COVID-19 Community Risk Index "Very High" Says Peterborough Public Health

Peterborough Public Health (PPH) has stated the community COVID-19 Risk Index has reached “very high” for the first time since its launch on March 30 announced on Wednesday.

Dr. Thomas Piggott has strongly urged the public to continue wearing masks despite the Ontario Government lifting the mandates on March 21. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

“I know this is not the news we wanted to hear before a long holiday weekend but the safest course of action is to wear a mask and avoid indoor social gatherings and high-risk settings where the transmission can occur,” said Dr. Thomas Piggott, Medical Officer of Health. “This is important for us all to decrease transmission, but especially those at high risk of severe illness with COVID-19.”

The Index is updated every Wednesday by 4 p.m. It uses data from wastewater surveillance signals, hospitalizations and deaths, percentage positivity of PCR tests, community-reported rapid-antigen tests and the local case incidence rate per 100,000 people.

The Index provides a risk level for each data point based on current values, which then is used to inform the overall risk level for the community.

Due to the “very high” risk levels, PPH offers guidance to the community:

• Mask: Strongly Recommended for all interactions with people from outside your household.

• Social Gatherings: Avoid social gatherings in all indoor settings.

• High-risk Settings: Avoid attending high-risk settings.

PPH says it is one of the first health units in Ontario to produce a local COVID-19 Community Risk Index.

They encourage the community to check as often as they check a weather forecast. It is available online or by phone at 705-743-1000 to hear a recording stating the current level and associated public health guidance.

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Municipal Partners Of Campbellford Memorial Hospital Voice Support For Hospital Redevelopment

Campbellford Memorial Hospital’s (CMH) 11 municipal partners have all extended formal support for the redevelopment of the hospital as part of a campus of care to better serve the healthcare needs of their communities.

Stock Photo.

The municipal partners expressed their support by writing letters to Christine Elliott, Minister of Health, outlining why this project is so important, with copies sent to area MPPs.

“The unanimous support of our partners in municipal and regional governments demonstrates the importance of, and their commitment to, this redevelopment project,” said Eric Hanna, Interim President and CEO, CMH. “We need the provincial government to recognize the urgency behind this project and I want to thank all the municipal leaders who are helping us in that work.”

The 11 municipal partners include:

• Alnwick/Haldimand Township

• Township of Asphodel-Norwood

• Municipality of Brighton

• Municipality of Centre Hastings

• Township of Havelock-Belmont-Methuen

• Township of Madoc

• Municipality of Marmora and Lake

• Peterborough County

• Northumberland County

• Township of Stirling-Rawdon

• Municipality of Trent Hills

“The redevelopment of CMH as part of a campus of care will serve the growing population in our catchment area of Northumberland County and parts of Peterborough and Hastings County,” said Mayor Bob Crate, Municipality of Trent Hills and Warden, Northumberland County. “Having care close to home is an important asset for our community.”

The Hospital has applied for a capital planning grant to redevelop the facility as part of a campus of care that would create one location for a continuum of health services for residents. The redevelopment project will, when approved, bring together the hospital, long-term care, affordable senior housing and services, mental health, primary care, and other healthcare services.

“CMH provides multiple medical services to our community and our neighboring communities on a year-round basis,” said Jan O’Neill, Mayor, Municipality of Marmora and Lake. “CMH is the closest hospital for residents particularly in the south of Marmora and Lake. Expansion of CMH will lead to increased availability of services and specialized treatments which will reduce transfers to other hospitals and ultimately allow residents to access their healthcare services closer to home.”

CMH’s application for a capital planning grant to build a campus of care is pending approval from the Ministry of Health.

“I can't thank Campbellford Memorial Hospital enough for all the work going into the redevelopment plan. The hospital is so important to Havelock-Belmont-Methuen as we are the most eastern Township in Peterborough County and we rely on CMH first for health care,” said Mayor Jim Martin, Township of Havelock-Belmont-Methuen.

Community members are encouraged to show their support for a redeveloped CMH by sharing on social media why it is important to them and using the hashtag #mynewCMH.

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Ontario Expands Access to COVID-19 Antivirals As Canada's Top Doctor 'Strongly Recommends" Masking Indoors

Ontario's chief medical officer of health, Dr. Kieran Moore, updated the public on Monday about how the province is managing COVID-19 and the expanding access to antivirals at announced Queen’s Park on Monday afternoon.

This was Dr. Kieran Moore’s first media appearance in five weeks. Screenshot.

Moore thanked the public for continuing to adopt the public health measures in place and strongly recommended to continue wearing a mask indoors. He stated the province will not be reintroducing a mask mandate at this time but to be prepared for those measures to return if a new variant of concern emerges or if the healthcare system is threatened due to rising cases.

“I ask everyone across Ontario to continue doing their part to keep their communities and loved ones safe by staying up to date on vaccinations and wearing masks,” said Moore. “I am pleased that we will be able to offer more accessible antiviral treatment options to more people across Ontario.”

Effective immediately, the following higher-risk groups are eligible to be tested and assessed for antiviral treatments such as Paxlovid, in Ontario:

• Individuals aged 18 and over who are immunocompromised (have an immune system that is weakened by a health condition or medications);

• Individuals aged 70 and over;

• Individuals aged 60 and over with fewer than three vaccine doses; and

• Individuals aged 18 and over with fewer than three vaccine doses and at least one risk condition (e.g., a chronic medical condition)

Anyone eligible for an assessment is also eligible for a PCR test at any testing centre in Ontario.

In most cases, treatment for antivirals must be started within five days of symptoms. A list of pharmacies dispensing Paxlovid will be available at Ontario.ca/antivirals as of Wed. 13 at 8:00 a.m. and will be updated as the list of participating pharmacies expands.

“Thanks to the millions of Ontarians who were vaccinated, we have been able to cautiously and safely reopen our province,” said Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “By expanding access to antivirals and PCR testing, in addition to recently expanding eligibility for fourth doses, we are using every tool available to us to ensure Ontarians have the best protection available while we adapt to managing and living with COVID-19.”

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CMHA Sixth Annual Ride Don't Hide Fundraiser For Mental Health Hitting The Trails This June

The sixth annual Ride Don’t Hide for mental health, with Canadian Mental Health Association of Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge (CMHAHKPR) will take place at Nicholls Oval on June 18.

Sponsors gathered with CMHA HKPR at Toms Heating And Cooling on Friday. Photo by Angela O’Grady.

Ride Don’t Hide invites community members to hop on their bike and ride, while fundraising for mental health.

The funds from the 2022 Ride Don't Hide event will support CMHA HKPR's new Mobile Mental Health and Addictions Clinic, which is being launched this year. The clinic will serve the counties Peterborough, Haliburton, Kawartha, and Northumberland providing mental health and addictions care to under-resourced and underserviced communities.

The theme of this year's event is 'move more, stress less, cope better.' Recognizing the toll that the pandemic has had on individuals mental health.

This is the second year that Tom’s Heating and Cooling will partner with CMHA HKPR to present this event, though Ryan Waudby, president of Tom’s Heating and Cooling says this year they plan to do even more than last.

“We are so honoured to be a part of the Ride Don’t Hide event,” he said. “It was an awesome year last year and we broke some records, which was amazing and this year we’re going to do something a little bit different.”

This year, Tom’s Heating and Cooling will donate $50 to the campaign for every install they complete from now until the end of June, in the name of the employee that does the installation.

“What we’re seeing is we need more and more care,” said Jack Veitch, CMHA HKPR. “That’s why this mobile mental health and addictions clinic is especially integral because so many of our communities are isolated. Rural populations need care just like everybody else.”

Riders can register for a 4km, 12km or 26km ride along the Rotary Trail in Peterborough.

Registration is $30 per person and children 12 and under register for free. $30 is the minimum fee, riders are encouraged to fundraise leading up to the event.

This years fundraising goal in $25,000.

To register visit cmha.donordrive.com.

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Campbellford Doctor Retires After 45 Years Of Caring For The Community

Doctor Bob Henderson began his career in Trent Hills in 1977, and officially retired on March 31.

Henderson was congratulated on his retirement at the Board of Directors meeting on March 30. Photo courtesy of Campbellford memorial Hospital.

Henderson knew that he wanted to become a doctor when he was about 13 years old, and he never seriously considered doing anything else, he says.

“Medicine is the ultimately flexible profession,” explained Dr. Henderson. “You can do anything – you can be an administrator, you can be a clinician, you can be a researcher, you can be a businessperson. You can set your own schedule and you can do it anywhere you want – rural, urban, remote. It’s really one of the few professions where you can set your own goals and achieve them over time. It’s been wonderful.”

Henderson grew up in Winnipeg, studied medicine at the University of Manitoba and did his residency at McMaster University. Following graduation, he and his family relocated to northern Ontario for a couple of years.

“Just before that and during that time we had a couple of daughters and decided that we wanted to be a little more central. A few years before, my father-in-law purchased a vacation farm property outside of Warkworth, which brought us into the community. We fell in love with it and decided to move.”

Since Henderson settled in the Trent Hills community in 1977, he has helped shape and improve rural health care through his involvement in the early development of the Family Health Network model, as past Medical Director at the Trent Hills Family Health Team, former Board Chair of The Bridge Hospice, Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto and numerous medical and leadership positions held at Campbellford Memorial Hospital including Chief of Staff for multiple appointment periods.

A long-time focus for Dr. Henderson has been physician recruitment to the community and he started to take residents into his family practice in the early 1980s.

“One of the things that hasn’t changed is the difficulty in recruiting physicians to rural areas,” he shared. “It is something I’ve been committed to through the development of rural family medicine and the process of introducing learners into the rural community to do part of their training and help them to see what a great place it is to work. The hope has been that it helps them decide to work and move into rural community practice.”

When Henderson reflects on his hope for the future of medicine in the Trent Hills community, top of mind is the stability of health human resources, the continuing presence of a good community hospital and that the Family Health Team continues to provide a broad range of primary care to the community.

“A large number of community patients put their trust in me as a family physician to guide them through the healthcare system and help them through various health crises. At the end of the day that’s really what it is all about.”

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COVID-19 Fourth Dose Eligibility Expanded to Additional Residents

Expanded eligibility for COVID-19 fourth doses to adults 60 years of age or older and First Nation, Inuit and Metis Adults 18 years of age or older was announced by the provincial government on Wednesday.

Booster doses were available in Ontario for everyone since late December last year. Stock photo.

The following residents can book a COVID-19 vaccine appointment for a date that is 140 days (five months) after a third dose (booster dose) of the COVID-19 vaccine was received:

• Residents 60 years of age or older

• First Nations, Inuit, and Métis adults and their non-Indigenous household members

“This vaccine will provide additional protection and we ask that you book an appointment for this vaccine. If you haven't had your third dose that continues to be very important as a precaution against COVID-19,” said Dr. Thomas Piggott, Medical Officer of Health.

Online bookings must wait 140 days (or five months) after their third dose to book an appointment. Residents who call the provincial vaccine booking call centre can book an appointment three months after their third dose.

The expanded eligibility allows an additional 35,000 eligible residents to receive another dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Peterborough Public Health (PPH) is asking all residents to book a COVID-19 vaccine appointment for any dose they receive starting this Friday.

“To better serve our residents, Peterborough Public Health will be temporarily suspending walk-in availability at COVID-19 vaccine clinics and is asking everyone to book an appointment,” said Dr. Piggott. “We anticipate a large demand for fourth doses over the next few weeks and want to make the process fair and comfortable for our residents.”

Anyone with an immunocompromising health condition or who are on an immunocompromising medication and are 18 years of age or older is still eligible for a fourth dose.

Proof of eligibility at their COVID-19 vaccine appointment for immunocompromised individuals. A referral form from a health care provider or proof of prescription medication can be accepted as proof of eligibility.

A full list of eligibility can be found on the Ontario Third Dose Guidance Document.

“Indicators across the province and in Peterborough region continue to show increasing transmission of COVID-19 and our COVID-19 Community Risk Index is currently HIGH risk,” said Dr. Piggott. “The National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) recognizes that the high level of transmission increases the risk for moderate to severe symptoms related to a COVID-19 infection for eligible residents. We are strongly encouraging all eligible residents to book an appointment for all doses they are eligible for at the earliest date to protect themselves during the 6th wave.”

PPH says vaccination is the most important tool in multi-layer prevention against COVID-19. They encourage everyone to continue wearing a tightly fitting (KN95/N95 style) mask, staying home when sick, seeking testing/treatment as eligible, improving the ventilation of indoor air spaces and spending time outdoors.

Appointments can be booked through the provincial vaccine booking system over the phone by calling 1-833-943-3900 or online.

For more information about COVID-19 vaccine eligibility, upcoming vaccine clinics, and booking a vaccine appointment, please visit PPH’s website for vaccine clinics.

To see the PPH Community Risk Index, click here.

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Peterborough Public Health Urges Residents To Take Precautionary Measures To Prevent COVID 19 Transmission Levels From Growing

Dr. Thomas Piggott, Peterborough’s Medical Officer of Health, urges that residents take caution as the COVID-19 Community Risk Index suggests high COVID transmissions in the area, he said in a virtual press conference on Wednesday.

Dr. Thomas Piggott became Peterborough's medical officer of health on Dec. 1 last year. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

According to Piggott, Peterborough has surpassed the level of transmission seen in January and is now in the sixth wave of the COVID pandemic.

“I am concerned by what I am seeing, I am concerned with what I am hearing,” said Piggott.

He urges community members to continue wearing masks ‘at least for a bit longer’ he says.

With Easter approaching, Piggott urged people to take caution when gathering with friends and family.

Screenshot.

The COVID-19 Community Risk Index incorporates data such as wastewater surveillance signals, number of hospitalizations and deaths, percentage positivity of PCR tests and community-reported rapid-antigen tests (through Peterborough Public Health’s online survey), and the local case incidence rate per 100,000.

“It hasn’t yet pushed us into a ‘Very High Risk’ rating, but we are close and I am very concerned if the trend that we’re observing continues that very soon we will be into that position,” he said.

Piggott says that the increase in transmission Peterborough is seeing is on trend with the rest of Ontario.

“If we all come together and take precautionary measures now we can avoid the situation from getting worse, and potentially having a very negative impact not only on our healthcare system but on our communities,” he said.

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Avian Flu Confirmed In Local Flock Of Birds

Peterborough Public Health (PPH) is currently investigating a confirmed report of avian influenza (H5N1) discovered in a local flock located in Selwyn Township. This is the fifth confirmed report of avian influenza on an Ontario farm over the past few weeks.

Stock Photo.

“The risk to human health remains low and we are not aware of any local human cases at this time,” said Dr. Thomas Piggott, Medical Officer of Health. “The virus does not easily cross from birds to humans, and the current strain is listed as being of ‘lower than normal’ concern for spreading to humans.”

PPH is working closely with provincial and federal partners, including the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) on the investigation, says Piggott.

In March 2022, HPAI H5N1 virus was detected in Ontario in wild and commercial poultry. Its spread has been primarily attributed to the migration of infected waterfowl.

Avian influenza is a viral disease that affects mostly domestic poultry and wild birds such as geese, ducks, and shore birds. Wild birds, especially waterfowl, are a natural reservoir for mild strains of avian influenza. The highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) strain H5N1 is known to kill both wild birds and commercial poultry.

Residents should not touch a wild bird, including waterfowl, that is sick, injured or dead. Report any sick or dead birds (including waterfowl), to the Ontario Regional Centre of the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative at (866) 673-4781.

Those with backyard chickens or other domestic birds can get more information related to prevention and detection of disease in backyard flocks and pet birds that is available here or by calling the CFIA at 226-217- 8022.

Transmission of avian influenza to people from the consumption of undercooked eggs or poultry is unlikely. As a general practice, food safety measures should always be practiced when handling poultry and egg products such as washing hands before and after food handling, keeping products separate to prevent cross contamination, cleaning and sanitizing all surfaces and fully cooking poultry products.

For more information visit peterboroughpublichealth.ca and search for “avian influenza”.

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Peterborough Public Library Lending Free Carbon Dioxide Monitoring Devices

The Peterborough Public Library has been donated 10 carbon dioxide detectors available for rent for free beginning Friday.

CO2 monitoring devices are not the same thing as carbon monoxide detectors as they involve two different gasses. The main source of CO2 is from human exhalation.Carbon monoxide is a colourless, odourless, tasteless gas produced by burning gasoline, wood, propane, charcoal or other fuel. Photo by Luke Best.

The detectors were donated by Prescientx and CO2 Check. Peterborough is allegedly the first municipality in North America to lend the detectors according to their press release.

“We are excited to offer this new service so anyone with a library card can borrow a device to measure the carbon dioxide levels in their home for a period of time,” said Jennifer Jones, Peterborough Public Library CEO. “We hope widespread access to this tool empowers local residents to take the steps needed to improve their indoor air quality, which ultimately benefits everyone’s health.”

The carbon dioxide detector comes with a fact sheet with operating instructions and how to improve the air quality in people’s homes.

The sheet was created by the library after a collaboration of air quality experts worldwide including the National Collaborating Centre for Environmental Health, Yale University, University of Colorado, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and Prescientx.

Dr. Thomas Piggott, Peterborough Public Health’s Medical Officer of Health worked with the library to create the initiative.

“Measuring CO2 is the first step to addressing indoor air quality and it’s easy to correct if levels are elevated by taking simple actions such as increasing air circulation, using air filtration, reducing the number of people in a room, removing the source of any potential pollutants,” said Piggott.

For more information, please visit www.ptbolibrary.ca and www.peterboroughpublichealth.ca.

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