2 more local COVID cases resolved
Two PRHC workers recover; health unit discourages holding garage sales
The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Peterborough city and county and Curve Lake and Hiawatha First Nations remained at 73, Peterborough Public Health announced Tuesday afternoon.
Two more of the cases have now been resolved, bringing the total resolved to 64, the health unit reported.
There are two outbreaks in the health unit’s jurisdiction, one at St. Joseph’s at Fleming long-term care home on Brealey Drive in the city’s west end, which involves less than five staff members, according to Public Health Ontario, along with a new one at Kawartha Heights Retirement Living on Denure Drive in the city’s west end that involves one staff member.
That one person has been isolated but is not showing symptoms, according to Teresa Speck of Kawartha Heights Retirement Living, but all other residents and staff are fine.
Two more cases in
City of Kawartha Lakes
The City of Kawartha Lakes has two more confirmed cases of COVID-19, the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit announced Tuesday afternoon.
There are now 139 confirmed cases in the City of Kawartha Lakes, with 107 of them resolved. There are also two current probable cases in the City of Kawartha Lakes awaiting test results.
The number of confirmed cases in Northumberland County remained Tuesday at 14 with 13 of them resolved while Haliburton County remained at seven cases with all seven resolved, for a total of 160 confirmed cases for the health unit.
The health unit is also monitoring 46 people in the City of Kawartha Lakes who are at high risk from having contact with confirmed cases, along with 12 in Northumberland County and one in Haliburton County.
Two PRHC health-care workers have recovered
Two of the three health-care workers at PRHC who tested positive for COVID-19 in early April have recovered while the third worker remains in isolation at home, said the hospital chief of staff.
Dr. Lynn Mikula, vicepresident, chief medical officer and chief of staff, said in a press update held by teleconference on Tuesday that PRHC had just one patient hospitalized for COVID-19 on Tuesday.
The hospital has been aiming to keep a 30-day supply of personal protective equipment for staff, but Mikula said on Tuesday there’s a worldwide shortage of PPE — especially the protective yellow gowns. “Isolation gowns are the biggest concern,” she said.
Peterborough Musicfest cancelled
Peterborough Musicfest has been cancelled for 2020.
Organizers announced the cancellation of the season “with very heavy hearts” in a press release issued Tuesday.
More information about alternate projects could be released in the next few months, states the release, and in the meantime Musicfest is planning a return in 2021.
Musicfest is a series of free open-air concerts at Del Crary Park; the shows usually take place every Wednesday and Saturday evenings through the summer. It was due to begin June 27 this year.
But the Ontario government’s emergency orders prohibit large gatherings in public, and the city has issued its own state of emergency; municipal facilities such as Del Crary Park are closed.
About 150,000 people typically attend Musicfest annually; this would be its 34th summer.
No musical lineup had been publicly announced for this season.
Garage sales “strongly discouraged”
Peterborough Public Health asked residents Tuesday not to hold garage sales in Peterborough city and county until further notice.
The notice came as a result of the latest Ontario government extension of its emergency order prohibiting public and social gatherings of more than five people until at least June 2.
Garage and yard sales don’t allow for physical distancing and handwashing, states the release, “and therefore must be avoided.”
There was no official word on Tuesday about plans for the Great Gilmour Street Garage Sale, which is traditionally held the weekend after Victoria Day.
But some neighbours told The Examiner there have been no notices yet about the sale taking place this year and people have been presuming there will be no sale this month (which would have marked the 31st year of the sale).