Peterborough Public Health Launches Campaign for COVID-19 Vaccine Eligibility

Together with its municipal partners the City and County of Peterborough, Peterborough Public Health launched its “Notify Me” campaign to make it easier for residents to find out when they can receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

All residents need to do is visit Peterborough Public Health’s “Notify Me” site to sign up with their email address and indicate which group(s) they want to be notified about.

When local clinics and healthcare providers are ready to serve that group in the coming weeks, Peterborough Public Health will send an email to those on the mailing list explaining how to book a vaccination appointment.

No personal information will be collected. All email addresses gathered through the form will be stored securely until use. They will be deleted after the final notification is issued once Phase 3 vaccinations begin.

“With a rapidly changing vaccine distribution plan and other Ontario regions opening up eligibility for different groups at different times, it can be confusing to know when it’s your turn to book an appointment,” said Brittany Cadence, Communications Manager with Peterborough Public Health. “By simply providing us with your email address, we hope to provide peace of mind.”

Photo courtesy of

Peterborough Public Health is only able to notify people by email and encourages those without an email address to ask a loved one with an email address to sign up on their behalf.

As a reminder, you are not signing up to receive the vaccine. You must also be in the eligible population to sign up to receive the vaccine. More information about eligibility will be available on the Peterborough Public Health vaccine webpage.

To sign up to receive a notification when COVID-19 vaccine eligibility opens up to a specific group, please visit Peterborough Public Health’s “Notify Me” link.

To learn more about Ontario’s Vaccination plan, you can click here for more information.

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Ontario Government Declares State of Emergency With Stay-At-Home Order Restrictions

Ontario Premier Doug Ford has declared a state of emergency including a province-wide stay-at-home order in a live stream press conference in Toronto at Queen’s Park on Wednesday.

The four-week order will take place at 12:01 a.m. on Thursday after top public health officials and Ottawa urged the province to do more to contain the COVID-19 variants.

The same officials reported a surge in patient overflow in hospitals and ICUs in the last week according to Ford.

During the order, Ontario plans to roll out mobile clinics to vaccine those aged 18+ who need it the most such as workers in the high-risk locations.

“These next four weeks are absolutely critical,” said Ford. “We’ve come so far already and we just need to stick together a little longer. because hope is on the horizon.”

Ontario Premier Doug Ford (pictured) announced an “emergency brake” shutdown on Apr. 1. Over 2.7 million vaccines have been administered in Ontario since the press conference. Screenshot.

The following are the restrictions the Government of Ontario is putting into place in addition to the “emergency brake” shutdown on Thursday:

• Grocers and pharmacies are allowed for indoor shopping

• Garden centers can stay open

• Big box and discount store retailers can sell essential items such as food, pet care, medicine, cleaning supplies and personal items

  • All other items and are restricted to curbside pickup or delivery

  • If the store sells the non-essential items in addition to food and pharmaceutical items, the sections must be blocked off

• Non-essential retailers are limited to curbside pickup and delivery from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

• Residential evictions will be suspended

• Shopping malls are restricted to specific purposes such as access to designated pickup locations via appointment

Any eligible person who wants to book a vaccine appointment can visit the Government of Ontario website or call 1-888-999-6488.

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Ontario Premier Doug Ford Announced Four-Week Province-Wide "Emergency Brake"

Ontario will go into at least a four-week, province-wide shutdown on Saturday as Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced an “emergency brake” to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 variants.

The announcement was made Thursday afternoon in a live stream at Queen’s Park in Toronto.

“This is a new pandemic,” said Ford. “We’re now fighting a new enemy. The new variants are far more dangerous than before. They spread faster and they do more harm than the virus we were fighting last year.”

The shutdown will take effect on Saturday, Apr. 3 at 12:01 a.m.

According to the Government of Ontario, they are urging Ontario to take these safety measures:

You should:

• Stay home as much as possible

• Limit close contact to your household (the people you live with) and stay at least two metres apart from everyone else

• Limit trips outside your home to necessities, such as:

  • Getting food or medication

  • Going to medical appointments

  • Supporting vulnerable community members

  • Child care

  • Getting exercise or walking pets

Always:

• Stay home if you have symptoms, even if they are mild

• Stay two metres apart from people you don’t live with

• Wear a mask or face covering in indoor public spaces or any time physical distancing is not possible

Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health outlines the restrictions of the “emergency brake.”

• Prohibiting indoor organized public events and social gatherings but outdoor gatherings are limited to a five-person maximum

  • Gatherings with the same household members or one-household gatherings can meet with one other solo household member

• A 50 per cent capacity limit for, grocers, convenience stores, indoor farmers' markets, pharmacies and other stores that primarily sell food

  • A 25 per cent limit for all other retailers including big box stores

• No personal care services.

• No indoor or outdoor dining however take out, delivery and drive-thru options are permitted

• No indoor or outdoor sports, sports facilities and recreational fitness, with very limited exceptions

• Day camps are not permitted

• Limiting capacity at funerals, weddings and religious services to 15 per cent occupancy per room indoors and to those who can social distance two metres outdoors. Social gatherings affiliated with these services such as receptions, which are not permitted indoors and are limited to five people outdoors are not included.

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New AstraZeneca Vaccine Headed to Peterborough Pharmacies

The AztraZeneca vaccine is coming to three Peterborough pharmacies for anyone 60 or older according to Dr. Rosana Salvaterra, Medical Officer of Health at a virtual meeting on Wednesday evening.

Stock Photo.

It is not confirmed what pharmacies will carry the vaccine and when.

Peterborough has already received 4,500 AstraZeneca vaccines for people aged 60 to 64 in a pilot program at doctors’ offices according to Salvaterra.

The vaccine was previously approved for anyone 18 and older according to Health Canada. The National Advisory Committee on Immunization has advised that anyone 55 or older should be the only recipients to be administered the vaccine.

This was due to cases in Europe where younger people had blood clots with low platelets after getting the AstraZeneca vaccine.

“To date, none of these events have been reported in Canada,” said Supriya Sharma, Health Canada chief medical adviser in an online stream. “Health Canada will assess this information when it’s received and will determine when additional regulatory actions are necessary.

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COVID-19 Long Hauler on the Road to Recovery After Vaccination

After being tested for COVID-19 in April 2020, “long hauler” Darryl Porter is recovering from the side effects after getting vaccinated last week Wednesday.

“Long Hauler” refers to a person who is free from the COVID-19 virus to still have lingering side effects.

Porter suffered from fatigue since being free of COVID-19 in August. After a week of his vaccination, he got tired the following day and slept for roughly 15 hours. He noticed that he gradually is having more energy after his long nap.

“Every day is getting a little bit better,” said Porter. “You take a few steps forward, maybe a step back but you’re gaining more steps than you’re losing.”

Darryl Porter being administered his first of two shots of the COVID-19 vaccine. Photo Courtesy of Darryl Porter.

“Darryl couldn’t even walk down the street,” remarked Susan Dunkley, Porter’s wife. “He’s walking three to four kilometres a day but he’s not quite ready to run a marathon.”

Porter believes he contracted the virus on Mar. 19, 2020 as one of the earliest cases for Peterborough but tested negative from Peterborough Public Health. He was officially diagnosed positive in mid-April of 2020 and is unsure where he contracted COVID-19.

“I had the sweats, a fever, a horrible cough, the shakes, aches and pains,” said Porter. “All my joints were aching and really bad stomach cramps. Not so much a sore throat. I had sinus stuff which I’m still dealing with as mine was more sinus.”

Porter was quarantined to his attic while he tested positive. Photo Courtesy of Darryl Porter.

Porter was tested a number of times and received his first negative in August. He tested positive again on the following test but got back-to-back negatives afterwards. Porter remained cautious and wanted to ensure he was free from the virus.

“I got tested a number of times and I believe it was August when I finally got my first negative,” said Porter.” “I was pretty excited. I went back in to get tested and I wanted to make sure that there were no faults.”

Porter warns the community that life does not immediately return to normal after the vaccination.

“It can’t be that way until it’s fully under control,” he said. “There’s a lot of people who are not believers in getting the shot and I don’t understand that. I will always have my mask on and I will kind of keep my distance.”

Porter and Dunkley are planning to get their second vaccination when it is ready to be administered to the public.

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First COVID-19 Case Reported in Local Shelter System

A positive COVID-19 case associated with the Brock Mission Shelter has been reported by Peterborough Public Health and the City of Peterborough on Wednesday.

Photo courtesy of Otonabee Conservation

The individual — who is not being identified — was already self-isolating away from the shelter when they were tested positive according to the press release.

They have been self-isolating in a motel since the virus’s discovery according to the City of Peterborough.

The test could not detect if it was a COVID-19 variant strain as it was indicated as “low level detected”.

“We are grateful for the efforts of the shelter staff who have been following public health protocols for the last year, screening individuals and monitoring for symptoms to direct people to isolation for testing,“ said Dr. Rosana Salvaterra, Medical Officer of Health. “Their dedication to the safety of people who use the emergency shelters was key in this situation.”

This is the only positive case in all Peterborough emergency shelters to date. Shelters are already increasing health measures such as deeper cleaning and extra disinfectant on common surfaces.

Surveillance testing began immediately at the Brock Mission with help of Peterborough Paramedics.

“We’re working together to help protect the most vulnerable in our community,“ said Diane Therrien, Peterborough mayor. “Shelter staff and Public Health quickly responded to this situation to assist this individual and to take the necessary follow-up steps to keep residents and staff safe.”

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First COVID-19 Death Reported from Severn Court Outbreak

A man in his 30s has died from the Severn Court COVID-19 outbreak according to a press release by Peterborough Public Health (PPH) on Tuesday — the youngest person to die locally from COVID-19.

The man — who has yet to be identified — lived at the off-campus residence but did not attend the party according to PPH. He was diagnosed with a COVID-19 variant and was hospitalized outside the region last week before he died.

photo via Severn Court Residence Facebook page

The outbreak occurred from a party at the privately-owned Severn Court on Feb. 20.

“The death of someone so young is heartbreaking,” said Dr. Rosana Salvaterra, Medical Officer of Health. “One more reason to strengthen our resolve to share the collective responsibility to practice all the health measures to keep our community safe.”

There have been 59 cases associated with the outbreak at Severn Court and only five active cases have remained linked to the outbreak according to the press release. The number of high-risk contacts linked to the outbreak has declined considerably, indicating that the outbreak is stabilizing as stated in the press release.

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First Peterborough Retirement Residence Received First Mass Dose of COVID-19 Vaccination

It was all smiles for the residents and staff of Canterbury Gardens as they all received the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine on Friday.

It was the first retirement home in Peterborough to receive the mass vaccination. The most vulnerable residents were the ones to receive the shot first as the oldest resident had the honourary first shot.

Photo courtesy of Sarah Beaudoin

“It was an exciting day for all of us at Canterbury Gardens Retirement Residence,” said Sarah Beaudoin, Canterbury Gardens Manager Resident Services.

Peterborough Public Health (PPH) had these vaccinations as a test run for online and telephone booking that will take place region-wide. It will be used once more vaccines have become more available. PPH has yet to announce when the booking process will be publicly open.

Photo courtesy of Sarah Beaudoin

Residents will be getting their second dose of the vaccine late this month at an undisclosed date.

Photo courtesy of Sarah Beaudoin

Royal Gardens Retirement Residence residents and staff also received their first dose of the vaccine on Friday.

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Fleming College Addresses COVID-19 Outbreak at Severn Court in Peterborough

After a declared COVID-19 outbreak from Severn Court outside Fleming College by Peterborough Public Health on Saturday, the campus issued a media release concerning the incident Wednesday morning.

Maureen Adamson, Fleming College President, addressed the COVID-19 outbreak at the off-campus, privately-owned Severn Court buildings in a letter that was sent to all staff and students Wednesday morning. The outbreak has led to the cancellation of all in-person classes and activities at Sutherland Campus for 14 days from Mar. 1.

Photo courtesy Fleming College

Here is the President’s letter in its entirety:

“We continue to be deeply concerned about the COVID-19 outbreak at the Severn Court apartment complex. This complex is not affiliated with the College. It is privately-owned and independently-operated. As of March 2, Peterborough Public Health (PPH) had identified 34 students who have tested positive. The ongoing investigation could lead to many more cases.

Fleming College prides itself on creating strong communities. Being a member of our community comes with responsibility. For those students training for careers in healthcare professions, there are even higher expectations and professional standards that are expected to be upheld. It is obvious that a group of students chose to behave in an irresponsible manner that has put many members of our community at risk.

To the students who were part of the unauthorized gatherings, we are extremely disappointed in your actions. Your behaviours are inconsistent with our values and with our expectations of all our students, regardless of the fact that these actions took place in an off-campus setting.

Photo courtesy Fleming College

For those students who are proven to have been involved in the gatherings of February 20 that led to the outbreak, we intend to impose the harshest possible sanctions allowed under our Student Rights and Responsibilities Policy in proportion to the role played by each participant. This could include penalties up to and including suspension or expulsion. The College will continue to cooperate with PPH in their investigation and will offer our full cooperation with Peterborough Police Service should that become necessary.

To the students who are innocent victims of the actions of others, we pledge our full support to ensure the successful completion of your studies. We will offer additional academic and personal counselling services and we will ensure that all learning outcomes for your program are achieved without extending the semester.

The vast majority of our students have adhered to safe practice guidelines for almost one full year. Our employees have worked tirelessly to ensure the safety of our community. The measures we have put in place in our teaching and learning facilities, as well as our own on-campus residences have worked. We have not had a case of COVID-19 transmission occur at any of our campuses. This makes the behaviour of this small group of students even more disheartening and the apparent lack of the attention to safety protocols at a large complex populated by students so upsetting.

We recognize that the general public and our valued partners are also very disappointed. As we take action to investigate and hold those responsible accountable for their actions, we must also come together to support each other. As some positive signs are emerging in the global battle against the virus, Fleming College, like so many members of our community, pledges to build back better, together.”

–Maureen Adamson, Fleming College President

First Case Of COVID-19 Variant of Concern Reported In Peterborough Region

Peterborough Public Health has confirmed in a media release that a local resident has tested positive for COVID-19 variant of concern (VOC) B.1.1.7, also known as the variant first detected in the United Kingdom.

“With this confirmation of a variant of concern, following public health measures has never been more important as VOCs have a higher rate of transmissibility than the dominant COVID-19 strain,” says Dr. Salvaterra, Medical Officer of Health. “Now it’s a race against time to try and immunize our most vulnerable populations while containing the spread of further cases. This is where we need everyone’s help.”

The case is a male in his 20s who works from home and is self-isolating. Contact tracing is underway, and it appears his exposure was from a roommate who was identified as a high-risk contact of another VOC case from another region. This roommate has since left the Peterborough area. There is one other high-risk contact connected to this household who tested negative, and this individual will be retested again on Day 10 post-exposure.

Even though the Peterborough region is designed Yellow according to the provincial COVID-19 framework, Dr. Salvaterra urged local residents to avoid all non-essential travel, don’t invite visitors into your home, stay two metres distant from others, wear a mask, wash your hands frequently, and get tested if you have even one symptom.

“The good news is that the vaccines in use are effective against the known variant strains,” adds Dr. Salvaterra. “But we are still a long way away from having all our vulnerable populations protected. We are working very hard to ramp up our local immunization roll out as supplies allow, so we are counting on the community’s support so we can avoid the exponential spread of the virus as seen in other areas of the world.”

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