The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit issued an order on Thursday (July 9) to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 among migrant workers on farms in Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland, and Haliburton.

The order was made under Section 22 of Ontario’s Health Protection and Promotion Act, which allows a medical officer of health to issue orders related to communicable diseases.

The health unit sent the order, which took effect at 12 p.m. on Thursday (July 9), to all owners and operators of agricultural farms that employ migrant farm workers, participate in the federal temporary farm worker program, or operate any model of seasonal housing accommodations.

“While we have not seen large COVID-19 outbreaks at farms in our area, the health unit is taking this step to help further reduce the risk to the people working in our area farms and the residents of our community,” says medical officer of health Dr. Lynn Noseworthy.

Ontario has seen continued COVID-19 outbreaks among migrant workers, especially in Windsor-Essex. On Thursday, Ontario reported 170 new COVID-19 cases, of which 86 were from Windsor-Essex as a result of increased testing of temporary farm workers.

Under the health unit’s order, all owners and operators of agricultural farms in Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland, and Haliburton must follow a number of actions, including:

• Notifying the health unit when migrant and/or temporary farm workers will be arriving at the farm.
• Ensuring that all current and future employees are working exclusively at one workplace. Employees or contracted employees who are employed at more than one agricultural farm operation must immediately limit this to one farm.
• Ensuring that all temporary farm workers who have arrived in Canada are in quarantine for 14 days from the date of arrival in Canada as per the Quarantine Act and that no temporary farm worker works on any farm until after the completion of the quarantine period.
• Ensuring that temporary farm workers in quarantine are in accommodations that have been inspected by the health unit and has provisions for laundry and cleaning. Owners and operators are also required to ensure grocery supplies and/or meals are provided to temporary farm workers in quarantine.
• Following any directions provided by the health unit pertaining to COVID-19, including adherence to self-isolation orders issued to employees, ensuring that public health measures are maintained at all times in the workplace, and supporting all aspects of investigations related to communicable diseases conducted by the health unit.

The complete order is available below.

While the health unit says most owners and operators of agricultural farms have been compliant with requirements, Dr. Noseworthy says the order provides the health unit with a proactive legal measure to strengthen its ability to prevent the spread of the virus and ensure the health of essential food workers.

“We have been working closely with our farm operators throughout the pandemic response and we are pleased that we have not seen outbreaks similar to those experienced in other parts of the province,” Dr. Noseworthy says. “If we all continue to work together, we can keep each other safe.”

For more information about the order, visit the health unit’s website at www.hkpr.on.ca or call 1-866-888-4577, ext. 5020.

PDF: Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit Section 22 Class Order on Migrant Farm Workers
Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit Section 22 Class Order on Migrant Farm Workers

The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) has closed Crown land adjacent to Burleigh Falls to the public.

MNRF notified the Peterborough County OPP and Sewlyn Township of the decision on Thursday (July 9). The closure is effective immediately.

The falls area has seen a large increase in visitors, resulting in numerous complaints involving liquor consumption, parking violations, excessive noise, littering, outdoor urinating and defecating, and mischief.

kawarthaNOW published a story on Tuesday (July 7) outlining the concerns of a local business operator in the adjacent village of Burleigh Falls about bad visitor behaviour.

MNRF has declared the area unsafe and it will be closed to the public until further notice.

The Peterborough County OPP and MNRF will be enforcing this closure.

Vehicles will be towed and provincial offence notices will be issued to those found in contravention of the closure.

For more information, contact the MNRF Peterborough District Office at 705-755-2001.

This story has been updated to include an updated map of Crown land at Burleigh Falls.

A north-end Peterborough resident is one of at least two people raising the alarm over the behaviour of visitors along a stretch of the Otonabee River beside County Road 32 (River Road) north towards Lakefield.

The 47-year-old man, who cycles that stretch of road almost daily, tells kawarthaNOW there are a number of “mini tent compounds set up and they are there all weekend.”

“I’ve seen people defecating, squatting in the woods,” says the man, who asked not to be identified. “Water bottles, wrappers … a lot of garbage is being left behind.”

While he can’t say with certainty if visitors to the area are local or from out of the region, he has noticed licence plate holders on a number of the parked vehicles advertising GTA-area dealerships.

The man reached out to Selwyn Township which, in turn, advised he contact the County of Peterborough and Douro-Dummer Township. He heard back from the county, which recommended he contact Selwyn Township — which he had already done.. Another email he received from Douro-Dummer said his concern would be forwarded to Peterborough and the Kawarthas Tourism.

“If this isn’t brought to people’s attention and dealt with accordingly, through the proper channels, people will start taking it into their own hands,” the man says, recalling the summer of 2017 when anglers fishing from the James A. Gifford Causeway spanning Chemong Lake drew residents’ ire because of the litter they left behind. “It could become a vigilante thing, which isn’t good.”

kawarthaNOW reached out to Parks Canada for comment regarding what’s happening on its property — including Otonabee (Lock 23), Douro (Lock 24), and Sawer Creek (Lock 25).

According to Parks Canada, all of its visitor services have been reviewed and adjusted based on advice from public health officials as well as in accordance with measures mandated by provincial and municipal authorities.

On the Trent-Severn Waterway, only boater camping is currently available. Land-based camping is not allowed, with signs now being posted to that effect. Parks Canada is also engaged in ongoing discussions with municipalities, businesses, and tourism organizations regarding any need for additional signage, public education, and enforcement.

“It is important that the waterway is protected, and kept clean for both wildlife and the people who visit,” reads a prepared statement from Parks Canada, which was sent to kawarthaNOW after the original version of this story was published.

“When garbage and human waste is disposed of on our sites, it threatens the health of the area and the experience of visitors,” the statement reads. “Parks Canada provides garbage and recycling for waste left behind by Trent-Severn Waterway visitors, and visitors are encouraged to make use of these facilities. Visitors will notice new signage along the Trent-Severn Waterway, reminding them of physical distancing recommendations, camping restrictions and other information related to COVID-19.”

The statement goes on to ask visitors “to respect other visitors, Parks Canada team members, and the national historic site itself” by adhering to all regulations in place “to protect the site, and ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for all.”

Full information on services available along the Trent-Severn Waterway as well as restrictions can be found at pc.gc.ca/en/lhn-nhs/on/trentsevern/visit/covid-19-info.

Also expressing his disgust via a July 4th Facebook post was John Scott.

“Groups of 10 to 20 people minimum at each spot,” he writes. “Garbage on the road. What really pissed me off was at the one trail we always go to there were at least five people defecating in the woods as seen from the road.”

Scott added he fears the area between County Road 32 and the Otonabee River will become “a dumping ground” if it hasn’t already.

“Throw your garbage in in your neighbour’s yard, not mine.”

Reports of this situation come on the heels of a July 7th kawarthaNOW article detailing similar problems at and near Burleigh Falls.

In that article, Jennifer Craig, general manager and operations manager of the Burleigh Falls Inn & Suites, details ongoing instances of illegal parking, littering, and public defecation as a result of huge crowds visiting since the lifting of certain COVID-19 restrictions.

Dr. Rosana Salvaterra, Peterborough’s Medical Officer of Health, confirms a public health inspector visited the Burleigh Falls site on Monday (July 7) and took photographs.

“We did see evidence of garbage and we also some evidence that the site had been used for open defecation,” says Dr. Salvaterra.

“We have been in touch with the Ministry of Natural Resources which owns the site. We are working with them and hope to be able to come to some sort of a resolution in order to prevent this behaviour from continuing.”

This story has been updated with a response from Parks Canada.

Peterborough’s Medical Officer of Health is adopting “an educational approach” to the wearing of face masks — as opposed to making the practice mandatory as many other health units in Ontario have already done or are considering.

During her weekly media briefing held Wednesday (July 8), Dr. Rosanna Salvaterra said she strongly recommends that residents wear a non-medical mask when attending appointments, accessing personal services, using transit, and entering an indoor establishment.

Should the decision to be made to go the mandatory route — as has just been done by the neighbouring Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit and Hastings Prince Edward Public Health — Dr. Salvaterra says that decision will be made in full consultation with municipalities and partner agencies.

“We may, in fact, go to something stronger in Peterborough but I will do that in a collaborative way,” said Dr. Salvaterra, conceding that the wearing of masks by more people does provide “a visual cue” that reminds residents “that we are still living in the midst of a pandemic.”

“I am having an information session tomorrow (Thursday) evening with elected officials and staff of municipalities and First Nations. I really want to hear from them what they’ve been hearing from their residents, from their operators and business owners, to see whether or not there is a need to make it (face masks) a requirement. What kind of compliance are we seeing? Can we rely on an educational approach? How best would we suggest it be enforced?”

“There are challenges with making masks a requirement,” Dr. Salvaterra added. “There will be never be 100 per cent compliance. There are people who cannot wear a mask (due to health issues). You may not be able to tell who those people are. They don’t have a label. We need to be very careful not to stigmatize. We need to do this with eyes wide open.”

As of 4 p.m. Monday (July 7), the total number of positive cases in Peterborough city and county and Curve Lake and Hiawatha First Nations remained at 95, with no new cases reported over the past 17 days.

Of the positive cases, 93 have been resolved with two COVID-19 related deaths reported. For the seventh consecutive week, there are no institutional outbreaks reported.

Meanwhile, an estimated 18,550 people have been tested, almost 2,000 during the course of the past week. One of every eight residents in Peterborough Public Health’s catchment area has been tested — a testing rate of 12.5 percent.

Locally there have been 64 positive cases detected per 100,000 people compared to Ontario’s rate of 243 positive cases per 100,000 people. Meanwhile, the local incidence rate over the past week is zero positive cases per 100,000 people, again much lower than the provincial incidence rate of 7.7 cases per 100,000 people.

“We’re on the right track but we need to keep doing what we’re already doing,” said Dr. Salvaterra, adding “We’re getting there” when asked if the Peterborough region is ready for stage three of the province’s recovery plan. The Ontario government has not yet committed to a date for announcing stage three.

As for residents letting their guard down as a result of a flattened curve locally, Dr. Salvaterra admits to being “personally afraid” of that happening.

“That’s why it’s important to make changes to the physical environment that will support the behaviour we need. Examples like widening the sidewalks (and) keeping tables on patios two metres away from each other.”

Dr. Salvaterra also announced that effective immediately, a workplace toolkit is available on Peterborough Public Health website (see below). It covers a number of topic specific to businesses and establishments re-opening safely in accordance with existing emergency measures.

Also participating in Wednesday’s media briefing was Peterborough Mayor Diane Therrien.

PDF – Safely Reopening in Peterborough City & County – Toolkit for Establishments and Businesses – Peterborough Public Health
Safely Reopening in Peterborough City & County - Toolkit for Establishments and Businesses - Peterborough Public Health

Otonabee Conservation is asking Peterborough-area businesses and residents to voluntarily reduce their water consumption by 20 per cent after declaring a “Level 2 Low Water Condition”.

Otonabee Conservation analyzes the condition of the watershed on a monthly basis, and determines low-water status based on available data including temperature, precipitation, and surface water levels and flow. Weather anomalies, including well-above normal air temperatures and well-below normal rainfall, have resulted in the Level 2 Low Water Condition.

“High temperatures have also contributed to this Level 2 Low Water declaration, as June was six per cent hotter than normal and included four days when the daytime high reached 30 degrees Celsius,” explains Otonabee Conservation water resources technologist Gordon Earle. “During the first week of July, we saw daytime air temperatures that reached 30 degrees C on six out of seven days. More sizzling, hot days are expected to come, especially during the first half of the month.”

Rainfall for the preceding one-month and three-month periods ending June 30th were below 60 per cent of the normal total in the Otonabee, Indian, and Ouse River watersheds. In addition, June saw three weeks with minimal rainfall (less than 7.6mm in a week), which is another indicator of a Level 2 drought.

When a Level 2 Low Water Condition occurs, all water users are asked to voluntarily reduce their water consumption by 20 per cent. This includes municipalities, aggregate operations, golf courses, water bottlers, farm irrigation, and private users.

To reduce water use by 20 per cent, Otonabee Conservation offers the following water conservation tips:

• Turn off ornamental fountains and artificial waterfalls.
• Run full loads of dishes and laundry during off-peak use times (between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m.) and use shorter washing cycles.
• Water gardens wisely, add mulch, or use stored rainwater from a rain barrel.
• Lawns that have turned brown from the drought are not “dead”; the grass has just gone dormant from lack of water. When rainfall returns, the grass will come out of dormancy and perk back up.
• Adhere to municipal watering restrictions that may apply.
• Do not use water to clean sidewalks, driveways, patios, or decks. Instead, use a broom to sweep up.
• Do not wash your vehicles in the driveway. Delay washing your vehicles as long as possible, and visit a car wash facility when you do need to wash vehicles.
• Cover swimming pools when not in use to reduce evaporation.
• Install an efficient faucet or aerator to reduce water demands for handwashing, rinsing fruits and vegetables, or washing dishes.
• Take shorter and less frequent showers to conserve water.
• Turn off the tap while brushing your teeth, shaving, or washing your face.
• Rinse fruits and vegetables in a bowl of water rather than under a running tap. You can then use the water for house plants or in your garden.
• Keep a pitcher of water in the fridge rather than running tap water until cold enough to drink.

For more ideas to conserve water, download the Water Conservation Fact Sheet from the Ontonabee Conservation website

The Level 2 Low Water Condition will remain in effect until at least early AUgust, when the Otonabee Region Water Response Team meets again to review the current drought situation.