For Municipal Partners

Hastings Prince Edward Public Health
Online Bulletin for Municipal Partners

October 5, 2021

To ensure everyone has current information, Hastings Prince Edward Public Health will be providing regular COVID-19 updates.

For more information please review our website or call 613-966-5500 or 1-800-267-2803.

Updates

Epidemiological
  • Hastings and Prince Edward Counties have 1,406 cumulative lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 26 active, 1,367 resolved and 13 deceased. There were 3 new cases reported today.
    • There are no local retirement facilities experiencing a COVID-19 outbreak; additional outbreak details can be found online.
    • More information is available on our website hpePublicHealth.ca
  • 7 day case rate: 10.1 per 100,000                         
  • Positivity Rate: 0.5%
  • Vaccinations among residents 12 and older:
    • First Dose: 131,348 (88%) 
    • Fully Vaccinated: 119,848 (80%)

  • Ontario is reporting 427 new cases (301 cases are in individuals who are not fully vaccinated or have an unknown vaccination status and 128 are in fully vaccinated individuals) and four more COVID-19 related deaths were confirmed since yesterday.

  • In Canada, as of October 4, 2021, there are 1,640,606 total cases of COVID-19 with 44,320 active cases and 1,568,285 recovered. To date, there have been 28,001 COVID-19 related deaths and more than 43,775,201 individuals tested.

Summary of cases of COVID-19: Ontario, January 15, 2020 to October 4, 2021

 

Report

Number

Percentage

Number of Cases

 589,041

N/A

Change from previous day’s report (new cases)

 429

0.1 increase

Resolved

 574,550

97.5

Change from previous report

 696 0.1 increase

Total number of deaths

9,757

1.7

Total tests completed

18,222,931

N/A

Total test completed in the previous day

25,441

N/A

Currently under investigation

17,885

N/A

 

Summary of Cases in Ontario Schools - Updated Oct 5, 2021

Report

Number of New Cases

Cumulative Cases

School-related cases

 250

2,665

School-related student cases

 234

2,329

School-related staff cases

 14

279

Individual(s) not identified (other staff)

 2 57

Current number of schools with a reported case

796

N/A

Current number of schools closed

6

N/A

 


Local Updates

Upcoming Vaccination Clinics - Turning 12 and over in 2021

Quinte Sports and Wellness Centre

  • Thursday, October 7 – 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
  • Tuesday, October 12 – 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
  • Thursday, October 14 – 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
  • Saturday, October 16 – 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Prince Edward Community Centre

  • Thursday, October 7 – 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
  • Thursday, October 14 – 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
  • Monday, October 18 – 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Upcoming Pop-Up Clinics

  • Wednesday, October 6 Centennial Park Pavillion in Quinte West 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
  • Wednesday, October 6 Marmora and Lake Public Library 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
  • Wednesday, October 6 Tweed Park 4:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
  • Thursday, October 7 Belleville OATC Clinic 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
  • Wednesday, October 13 Stirling Fire Hall 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
  • Friday, October 15 Rathbun Park Gazebo, Deseronto 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
    (If weather conditions are poor, clinic will be moved to the Deseronto Public Library)
  • Friday, October 15 Trenton United Church 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Please note all clinics are now offering walk-ins for all individuals born in 2009 or earlier for first and second doses. See our Booking and Eligibility page for up-to-date information.

The GO-VAXX bus is coming to Loyalist College on Thursday, October 7 from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Learn more about the GO-VAXX bus here.


Provincial

Ontario Recommends the use of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine for Individuals Aged 18-24 Years Old

  • Out of an abundance of caution, Ontario is issuing a preferential recommendation of the use of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for individuals aged 18-24 years old effective immediately based on the current available analysis from Ontario’s adverse events following immunization (AEFI) surveillance system.
  • This recommendation was based on the advice of Ontario’s Children COVID-19 Vaccine Table, Ontario Vaccine Clinical Advisory Group, and Public Health Ontario and is due to an observed increase in Ontario of the very rare heart condition called pericarditis/myocarditis following vaccination with Moderna compared to Pfizer in the 18 to 24 year old age group, particularly among males.
  • Should individuals aged 18 to 24-year old wish to receive Moderna they can continue to do so with informed consent.

Ontario Taking Additional Steps to Protect Long-Term Care Home Residents

  • Staff, support workers, students, and volunteers will have until November 15, 2021 to show proof that they have received all required doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, or to show proof of a valid medical exemption.
  • Staff who do not have all required doses or a valid medical exemption by the deadline will not be able to enter a long-term care home to work.
  • Newly hired staff will be required to be fully vaccinated before they begin working in a home unless they have a valid medical exemption.
  • Homes will begin randomly testing fully vaccinated individuals, including staff, caregivers and visitors, to help detect possible breakthrough cases of COVID-19 as early as possible.

Ontario Cautiously Easing Capacity Limits in Select Settings Where Proof of Vaccination is Required

  • Effective September 25, 2021, at 12:01 a.m., meeting and event spaces will be increased to up to 50 per cent capacity or 10,000 people (whichever is less) for indoor events.
  • For certain outdoor event venues where patrons stand, capacity limits will increase to up to 75 per cent capacity or 15,000 people (whichever is less).
  • For certain outdoor event venues where patrons are seated, capacity limits will be increased to up to 75 per cent capacity or 30,000 people (whichever is less).
  • Proof of vaccination will now be required in outdoor settings where the normal maximum capacity is 20,000 people or more.

Ontario Investing in Health Care Infrastructure Upgrades and Repairs

  • The Ontario government is investing $182.6 million this year to support critical upgrades, repairs and maintenance in 133 hospitals and 63 community health service providers across the province, including $50 million for COVID-19 related and other urgent projects at hospitals.
  • A total of $50 million from the Health Infrastructure Renewal Fund will be used by hospitals for urgent projects, including those that support the health system response to COVID-19, such as upgrading HVAC systems to enhance patient and staff safety, and improving infection prevention and control measures.

Ontario Adding New Resources To Protect Workers

  • More than 100 new health and safety inspectors graduated on Sept 27 and will be visiting workplaces in construction, industrial and health care settings.
  • The addition of these graduates means Ontario now has a total of 507 labour inspectors, the largest ever number in provincial history.
  • To help businesses stay on top of health and safety guidance, the province has also launched the new Workplace Safety Plan Builder, a free interactive tool making it easier for workplaces to create and update their COVID-19 safety plans.

Statement: Schools Continue to Remain Safe for In-person Learning

  • Over the first few weeks of the school year, there have been 1,046 confirmed cases of COVID-19 among students and staff who attend school in-person. With over 2 million students, over 300,000 education workers and school partners and 4,844 publicly funded elementary and secondary schools in the province, this is not cause for alarm and in-person learning continues to remain safe.

Federal

Statement from the Council of Chief Medical Officers of Health (CCMOH): Update on COVID-19 Vaccines and the Risk of Myocarditis and Pericarditis

  • As part of the careful monitoring of vaccines authorized for use in Canada, reports of rare cases of myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) and pericarditis (inflammation of the tissue surrounding the heart) after immunization with mRNA COVID-19 vaccines continue to be reported in Canada and around the world.
  • Cases of myocarditis and/or pericarditis related to vaccines occur more often in adolescents and adults under 30 years of age, more often in males than in females, more often after a second dose of an mRNA vaccine than after a first dose and most occur within seven days of vaccination.
  • Vaccine safety surveillance data in Canada also suggest relatively higher rates of myocarditis and/or pericarditis reported after Spikevax (Moderna) vaccination compared to Comirnaty (Pfizer-BioNTech).
  • The majority of affected individuals, even if hospitalized, experience relatively mild illness, respond well to conservative treatment, and recover quickly.
  • It is also important to consider that the risk of cardiac complications, including myocarditis, has been shown to be substantially increased following SARS-CoV-2 infection, and that it is higher following infection than after vaccination.

Government of Canada to assist Alberta with COVID-19 response

  • The Canadian Armed Forces is preparing to provide up to eight critical care nurses to assist in intensives care units in hospitals in Alberta.
  • The Canadian Red Cross is planning to provide up to 20 medical professionals, some with intensive care unit experience, to augment or relieve existing staff working in hospitals in Alberta.

HPEPH

Media Release: HPEPH issues Letter of Instruction Requiring Proof of COVID-19 Vaccination for Coaches, Officials, Volunteers 12+ Involved in Indoor Organized Sports

  • Hastings Prince Edward Public Health (HPEPH) has issued a Letter of Instruction that requires all owners, operators, and individuals responsible for indoor facilities that host organized sports in Hastings and Prince Edward counties to confirm proof of COVID-19 vaccination for all coaches, officials and volunteers aged 12 and older associated with indoor organized sports.

Useful Links

We want to ensure this bulletin is as useful as possible. Please send your questions, comments and suggestions to communications@hpeph.ca

You have received this email at from Hastings Prince Edward Public Health as a result of a request you have made or due to a service/subscription that you are registered for. While you may discontinue your subscription to this mailing at any time by pressing the unsubscribe button below, this bulletin will be used to provide important updates about COVID-19 in our community.