Premier Doug Ford announced on Tuesday (March 31) that schools in Ontario will remain closed until at least Friday, May 1st for teachers, and until at least Monday, May 4th for students.

Publicly funded schools have been closed since Saturday, March 14th in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The original tentative reopening date was Monday, April 6th.

“The decision to extend school closures was not made lightly,” Premier Ford said. “We know from the medical experts that the next two weeks will be critical in the fight against COVID-19 and that’s why we’re taking further action to keep our kids safe and healthy by having them stay home.”

“At the same time, we cannot put the school year in jeopardy. That’s why we’re providing additional tools for at-home learning and ensuring students from kindergarten to Grade 12 to post-secondary education can finish their academic year and get the credits they need to graduate.”

The closure extension was made on the advice of Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health. Before May 1st, the decision will be re-evaluated based on public health advice, with the closure extended if necessary.

Private schools, licensed child care centres, and EarlyON programs will also remain closed until Monday, April 13th. Selected child care centres designated to support front-line health care workers and first responders will remain open.

Minister of Education Stephen Lecce explained why there are two different dates for the closure of publicly funded schools and for the closure of private schools and child care centres. While the closure of public schools was made under the Education Act, the closure of private schools and child care centres was made under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act, which only allows closures to be extended for one 14-day period at a time.

Lecce said no student will have their graduation compromised by COVID-19, and that the Ministry of Education is collaborating with the Ministry of Colleges and Universities to ensure that there will be no barriers to accessing post-secondary education.

“We will do whatever it takes to keep students safe from COVID-19 — which is why we have extended the school closure period and why we have unveiled a teacher-led program that keeps students learning while at home,” Minister Lecce said. “By providing clarity for parents, enhancing support for students and enabling the teacher-student relationship, we are ensuring our children continue to safely learn — providing some sense of stability and hope for them amid this difficulty.”

When asked by media why the Ontario government is not cancelling the school year as in other provinces, Minister Lecce said the staged approach follows the advice of the Chief Medical Officer of Health and is intended to give some hope to families that their children may be able to eventually return to traditional learning in schools. He said a decision to cancel the school year is possible, but will be considered closer to the May 4th date.

The Ontario government is proceeding with the second phase of its Learn at Home program, which includes now includes supplemental STEM learning resources created by third-parties and a parent resource that is focused on reading and writing.

In addition to learning resources for kindergarten and elementary school students, there are now 36 English courses and 47 French-language courses available for secondary students. For details, visit ontario.ca/learnathome.

TVO Kids (and its French-language equivalent, TFO) is also offering educational programming throughout the day for school-aged children.

Peterborough Public Health is reporting no new positive cases of COVID-19, leaving the total number of cases in Peterborough city and county, Hiawatha and Curve Lake at 28.

During her daily media briefing on Tuesday (March 31), Peterborough Medical Officer of Health Dr. Rosana Salvaterra said three of those 28 cases have been resolved.

To date, 752 people have been tested with 432 tests coming back negative. Another 292 cases remain under investigation.

Dr. Salvaterra says the local area’s first case of COVID-19 community transmission has been confirmed, meaning the person affected has no travel history or known contact with a person confirmed as COVID-19 positive.

That said, with this being the first evidence of community transmission verified coupled with there being no increase in positive cases, she is cautiously optimistic.

“Overall, these are both good signs but we can’t let our guard down,” she advises, noting the Province has recently advised that all those over age 70 should self-isolate as they are at greater risk for contracting the virus.

Meanwhile, the outbreak at St. Joseph’s at Fleming, “is stable,” reports Dr. Salvaterra.

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), the latest numbers from Tuesday (March 31) indicate there have been 52 positive cases reported and 11 deaths (with nine associated with the outbreak at Pinecrest Nursing Home). Of the total positive cases, 41 are in the City of Kawartha Lakes and 11 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 with the most recent numbers from Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit.

At its virtual meeting on Monday night (March 30), Peterborough city council unanimously approved an emergency property tax relief measure for ratepayers in response to COVID-19 pandemic

Peterborough residents and businesses can defer their property taxes for up to 60 days without penalty, for both the March 31th and the May 29th instalment due dates.

Peterborough mayor Diane Therrien said the property tax relief measures give people who are experiencing financial hardship additional time to recover.

“People are focused on their health and the health of their loved ones during the COVID-19 pandemic,” she said. “They shouldn’t have to worry about the tax due dates.”

Council made the decision during its first meeting after the Ontario government changed provincial legislation to allow municipal councils to hold virtual meetings during declared emergency situations. The city had cancelled a meeting scheduled before the provincial changes, due to the public health guidance on physical distancing and the prohibition on public meetings of certain sizes.

The city is also considering other options to provide financial relief for residents and businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, with recommendations expected at a council committee meeting in May.

“We’re going to look at other actions that we can take to help our community recover as we move forward,” Therrien said.

The priority right now needs to be the health and safety of the community, added councillor and finance chair Dean Pappas.

“Council’s taking action to protect the health and safety of the community,” Pappas. “And recognizing the financial pressures being faced by residents and businesses during this time, this is a first step. We’re going to need to adapt and change as the situation is changing.”

Peterborough Utilities, which is owned by the City of Peterborough, is providing financial relief to customers including refunding electric security deposits, not applying late payment charges, suspending collections of arrears for both electricity and water customers until July 31st, and halting service disconnections.

The City of Peterborough continues to provide essential and important services, such as fire protection, wastewater treatment, garbage collection, social services, and transportation services and infrastructure. As the COVID-19 situation is evolving, new decisions may be made affecting municipal services and facilities. For an up-to-date list of affected municipal services and facilities, visit www.peterborough.ca/covid19.

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.