City remains at moderate risk level amid two more deaths from COVID

Two new COVID-19 deaths along with two new hospitalizations from this past week were reported Wednesday by Peterborough Public Health.

There have now been 127 cumulative COVID-19 deaths in the jurisdiction of Peterborough city and county, Curve Lake First Nation and Hiawatha First Nation since the pandemic began in March 2020, with 504 cumulative hospitalizations.

Peterborough Regional Health Centre had seven admitted patients with the virus as of Tuesday.

Another 54 new PCR test confirmed cases were reported Wednesday by the health unit, bringing active confirmed cases to 340, up from 339 a week ago. The tally is considered an underestimate since access to publicly funded PCR testing is no longer available to most people.

There are COVID-19 institutional outbreaks on the Riverside 2 and Riverside 3 units of Fairhaven longterm-care home along with one at Peterborough Retirement Residence and another at an unnamed congregate living facility in the county.

The health unit has maintained the COVID-19 community risk level at moderate.

Under the moderate risk, the third of five levels on the health unit’s risk index, the health unit recommends that people use masks in high-risk indoor public spaces and when interacting with high-risk individuals while limiting social gatherings to under 25 people and limiting attendance in highrisk settings. Anyone at high risk is advised to use a mask in all interactions with people from outside their household.

Trent University, which hosted the GO Vaxx mobile COVID-19 vaccination clinic on Thursday, is now strongly encouraging the use of masks on campus and in academic spaces, although it isn’t mandatory.

As of Wednesday, 125,012 residents (85 per cent) have had at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose, 120,755 (82 per cent) have had at least two while 37,263 (26 per cent) have had a booster dose within the past six months, the health unit also reported.

Vaccination clinics for people 12 and older are being held at Peterborough Square on Monday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (walk-ins accepted), Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Asphodel-Norwood Community Centre (no walk-ins), Nov. 30 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Peterborough Square (walk-ins accepted) and Dec. 1 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Peterborough Square (walk-ins accepted).

Pediatric dose clinics for children six months to five years and from five to 11 years are being held Nov. 30 from 2 to 4 p.m. and Dec. 1 from 4 to 6 p.m. at Peterborough Square, with walk-ins accepted.

For priority service, appointments can be booked online at covid-19.ontario.ca/book-vaccine/ or by calling 1-833-943-3900.

The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit reported one new death and one new ICU admission for the week of Nov. 13 to 19.