One COVID-19 Death, Five Hospitalizations and Three Outbreaks For January 10, 2022

One new death, five hospitalizations, three outbreaks with 1,159 active cases have been reported by Peterborough Public Health on Monday.

The three outbreaks occurred at Sherbrooke Heights Retirement Residence, Congregate Living Facility #12 and Peterborough Regional Health Centre on consecutive days starting on Saturday respectively.

Nine cases were reported on Monday along with 102 that were reported over the weekend (58 on Saturday and 44 on Sunday).

There are 125 total hospitalizations and 22 total ICU admissions to date in Peterborough.

New COVID-19 cases by date. Photo courtesy of Peterborough Public Health.

For more information visit: https://localcovidtracker.ca/

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First Frostbite Alert of the Season Issued By Peterborough Public Health

Peterborough Public Health has issued the first Frostbite Alert of the season because forecasted wind chill values are expected to drop to -28 °C Friday evening and early Saturday morning for a few hours.

East City Peterborough on a cold night. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

Extreme cold events are a potentially significant health risk and everyone is encouraged to take precautions to stay safe. Extreme cold temperatures can particularly impact the health of vulnerable populations including infants, the elderly, people with circulatory problems and the marginally housed. There are various emergency shelters available overnight in the City of Peterborough.

In order to protect the health of people in Peterborough County and City and Curve Lake and Hiawatha First Nations, Peterborough Public Health advises local residents to take the following precautions: 

• Check face and extremities frequently for signs of frostbite. Exposed skin can freeze in as little as 10 to 30 minutes.

• Consider re-scheduling outdoor recreational activities, especially during the evening. There is a serious risk of hypothermia and frostbite if outdoors for long periods.

• Use caution when shovelling snow especially for those that have heart, respiratory (breathing) problems or other medical conditions. Snow shovelling is strenuous and can cause an onset of heart or respiratory problems.

• Check on the elderly or people with disabilities living alone.

Always wear clothing appropriate for the weather. Synthetic and wool fabrics provide better insulation. Some synthetic fabrics are designed to keep perspiration away from your body which keeps you dry and further reduces your risk.

Peterborough Public Health has issued these tips to stay warm:

• Dress in layers with a wind-resistant outer layer. You can remove layers if you get too warm (before you start sweating) or add a layer if you get cold.

• Wear warm socks, gloves, a hat and a scarf in cold weather. Be sure to cover your nose to protect it.

• If you get wet, change into dry clothing as soon as possible. You lose heat faster when you're wet.

Cold-related illnesses include:

Hypothermia: Symptoms/signs include: shivering, exhaustion, confusion, fumbling/uncoordinated movements, memory loss, slurred speech and drowsiness.

Frostbite: Symptoms/signs include: white/greyish skin area, skin that feels unusually firm or waxy, or numbness. Increases in other health problems can also be seen especially for those with other chronic medical conditions such as heart conditions.

Further information about the health risks of extreme cold and Peterborough Public Health’s Extreme Cold Response Plan can be found here or by visiting www.peterboroughpublichealth.ca and searching for “extreme cold”.

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Peterborough Public Health Warns That Local COVID-19 Case Count Is An Understatement Is Likely Closer to 10,000

Medical officer of health, Dr. Thomas Piggot, said on Thursday that the active number of COVID-19 cases is likely much higher than reported.

There are currently 1,111 active cases of COVID-19 in Peterborough, though Dr. Piggot says that due to the provincially mandated restrictions on PCR testing there are many more un documented cases.

“Prior to the changes in the testing criteria, the modelling estimates we saw provincially showed potentially we were underreporting by a factor of eight. So there are eight times more cases,” he said.

Dr. Piggot says the current case count is a severe underestimate and that there are closer to 10,000 cases.

“There is lots of concern and uncertainty with what’s happening, but there’s reason for hope,” he said. “I really feel we’re at the darkest part of the night before the dawn that is coming.”

To date, 41.6 per cent of eligible local residents aged 18 and up have received a third booster shot. 85.2 per cent of eligible residents aged five and up have received one dose, 80 per cent have received two doses.

Anyone looking for a first or second dose can walk in to a clinic with no appointment.

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Peterborough Public Health Hosting Vaccination Clinic For Youth Aged 5-11

Two new child-friendly vaccination clinics are planned at the Healthy Planet Arena on Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days

Photo courtesy of The City of Peterborough.

Appointments can be booked through the provincial booking system online at www.ontario.ca/covidvaccine or by calling 1-833-943-3900.

Only children who are 5-11 years old at the time of their appointment are eligible to receive the pediatric dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. This is based on date of birth, not year of birth.

“With 55% of local youth aged 5-11 still requiring their first dose, I urge families to get their children vaccinated as quickly as possible to protect them and help in the community-wide effort to slow the spread of Omicron,” said Dr. Thomas Piggott, Medical Officer of Health. “We are pulling out all the stops to make vaccinations as accessible as we can, and there are currently 3,200 appointments available for those aged 5- 11, including over 1,000 this weekend alone.”

Dr. Piggott also reminded residents that eight weeks between doses is recommended by the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI). However, for parents who consent and want to make the decision to get their child a second dose sooner, the minimum interval between first and second dose of a Pfizer-BioNtech Pediatric COVID-19 vaccine is 21 days

Residents who wish to receive their second dose appointments earlier than the eight-week interval must book by calling 1-833-943-3900 and providing informed consent. Accelerated second appointments earlier than eight weeks cannot be booked online.

PPH will continue adding more clinics over the coming weeks to help provide the best protection for this age group. Parents and guardians are asked to remember that it does take two weeks after the second dose for full immunity to be in effect.

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COVID-19 Numbers In Peterborough For January 4, 2022

There are currently 1,035 active cases of COVID-19 in Peterborough as of Jan. 4, 2022.

For more information visit: https://localcovidtracker.ca/

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Ontario Will Return To Modified Step Two On Wednesday

Premier Doug Ford announced on Monday that Ontario will return to modified step two, on Wednesday.

Screenshot.

The new restrictions will take place for at least 21 days.

Students and school staff will move to online learning until at least Jan. 17. School buildings will be allowed to remain open for child-care operations, and to provide instruction for students with special education needs who are unable to learn at home.

New measures include:

• Closure of indoor dining. Takeout, drive through and delivery are still allowed.

• Closing indoor, gyms, theatres, concert venues, theatres, cinemas, museums, galleries and zoos

• Limiting indoor social gatherings to five people and outdoor gatherings to 10, and 50 per cent capacity limit for weddings, funerals, religious services and retail settings.

• Capacity limits for personal care services, including hair and nail salons, will be cut to 50 per cent.

• Outdoor settings will be allowed to stay open with restrictions and limited to 50 per cent capacity.

• Hospitals must pause all non-emergent and non-urgent surgeries.

• Businesses and organizations are required to ensure employees work remotely unless the nature of their work requires them to be on-site.

"The immediate goal of these measures will be to blunt the latest wave so we can ease the pressure on our hospitals," Premier Ford said. "We face a tsunami of new cases in the days and weeks ahead."

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Peterborough Regional Health Centre Welcomes The First Baby Of 2022

Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) welcomed the first baby of 2022 on Jan. 1.

Photo courtesy of PRHC.

Cruz Elliot Eby was born at 2 a.m. on Saturday and weighed seven pounds, three ounces.

Cruz is welcomed by parents Leanne and Shaun and two older brothers, Anderson and Maxwell.

Mom and Dad expressed thanks to Dr. Dr. Vanek and Sam (RN) for the care they received while at PRHC.

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COVID-19 Numbers In Peterborough For December 31, 2021

There are currently 746 active cases in Peterborough as of Dec. 31, 2021.

For more information visit: https://localcovidtracker.ca/

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Province Delays School to Jan. 5, Isolation Period Reduced to Five Days and Limited PCR Testing

Dr. Kieran Moore, chief medical officer of health and Ontario have updated its COVID-19 testing and isolation guidelines in response to the Omicron variant on Thursday.

Screenshot.

Moore also confirmed that schools will reopen on Jan. 5 for in-person learning.

“This will provide our schools with extra time to begin to put in place additional health and safety measures including deploying additional masking options for students and educators and further improving air ventilation in schools,” he said.

Key changes include the following:

• Symptomatic testing will be available for high-risk individuals, and individuals who work in high-risk settings.

• Individuals with symptoms consistent with COVID-19 are presumed positive and they should follow isolation and/or self-monitoring guidelines.

• Testing for asymptomatic contacts of cases is generally no longer recommended, except for high-risk contacts/individuals that are part of confirmed or suspected outbreaks in high-risk settings, as recommended by public health.

• Positive rapid antigen tests will no longer require PCR confirmation.

• Based on the latest scientific evidence, individuals with COVID-19 should isolate for five days if they are fully vaccinated or under the age of 12 and if their symptoms are improving for at least 24 hours.

Eligible Groups for PCR Testing

Effective Friday, PCR testing will only be recommended for individuals if they belong to the following groups:

• Symptomatic people who fall into one of the following groups:

  • Hospitalized patients

  • Patients in Emergency Departments, at the discretion of the treating clinician

  • Patient-facing health care workers

  • Staff, residents, essential care providers and visitors in hospitals and congregate living settings, including long-term care, retirement homes, First Nation eldercare lodges, group homes, shelters, hospices, temporary foreign worker settings, and correctional institutions

  • Outpatients for whom COVID-19 treatment is being considered

  • Underhoused or homeless

• People who are from First Nation, Inuit, and Métis communities and individuals travelling into these communities for work

• Symptomatic elementary and secondary students and education staff who have received a PCR self-collection kit through their school

• People on admission/transfer to or from the hospital or congregate living setting

• High-risk contacts and asymptomatic/symptomatic people in the context of confirmed or suspected outbreaks in high-risk settings, including hospitals, long-term care, retirement homes, other congregate living settings and institutions and other settings as directed by the local public health unit

• Individuals, and one accompanying caregiver, with written prior approval for out-of-country medical services from the General Manager, OHIP

• Asymptomatic testing in hospital, long-term care, retirement homes and other congregate living settings and Institutions as per provincial guidance and/or Directives

If you have symptoms of COVID-19

Individuals who are vaccinated, as well as children under 12 who have symptoms of COVID-19 will be required to isolate for five days following the onset of symptoms. These individuals can end isolation after five days if their symptoms are improving for at least 24 hours, and all public health and safety measures, such as masking and physical distancing, are followed.

Individuals who are unvaccinated, partially vaccinated or immunocompromised will be required to isolate for 10 days.

If you are someone who works or lives in a high risk-health care setting (i.e., hospitals, long-term care, retirement homes, congregate living settings) you must notify your employer. Individuals who work or live in these settings should not attend work for 10 days from their symptom onset, or from their date of diagnosis.

To ensure sufficient staffing levels, workers in these settings may have the opportunity to return to work early on day seven of their isolation, with a negative PCR test or two negative rapid antigen tests on day six and seven. Speak with your employer or occupational health and safety department for more information.

All household contacts must also isolate for the same duration as the person with symptoms, regardless of their vaccination status. If you have symptoms of COVID-19, you should also consider informing close contacts beyond your household contacts by providing them with the link to Ontario.ca/exposed. Individuals who are eligible for a lab-based PCR test are encouraged to get tested.

If you have concerns about your symptoms, contact your doctor, health care provider or Telehealth for more information and guidance. If you develop severe symptoms requiring medical attention, such as shortness of breath or chest pain, call 911.

If you do not have symptoms of COVID-19 but are feeling unwell, isolate until symptoms have improved for at least 24 hours.

If you’ve been exposed to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19

If you are fully vaccinated and you have no symptoms, and do not live with the positive case, you are advised to:

• Self-monitor for symptoms for 10 days since you last interacted with the positive case

• Maintain masking, physical distancing and adherence to all other public health measures if leaving home

• Do not visit any high-risk settings or individuals who may be at higher risk of illness (e.g., seniors) for 10 days from your last exposure.

If you are not fully vaccinated, or are immunocompromised, you must isolate immediately for 10 days following your last contact. If you live with the positive case, you must isolate for the length of their isolation period.

Individuals who are eligible for testing are encouraged to get tested.

If you live, work, attend, volunteer, or have been admitted in a high-risk health care setting, you must notify your employer and should not visit the high-risk setting for 10 days since your last exposure or symptom onset, or from your date of diagnosis. To ensure sufficient staffing levels, workers in these settings will have the opportunity to return to work early on day seven of their isolation with a negative PCR test, or two negative rapid antigen tests on day six and seven. If you live in a high-risk setting, you should isolate regardless of vaccination status.

If you have COVID-19 based on a positive test result

If you test positive from a PCR, rapid molecular or a rapid antigen test and you are fully vaccinated or under 12 years of age, you must isolate for five days from the positive test result if you have no symptoms or from symptom onset and until their symptoms are improving for 24 hours (or 48 hours if gastrointestinal symptoms).

If you are partially vaccinated, unvaccinated or immunocompromised, you should self-isolate for 10 days from the onset of symptoms, or from the date of your test (whichever came sooner).

In addition, household contacts of individuals who have tested positive must also self-isolate during this time. Individuals must isolate regardless of their vaccination status.

You should also notify your close contacts. A close contact is anyone you were less than two metres away from for at least 15 minutes, or multiple shorter lengths of time, without personal protective equipment in the 48 hours before your symptoms began or your positive test result, whichever came first.

Appropriate Use of Rapid Antigen Testing

Ontario currently has a limited supply of rapid antigen tests that are being prioritized for health care and highest risk settings. This includes rapid antigen test use for “test-to-work” in which asymptomatic staff in these sectors can return to work when they would otherwise be on isolation at home.

Focusing the use of rapid antigen tests for these sectors will help keep hospitals, long-term care and retirement homes and congregate settings operating as safely as possible. As of December 20, a total of 49.6 million rapid antigen tests have been deployed across more than 49,000 sites since the beginning of the pandemic, with the vast majority (approximately 41 million) deployed to these priority sectors.

Rapid antigen testing may be used to confirm if a symptomatic individual has COVID-19, with no requirement for a confirmatory PCR or rapid molecular test.

In addition to Ontario directly procuring additional rapid tests where possible, the province is continuing to urge the federal government to make more rapid tests available to provinces as quickly as possible.

How to Access Supports While Isolating

If you require assistance while isolating, visit COVID-19: Support for people. People can also contact their public health unit for many isolation supports including:

• Use of isolation facilities;

• Referral to community supports and agencies;

• Mental health supports;

• Courier and delivery support for food and necessities;

• Additional resources are available to support isolation through the High Priority Communities strategy.

Employers cannot threaten, fire, or penalize an employee in any other way because the employee took or plans on taking job-protected leave due to COVID-19 and doctors notes are not required for employees to use the leave. You can learn more about job-protected leave here.

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COVID-19 Numbers In Peterborough For December 29, 2021

There are currently 560 active cases in Peterborough as of Dec. 29, 2021.

For more information visit: https://localcovidtracker.ca/

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