No COVID-19 variants in Peterborough so far
Another death at Caressant Care McLaughlin Road in Lindsay, the 17th since Jan. 9 outbreak began
No COVID-19 variants have been reported in the area, Peterborough Public Health reported Monday.
But residents of the city, county, Hiawatha First Nation and Curve Lake First Nation are reminded to continue with coronavirus prevention measures.
“Our health unit remains one of the few areas without a COVID-19 variant case since they were first detected in Ontario last December,” medical officer of health Dr. Rosana Salvaterra stated in a press release. “I am asking residents to continue doubling down on public health measures so we can stave off (variants) for as long as possible while we vaccinate our highrisk populations.”
The variants have a higher rate of transmissibility than the COVID-19 strain that surfaced last year, Salvaterra states.
“This means we need everyone to wear their masks, maintain two-metres physical distance from others, wash your hands frequently, and socialize with household members only,” she stated.
Local residents are also asked to avoid travel to regions where the variants have been reported. All Ontario COVID-19 test samples are also screened for the variants.
Four new cases
Four new COVID-19 cases in Peterborough city and county, Curve Lake First Nation and Hiawatha First Nation were reported Monday afternoon by Peterborough Public Health.
Four other cases have been resolved, leaving the number of active cases at 41.
There have now been 611 cumulative cases since the pandemic began in March, with 561 resolved and nine earlier deaths.
The health unit is also monitoring 242 people who are considered to be at high risk due to close contact with a confirmed case, up from 239 on Sunday.
No new hospitalizations were reported Monday. Peterborough Regional Health Centre has between one and four admitted patients with COVID-19 and has 17 critical care patients from Greater Toronto Area hospitals that have reached their capacity, the hospital reported Monday.
The jurisdiction continues to have one outbreak at the Buckhorn Day Care and Nursery School, which closed last week after six daycare attendees and six staff members tested positive.
One child at the Compass Early Learning and Care child-care centre at St. Martin School in Ennismore has tested positive for the virus, Public Health Ontario reports.
There is also one student case at St. Martin School in Ennismore, one student case at Norwood District Public School and one staff member case at Norwood District High School, according to Public Health Ontario.
A student case at St. Paul School in Norwood has now been resolved, the Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District School Board reports.
Fleming College’s Sutherland Campus in Peterborough had one active case as of Monday.
Curve Lake First Nation continues to have at least one case.
More than 43,100 residents, or 29.1 per cent, have now been tested at least once for the virus.
New death at Caressant Care
Another COVID-19-related death of a resident at the Caressant Care nursing home on McLaughlin Road in Lindsay has died, the home reported Monday.
It’s the home’s 17th death since an outbreak began at the home on Jan. 9. As of Thursday night, 62 residents had tested positive with four cases active and 49 staff members had tested positive with four cases active.
All tests conducted Friday at the 96-bed have come back negative, the home reported. All staff and residents are being tested again on Monday and testing is being arranged for essential caregivers.
Total cumulative COVID-19 cases for the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit have topped the 1,000 mark after eight new cases in Northumberland County and two in Haliburton County were reported Monday. The jurisdiction has now had 1,009 cumulative cases with 43 active as of Monday.
There have been 528 cases in the City of Kawartha Lakes with 20 active, 430 in Northumberland County with 22 active and 51 in Haliburton County with one active. There’s also a probable case in the City of Kawartha Lakes.
No new hospitalizations were reported Monday, but five of the cases are currently hospitalized and two are in the ICU.
As of Monday, Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay had no admitted COVID-19 patients.
The health unit is monitoring 74 people in Northumberland County, 71 in the City of Kawartha Lakes and one in Haliburton County who are considered to be at high risk because of close contact with a confirmed case, along with another eight high-risk contacts.
COVID-19 outbreaks have been lifted at the Pinecrest Nursing Home in Bobcaygeon, Extendicare Cobourg longterm-care home and the Central East Correctional Centre in Lindsay.
In addition to the Caressant Care nursing home on McLaughlin Road in Lindsay, outbreaks are continuing at the Warkworth Place long-termcare home (where one staff member has tested positive and is isolating at home) and Regency Manor long-term-care home in Port Hope (where one staff member and one essential caregiver have tested positive and are isolating at home).
As of Thursday, the Central East Correctional Centre had one active inmate case, 10 recovered inmate cases and six previously released inmates who have recovered, according to Public Health Ontario.
As of Friday, there was an active student case at I.E. Weldon Secondary School in Lindsay and another at St. Dominic School in Lindsay, according to Public Health Ontario.