2)
Currently hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 1 (decrease of 1)
Resolved: 754 (increase of 12)
Tests completed: 124,875 (increase of 11)
Vaccine doses administered: 55,720 (no change)
Number of people fully vaccinated: 3,582 (no change)
Outbreaks: Unidentified congregate living facility in Belleville, Unidentified community outbreak in Belleville, Unidentified workplace in Prince Edward County (no change)

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Province of Ontario

Confirmed positive: 432,805 (increase of 3,682)
COVID-19 variants of concern (VOC) cases: 44,205 of B.1.1.7 UK variant (increase of 2,810); 113 of B.1.351 South Africa variant (increase of 5); 218 of P.1 Brazilian variant (increase of 6)
7-day average of daily new cases: 4,176 (decrease of 151)
Positivity rate: 7.8% (decrease of 0.1%)
Resolved: 383,014 (increase of 4,597), 88.5% of all cases (increase of 0.3%)
Hospitalizations: 2,350 (increase of 15)
Hospitalizations in ICU: 806 (increase of 16)
Hospitalizations in ICU on ventilator: 588 (increase of 22)
Deaths: 7,829 (increase of 40)
7-day average of daily new deaths: 27 (increase of 1)
Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 3,912 (no change)
Total tests completed: 13,722,749 (increase of 54,246)
Tests under investigation: 33,327 (increase of 1,208)
Vaccination doses administered: 4,266,802 (increase of 134,920), 28.96% of Ontario’s population (increase of 0.92%)*
People fully vaccinated (two doses): 351,354 (increase of 1,958), 2.38% of Ontario’s population (increase of 0.01%)*

*An estimated 70-90% of the population must be immunized to achieve herd immunity.

COVID-19 cases in Ontario from March 22 - April 21, 2021. The red line is the number of new cases reported daily, and the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of new cases. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)
COVID-19 cases in Ontario from March 22 – April 21, 2021. The red line is the number of new cases reported daily, and the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of new cases. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)
COVID-19 tests completed in Ontario from March 22 - April 21, 2021. The red line is the daily number of tests completed, and the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of tests completed. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)
COVID-19 tests completed in Ontario from March 22 – April 21, 2021. The red line is the daily number of tests completed, and the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of tests completed. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)
COVID-19 hospitalizations and ICU admissions in Ontario from March 22 - April 21, 2021. The red line is the daily number of COVID-19 hospitalizations, the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of hospitalizations, the purple line is the daily number of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs, and the dotted orange line is a five-day moving average of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)
COVID-19 hospitalizations and ICU admissions in Ontario from March 22 – April 21, 2021. The red line is the daily number of COVID-19 hospitalizations, the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of hospitalizations, the purple line is the daily number of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs, and the dotted orange line is a five-day moving average of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com)
COVID-19 deaths in Ontario from March 22 - April 21, 2021. The red line is the cumulative number of daily deaths, and the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of daily deaths. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com
COVID-19 deaths in Ontario from March 22 – April 21, 2021. The red line is the cumulative number of daily deaths, and the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of daily deaths. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com
COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in Ontario from March 22 - April 21, 2021. The red line is the cumulative number of daily doses administered, and the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of daily doses. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com
COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in Ontario from March 22 – April 21, 2021. The red line is the cumulative number of daily doses administered, and the dotted green line is a five-day moving average of daily doses. (Graphic: kawarthaNOW.com

 

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

Peterborough’s four political leaders issue joint statement on anti-lockdown protests

By kawarthaNOW -
A recent anti-lockdown protest in front of Peterborough City Hall. (Photo: Tyler Berry / No More Lockdowns Peterborough Facebook group)

Peterborough’s political leaders from all three levels of government issued a joint statement on Thursday (April 22) about the growing anti-lockdown protests that have taken place on Saturdays in front of Peterborough City Hall.

The joint statement — from Peterborough-Kawartha MP Maryam Monsef, Peterborough-Kawartha MPP Dave Smith, City of Peterborough Mayor Diane Therrien, and Peterborough County Warden J. Murray Jones — says the anti-lockdown protests have the potential to become “super-spreader events” as protesters have been gathering in large numbers, standing together in large groups, and not wearing face coverings.

The four politicians are encouraging the protestors to express their opposition “without putting themselves or others at risk”.

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The full statement is provided below.

“Living with COVID-19 continues to be an incredible challenge. We would like to thank the vast majority of residents who have been following provincial emergency measures along with public health guidelines and making the personal sacrifices needed to protect each other. Staying home, practicing physical distancing, wearing masks and getting vaccinated are actions we must take to stay safe. We all want to see this pandemic end as soon as possible, and we must all work together to make that happen.

There have been demonstrations in our community opposing the provincially mandated public health measures that have been put in place to help stop the spread of COVID-19. At these protests people have been gathering in large numbers, not wearing masks and standing close together in defiance of public health advice.

These gatherings have the potential to become super-spreader events.

Thirteen people in Peterborough have already lost their lives to COVID-19. No one wants to see more families devastated by this pandemic. We all have a role to play in preventing further illness and death.

There are many safe ways for people to express opposition to the provincial regulations or ask questions about public health measures without putting themselves and others at risk.

Together, we are asking our community to please stay home, avoid in-person gatherings and follow public health advice. We all want to see our businesses open as soon as possible. We all want to spend time with our friends and family. We must work together to stop the spread so our community can start to heal from COVID-19.

Our actions have consequences, and we challenge you to consider how your actions will impact the wellbeing of our community. Please do not put your life and the life of others at risk. Please choose to stay home and stay safe.”

Pastry Peddler in Millbrook and B!KE in Peterborough win provincial cycling awards

By kawarthaNOW -
Pastry Peddler in Millbrook and B!KE: The Peterborough Community Bike Shop have been chosen by the Ontario By Bike network as the best bicycle-friendly businesses in the Kawarthas Northumberland tourism region.

As cycling experiences a pandemic-fuelled renaissance, two Peterborough-area businesses have been chosen by the Ontario By Bike network as the best bicycle-friendly businesses in the Kawarthas Northumberland tourism region.

Among the 20 businesses across Ontario receiving the Ontario By Bike award are Pastry Peddler in downtown Millbrook and B!KE: The Peterborough Community Bike Shop in downtown Peterborough.

The 20 businesses “have all gone above and beyond, offering extra services and amenities to cyclists stopping at their locations,” according to a media release from Ontario By Bike, a project of the Toronto-based non-profit organization Transportation Options that fosters sustainable transportation and tourism ideas and innovations.

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Related story

Pastry Peddler in Millbrook continues to take pandemic challenges in stride

Easily recognizable as a bike-friendly business with its name and penny-farthing logo, the Pastry Peddler is a popular bakery and cafe at 17 King Street in downtown Millbrook.

Located along a popular cycling route, the eatery is a cycling tourism destination.

The Pastry Peddler offers a wide selection of baked goods as well as sandwiches, soups, pizza, and more. Currently open for takeout only during the pandemic shutdown, the Pastry Peddler plans to open a new outdoor patio this summer. For more information, visit www.pastrypeddler.ca.

Located along a popular cycling route, Pastry Peddler is must-stop destination for local and visiting cyclists, including this young woman and her dog who arrived by bicycle from Montreal in August 2020. The restaurant is working on an outdoor patio that should be ready when dining restrictions loosen up again. (Photo courtesy of Pastry Peddler)
Located along a popular cycling route, Pastry Peddler is must-stop destination for local and visiting cyclists, including this young woman and her dog who arrived by bicycle from Montreal in August 2020. The restaurant is working on an outdoor patio that should be ready when dining restrictions loosen up again. (Photo courtesy of Pastry Peddler)

B!KE: The Peterborough Community Cycling Hub is a non-profit registered charity located at 293 George Street in downtown Peterborough that promotes cycling as a healthy, responsible, and viable form of transportation and recreation.

B!KE teaches bike repair and maintenance to members of the local community, with members having access to a professionally equipped bicycle repair workshop space as well as a tool library. B!KE also runs a retail shop with a wide selection of basic and affordable used and new bicycles and parts.

During the pandemic shutdown, appointments are available for B!KE: members for essential repairs and maintenance. While the retail shop is closed to the public, sales are available online or by phone. For more information, visit communitybikeshop.org.

For a list of all the 2021 Best Bicycle Friendly Businesses Award winners in Ontario, visit ontariobybike.ca/2021awardwinners.

Emotional Premier Ford apologizes to Ontarians, promises ‘best’ paid sick day program in North America

By kawarthaNOW -
An emotional Premier Doug Ford pauses during a virtual media briefing on April 22, 2021. Ford, who is self-isolating after coming into close contact with a staff member who tested positive for COVID-19, apologized to Ontarians for the government's recent missteps in its handling of the pandemic and promised the province would implement a paid sick days program. (CPAC screenshot)

An emotional Ontario Premier Doug Ford apologized to Ontarians for missteps over the past week in the province’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, during a virtual media conference from an undisclosed outside location on Thursday (April 22).

Ford, who is currently self-isolating after coming into close contact with a staff member who tested positive for COVID-19, specifically referred to the enforcement measures his government announced last Friday — giving police the authority to randomly stop and question people about why they weren’t staying at home — and withdrew a day later after a widespread outcry.

“These decisions left a lot of people very concerned,” Ford admitted. “In fact, they left a lot of people angry and upset.”

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“I know we got it wrong, I know we made a mistake,” he added. “And for that I’m sorry and I sincerely apologize.”

After months of insisting that provincial paid sick days were not necessary and that Ontarians unable to work because of COVID-19 could instead apply for the federal Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit, Ford announced the province is working on a solution for paid sick days.

“It is not lost on me that, unlike many people, I am able to isolate and continue working,” Ford said. “For too many people right now, that’s not the case.”

“For months, my ministers and I have been trying to work with the federal government to fix the existing federal sick pay program,” he added. “Unfortunately, Monday’s federal budget didn’t include the important improvements to the Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit that we needed to see. That’s why we’re now working on our solution to fill those gaps for everyone in Ontario.”

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Ford then acknowledged the impact the pandemic has had on Ontarians.

“I hear it every day, every single day — people telling me their stories, the stories that make you cry,” Ford said, choking up and pausing to sip water. “Families that haven’t been able to hold the hand of their mom or dad as they passed away because of COVID-19 restrictions in hospitals.”

At this point, the virtual media briefing stopped for several minutes for apparent technical issues.

When the briefing resumed, Ford took several pointed questions from reporters, including one questioning Ford’s leadership on the pandemic and one asking him whether he still had the moral authority to lead the province given the mistakes that have been made.

In response to another reporter’s question asking about the paid sick day program, Ford did not provide any specific details or a timeline, but he promised “we will have the best program anywhere in North America, bar none.”

Why neighbourhoods in Peterborough should improve access to greenspaces and community gardens

By GreenUP -
This community garden in Peterborough's Talwood neighbourhood is facilitated by the Nourish Project, a food-based collaborative that grew out of work initiated by the Peterborough Food Action Network. The Talwood and Downtown Jackson Creek neighbourhoods have one of the highest population densities in the City of Peterborough. With most residents renting their homes, they need access to community greenspaces. (Photo courtesy of Nourish)
Each week, GreenUP provides a story related to the environment. This week’s story is by Laura Keresztesi, GreenUP NeighbourPLAN Coordinator.

It’s a lovely day in the neighbourhood. Our city, like most cities, is a collection of neighbourhoods. This idea of a city as a collection of residential neighbourhoods comes from 19th-century urban planning. While each neighbourhood may have its distinct character, all neighbourhoods exist for the benefit of those who call them home.

What have you appreciated more in your neighbourhood now that you’ve spent an entire year of the pandemic living closer to home? When you walk in your neighbourhood, how does it benefit you? Do you have a favourite park or tree?

Trees offer our neighbourhoods many economic, environmental, public health, and safety benefits. Trees also offer myriad of social benefits.

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For many years, research has confirmed the community-building benefits of trees and public greenspaces. For example, a 1998 study published in the journal Environment and Behaviour concludes “older adults who have more exposure to green common spaces report a stronger sense of unity among residents within their local neighborhood, and experience a stronger sense of belonging to the neighborhood.”

Trees enrich our collective experience and public greenspaces in particular benefit all of us.

The City of Peterborough recognizes the incredible value of our urban tree canopy. With 70 per cent of trees growing on private property, the city is keen to add to the canopy with public street trees and invites people to suggest where there may be opportunities for planting more street trees.

Trees at Ecology Park, located within walking distance of both the Marsdale Drive and East City neighbourhoods of Peterborough. Trees offer our neighbourhoods many economic, environmental, public health, and safety benefits. (Photo courtesy of GreenUP)
Trees at Ecology Park, located within walking distance of both the Marsdale Drive and East City neighbourhoods of Peterborough. Trees offer our neighbourhoods many economic, environmental, public health, and safety benefits. (Photo courtesy of GreenUP)

As residents, in many ways you are the experts on your neighbourhood. For example, residents who participated in GreenUP’s Sustainable Urban Development (SUN) and NeighbourPLAN programs helped identify key areas that would be suitable for planting projects. These areas can be found in the Neighbourhood Visions and SUN Action Plans.

Popular areas for planting projects include in existing greenspaces, boulevards, potential Depave sites, and expanses of private property (schools, churches, and high rises).

In addition to planting trees, residents expressed a need to care for and nurture all living things, and connect to neighbours through that shared experience of stewardship. Humans are caring creatures and tending to plants brings us joy, hope, and contributes to an overall sense of well-being.

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However, not everyone is privileged enough to have a private outdoor space appropriate for growing a garden or fruit trees. Canadian statistics from 2013 reveal the most likely place people grow plants is in yards (81 per cent of the households who grow), and those who owned their home were almost twice as likely to participate in growing greens than households who rented (65 per cent compared to 34 per cent).

We need to enable people to enjoy the benefits of growing produce — even when they rent their homes and have limited private yard space. Take the Downtown Jackson Creek and Talwood neighbourhoods, for example, where 86 per cent of residents rent their homes — far above the city-wide average of 38 per cent.

In these neighbourhoods, it is especially important to support options for growing close to home as well as general access to high-quality public growing spaces. The Nourish Project (nourishproject.ca), a food-based collaborative that grew out of work initiated by the Peterborough Food Action Network, helps to coordinate a growing network of thriving resident-led community gardens.

Comparing these two satellite images shows the difference between the relatively dense tree canopy around the intersection of Homewood Avenue and Leslie Avenue in Peterborough, as opposed to the relatively sparse tree canopy at Tallwood Drive at Goodfellow Road, one of the areas of highest population density in the city. A healthy tree canopy and shared green and growing spaces deliver social, economic, and public health benefits to neighbourhoods. (Photos: Google Maps)
Comparing these two satellite images shows the difference between the relatively dense tree canopy around the intersection of Homewood Avenue and Leslie Avenue in Peterborough, as opposed to the relatively sparse tree canopy at Tallwood Drive at Goodfellow Road, one of the areas of highest population density in the city. A healthy tree canopy and shared green and growing spaces deliver social, economic, and public health benefits to neighbourhoods. (Photos: Google Maps)

These gardens are often in what the city classifies as neighbourhood parks that are “intended to serve the close-to-home social and recreation needs of a neighbourhood.” The city hopes to have all residents live within walking distance to a neighbourhood park and has set out guidelines for the improvement of existing parks and design of future parks.

Some key ideas that were highlighted in the NeighbourPLAN Vision documents are also reflected in these city guidelines, including:

  • Pedestrians should not have to cross a busy street to access a neighbourhood park.
  • Parks should be appealing to all age groups, and be functional in all seasons.
  • Parks may celebrate and/or acknowledge Indigenous placemaking/history.
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These guidelines and others are found in the City of Peterborough’s Assessment of Parks and Open Spaces document from 2019. This assessment informs municipal staff of the current state of existing parks and open spaces in Peterborough and makes recommendations that “will improve access to and quality of the city’s existing and future parkland.”

With close-to-home on our minds, neighbourhood parks stand out as an essential element of a neighbourhood. The findings reveal that many areas in Peterborough fall below the recommended standard for access to a neighbourhood park or greenspace.

Not all residents have easy access to parks and high-quality and accessible greenspaces, so it is important that we look for creative ways to bring the benefits of growing and being with greenery into our homes.

While houseplants can brighten indoor spaces year-round and provide a relationship of care in our private spaces, creating communal opportunities for growing and enjoying greenspaces in neighbourhoods improves public health as well as a stronger appreciation of clean water and a healthy environment. (Photo: Laura Keresztesi)
While houseplants can brighten indoor spaces year-round and provide a relationship of care in our private spaces, creating communal opportunities for growing and enjoying greenspaces in neighbourhoods improves public health as well as a stronger appreciation of clean water and a healthy environment. (Photo: Laura Keresztesi)

GreenUP and Nourish are working forward with residents in the NeighbouPLAN and SUN neighbourhoods to explore how to advance the visions and action plans to grow good things in these communities and across the city.

If you are interested in learning more about community growing projects, please get in touch with Laura Keresztesi at laura.keresztesi@greenup.on.ca and Jill Bishop at growing@nourishproject.ca.

This work is supported by grants from the Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough’s Building Communities Fund and by the Government of Canada’s Emergency Support Fund, administered through the United Way Peterborough & District.

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