Ford praises area’s drive-thru testing
A new confirmed COVID-19 case in Peterborough city and county and Curve Lake First Nation and Hiawatha First Nation has brought the total of case to 90, Peterborough Public Health announced Thursday afternoon.
Of the 90, 80 have been resolved and there were two earlier deaths, leaving eight active cases.
There are no local institutional outbreaks and more than 9,550 people have now been tested.
Premier thanks Peterborough
Premier Doug Ford gave a shoutout to Peterborough health officials, including the medical officer of health, over the new drive-thru testing site at the Kinsmen Centre.
Ford mentioned Peterborough during his televised news conference on Thursday. He lauded drive-thru testing in Windsor and Essex County as well: “And I know in Peterborough, they’re doing the same thing,” Ford said. “That’s thinking outside the box. That’s making things happen.”
Ford said the testing rate reached to 20,000 tests daily across Ontario earlier this week, and he said he’s “so grateful” for the efforts of organizers and health-care workers in locations including Peterborough.
Medical officer of health Dr. Rosana Salvaterra said the Kinsmen drive-thru COVID-19 testing site has tested about 265 people daily since it was launched more than a week ago.
County drive-thru testing
Peterborough Public Health released more details Thursday for the upcoming drive-thru testing clinics in Peterborough County for rural residents without symptoms who want to get tested:
á Friday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Hiawatha First Nation L.I.F.E. Centre (only for residents living south of the Hiawatha First Nation checkpoint)
á Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Curve Lake School (Curve Lake First Nation residents only)
á Monday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Apsley Paramedic Base, beside the North Kawartha Medical Centre at 183 Burleigh St., Apsley in North Kawartha Township (open to all permanent and seasonal residents)
No appointment is needed. Bring an Ontario Health card.
People with symptoms still need to call the COVID-19 Assessment Centre at 705-8765086 to book an appointment
Electric City Culture Council
An anonymous donor has offered $20,000 to help establish a new fund to offer grants to artists as they deal with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Electric City Culture Council and the Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough are working together to start the new fund, which will be called the Peterborough Arts Alive Fund.
The idea will be to raise $100,000 for the fund (with the first $20,000 donation going toward that).
A press release from EC3 states that the idea will be to offer grants of up to $10,000, from the Arts Alive Fund, to local arts organizations working in any discipline to help them deal with the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
To donate, visit cfgp.ca/project/arts-alive-fund/.
City-run summer day camps have been cancelled
The city announced Thursday it has cancelled its recreational programs and summer day camps for children that had been planned for this summer, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Camps that were planned for the Peterborough Sport and Wellness Centre, Art Gallery of Peterborough and Peterborough Museum and Archives are cancelled. So are the city’s instructional sports camps and Junior Parks drop-in programs.
Registered participants in these programs will automatically be issued a full refund, a press release says.
Alternative summer programming options for children and youth will be considered once the emergency orders are lifted, states the release.
Downtown Farmers’ Market
The Peterborough Regional Farmers Network (PRFN) announced on Thursday that a set of protocols it developed for operating in the COVID-19 pandemic will be used by farmers’ markets across Ontario.
The guidelines were adapted by Farmers’ Markets Ontario and will be suggested for use by other markets across the province, states a release from PRFN.
The guidelines were developed in consultation with Peterborough Public Health, states the release.
Classic Car Cruise
A group of local classic car enthusiasts are planning a cruise on Saturday (rain date Sunday) through the region.
The idea behind the Hero Tours is to drive past police, ambulance and fire stations, as well as retirement homes.
The drive will take three hours and travel from Havelock to Norwood, Lakefield, Buckhorn, Bobcaygeon, Lindsay and end in Peterborough.
There will be no planned stops along the way, to allow for physical distancing.
The tour leaves at 9:30 a.m. from Havelock heading for Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay.
To register, call 705-930-6792.