Fourteen new COVID-19 cases were reported Friday by Peterborough Public Health while nine cases were resolved, resulting in 63 active cases, up from 58 on Thursday, as the health unit moved to temporarily redeploy most of its staff to increase capacity at vaccination clinics.
The health unit is monitoring 305 people at high risk due to close contact with a confirmed case, down from 308 on Thursday.
While no new deaths, hospitalizations or outbreaks were reported, Peterborough Regional Health Centre had four admitted patients with the virus as of Thursday, up from two earlier in the week.
Ongoing outbreaks continue at Millbrook-South Cavan Public School and St. Catherine School.
Millbrook-South Cavan was down to one active case Friday. Kenner Collegiate, Westmount Public School, Queen Mary Public School, Prince of Wales Public School and North Shore Public School in Keene each had two cases while PACE at PCVS had one case.
St. Anne School and Monsignor O’Donoghue School each had one new case Friday.
St. Catherine had five active cases on Friday while St. Peter Secondary School, St. Teresa School and St. Paul School in Norwood each had one case.
The schools remained open with active cases isolating at home until cleared to return by the health unit and their close contacts monitored.
Students were asked to take home their belongings before the start of their two-week holiday break in case schools need to switch to virtual learning in the new year as the situation evolves.
Trent University’s Peterborough campus had two active cases as of Friday, down from three on Thursday. In-person exams are continuing as scheduled through to Wednesday.
Health unit services halted
The Peterborough Public Health offices at 185 King St. closed on Friday until further notice and general phone inquiries will no longer be handled as the health unit moved to temporarily redeploy most of its staff to increase capacity at vaccination clinics.
“Recent data shows the highly-transmissible Omicron variant will cause a rapid increase in COVID-19 cases, and predicts significant impact on the capacity of our health-care system,” medical officer of health Dr. Thomas Piggott stated in press release.
“Peterborough Public Health is taking an all hands-on deck approach to vaccinate as many eligible residents as possible. As a result, staff are being redeployed, with some services temporarily paused or reduced as we navigate the next couple of weeks.”
Programs temporarily suspended include sexual health clinic and services (physician and nurse-led clinics), routine immunization clinics, vaccine orders and pickups (for routine immunization), in-person prenatal classes (online prenatal modules continue to be available), programming and activities in schools (elementary, secondary and post-secondary) and food handler training classes.
Some other services have been temporarily reduced including the Community Dental Health Clinic emergency treatment only, work with community partners including meetings and committee work, the Healthy Babies Healthy Children program, the Infant Toddler Development program, outbreak investigations, surveillance and follow-up for diseases of public health significance, food programs, food safety program, routine inspections of facilities, safe water program, rabies prevention and control program, tobacco enforcement, health hazards prevention and control (prioritization of urgent health hazards), sewage disposal program, Naloxone distribution and early warning and opioid overdose surveillance.
New vaccination clinic at TASSS
Peterborough Public Health has expanded its vaccination clinics sixfold now that children five to 11 are eligible for pediatric doses and people 50 and older who had their second dose at least 84 days ago became eligible for a third booster shot.
On Monday all people 18 and older who had their second dose at least 84 days ago will become eligible to book an appointment for a third booster shot next Monday.
Ontario COVID-19 cases
This interactive map shows confirmed cases of COVID-19 and deaths related to the virus as reported by public health units across Ontario. The map is updated hourly.
All third dose booster shots must be booked through appointments with online through the provincial vaccine booking portal at covid-19.ontario.ca/book-vaccine/ or by calling 1-833-943-3900.
Thomas A. Stewart Secondary School will host a walk-in clinic for first and second doses from Sunday to Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Walk-in clinics for first and second doses for people 12 and older continue at the Healthy Planet Arena on Monaghan Road from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday and Monday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday and 9 a.m. to noon on Christmas Eve.
For pediatric doses for children 5 to 11, the Healthy Planet Arena hosts walk-in clinics Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon and Monday and Tuesday from 5 to 8 p.m. and then Dec. 28 and 30 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
There are also special clinics for children 5 to 11 at Millbrook-South Cavan Public School from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday and at Lakefield District Public School from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 29.
The mass vaccination clinics will be closed on Christmas Day and Boxing Day but the walk-in clinic for people 12 and older for first and second doses at the Healthy Planet Arena will continue from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Dec. 27 and 29, from 4 to 10 p.m. on Dec. 28 and 30 and from 9 a.m. to noon on New Year’s Eve.
Dozens of local pharmacies also offer shots.
Fleming College delays classes
Fleming College announced Thursday that it will delay the start of the winter semester by one week, with classes being delivered online for the first two weeks.
Classes will now start Jan. 17 with classes online for the weeks of Jan. 17 and 24.
New students can moved into residence starting Jan. 6 while returning residence students can return on Jan. 9.
The end of the semester has been extended to April 29.
7 new cases in the City of Kawartha Lakes
Seven new COVID-19 cases in the City of Kawartha Lakes, four in Northumberland County and three in Haliburton County since Wednesday were reported Friday by the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit.
There were no new deaths or outbreaks, but one new intensive care unit admission was reported.
Active cases have jumped to 71 — 45 in the City of Kawartha Lakes, 20 in Northumberland County and six in Haliburton County.
The jurisdiction’s seven-day case rate has climbed to 45.1 cases per 100,000 residents.
There are now four hospitalized cases with two in intensive care units.
A new outbreak was declared Wednesday at St. Dominic School in Lindsay, which had four active cases Friday, while ongoing outbreaks continue for Leslie Frost Public School in Lindsay and a Lindsay minor hockey BB team.
An outbreak at My Tot Spot child-care centre in Lindsay has been lifted.
St. Thomas Aquinas Secondary School in Lindsay and St. John Paul II School in Lindsay each had one active case Friday.
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