For Municipal Partners

Hastings Prince Edward Public Health
Online Bulletin for Municipal Partners

November 2, 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 1,484 cumulative lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 15 active, 1,455 resolved and 14 deceased. There were 5 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: 8.9 per 100,000                         
• Positivity Rate: 0.8%
• Vaccinations among residents 12 and older:
  • First Dose: 134,082 (90%) 
  • Fully Vaccinated: 125,401 (84%)

• Ontario is reporting 331 new cases (195 cases are in individuals who are not fully vaccinated or have an unknown vaccination status) and seven more COVID-19 related deaths were confirmed since yesterday.

• In Canada, as of November 1, 2021, there are 1,718,471 total cases of COVID-19 with 24,363 active cases and 1,665,085 recovered. To date, there have been 29,023 COVID-19 related deaths and more than 46,323,948 individuals tested.

Summary of cases of COVID-19: Ontario, January 15, 2020 to November 1, 2021

Summary of Cases in Ontario Schools - November 2, 2021

Local Updates

Hastings Prince Edward District School Board to launch student census

From November 15 to 19, Hastings Prince Edward District School Board (HPEDSB) will launch the first This is Me in HPE Student Census, to collect identity-based data from all students. HPEDSB is committed to serving students and staff by focusing on equity and inclusion, working to ensure everyone feels supported and has a strong sense of belonging, regardless of their background or personal circumstances. A critical first step is to gather demographic data to better understand the diversity of staff and students across the HPE Schools system. To learn more about the census, please visit the census information web page or contact HPEequity@hpedsb.on.ca.

Upcoming Vaccination Clinics - Turning 12 and over in 2021

Quinte Sports and Wellness Centre

• Thursday, November 4 – 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
• Monday, November 8 – 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
• Tuesday, November 9 – 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
• Wednesday, November 10 – 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Prince Edward Community Centre

• Thursday, November 4 – 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
• Monday, November 8 – 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
• Thursday, November 11 – 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
• Monday, November 15 – 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 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.

Provincial

Ontario Releases Plan to Safely Reopen Ontario and Manage COVID-19 for the Long-Term

• The Ontario government, in consultation with the Chief Medical Officer of Health, has released A Plan to Safely Reopen Ontario and Manage COVID-19 for the Long-Term, which outlines the province’s gradual approach to lifting remaining public health and workplace safety measures by March 2022.
• Ontario will slowly and incrementally lift all remaining public health and workplace safety measures, including the provincial requirement for proof of vaccination and wearing of face coverings in indoor public settings, over the next six months.

Government Takes Further Action to Protect Schools

• With the support of Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, the government announced new measures, to build upon this work and to ensure schools remain open and safe, including:
  • offering take-home polymerase chain reaction (PCR) self-collection kits to all publicly funded schools across the province, with a phased rollout starting in mid-November.
  • the launch of a new “test-to-stay” approach for asymptomatic, unvaccinated students using the deployment of rapid antigen screening tests at the direction of public health units to support in-person learning and avoid whole school dismissals.
  • elevating the requirement for unvaccinated staff to undergo rapid antigen screening from two to three times per week.
• Students with COVID-19 symptoms and students who have been identified as close contacts of a confirmed COVID-19 case will be able to pick up PCR self-collection kits at school, complete the specimen self-collection at home and drop the specimen off at convenient locations in the community.

Apple Wallet Update Now Compatible with Ontario Vaccine Certificate

• Apple users with the iOS 15.1 operating system can save their vaccine certificate with QR code to their Apple Wallet and Apple Health app. To do so, once an individual has opened their enhanced certificate with QR code on their computer desktop or by printing it out, they can follow these easy steps:
  • Open the iPhone camera.
  • Point the camera at the QR code. Once the QR code is in focus and centred on the phone screen, the phone will scan it automatically.
  • Once the phone scans the code, users will be prompted to save it to Apple Wallet and Apple Health.
• Ontarians will need to continue to show a piece of identification with their name and date of birth along with their proof of vaccination when visiting select businesses and organizations.

Ontario Expanding High-Quality, Accessible Virtual Learning

• The Ontario government is investing $10.7 million to provide more flexible postsecondary education options for learners. This funding will help expand the suite of high-quality, market-responsive virtual learning programs and resources across the province through the launch of a second call for proposals in early November with support from eCampusOntario.

Ontario Launching New and Improved Inspections Program for Long-Term Care

• Ontario is continuing its plan to fix long-term care by investing $20 million this year to hire 193 new inspections staff and launching a new and improved annual proactive inspections program in long-term care homes.
• This will ensure there are enough inspectors to proactively visit each home every year, while continuing reactive inspections to promptly address complaints and critical incidents.
• The program takes a resident-centred approach by allowing for direct discussion with residents, to focus on their care needs as well as the home’s program and services.

Ontario Expands Career Growth Opportunities for PSWs and Nurses in Long-Term Care

• The Ontario government is investing up to $100 million to add an additional 2,000 nurses to the long-term care sector by 2024-25.
• Today’s investment supports the government's Long-Term Care Staffing Plan, which was launched last year and sets out actions that will educate, train and help recruit tens of thousands of new health care staff through partnerships with sector partners, long-term care homes, and education and training providers, so that homes can provide an average of four hours of direct care per resident per day.

Ontario Extending Temporary Wage Enhancement for Personal Support Workers

• The Ontario government is investing an additional $373 million to extend the temporary wage enhancement for personal support workers and direct support workers. This increase will continue until March 31, 2022 and will help attract and retain workers in these critical sectors to protect Ontario’s progress while continuing to take a cautious and careful approach to reopening.

Federal

Statement from the Chief Public Health Officer of Canada on October 29, 2021

• Nationally, COVID-19 disease activity is continuing to decline, with an average of 2,343 new cases reported daily during the latest 7 day period (Oct 22-28), a decrease of 17% compared to the previous week.
• Hospitalisation and critical care admission trends, primarily involving unvaccinated people, are decreasing nationally but remain elevated. An average of 2,105 people with COVID-19 were being treated in Canadian hospitals each day during the most recent 7-day period (Oct 22-28), which is 11% lower than last week. This includes, on average, 648 people who were being treated in intensive care units (ICU), 10% less than last week and an average of 37 deaths were reported daily (Oct 22-28).
• The average weekly rate of hospitalized cases was notably higher in unvaccinated people than in fully vaccinated people, ranging from:
  • 43 to 46 times higher in unvaccinated people than in fully vaccinated people among younger age groups (youth and adults, 12-59 years of age)
  • 10 to 27 times higher in unvaccinated people than in fully vaccinated people among older age groups (adults 60 years or older).
• Age-specific vaccine coverage data, as of October 23, 2021, show that over 87% of people 40 years or older have at least one dose and over 83% are fully vaccinated, while 84% of younger adults aged 18-39 years have at least one dose and 77% - 78% are fully vaccinated.

Using Canada’s COVID-19 proof of vaccination for travel

• The Canadian COVID-19 proof of vaccination was designed with a common look that features the Canada wordmark. It will allow other countries and transportation providers, such as airlines and cruise ship operators, to recognize the proof as a trusted Canadian document regardless of the province or territory that issued it.
• As of November 8, 2021, Canadians vaccinated with any combination of 2 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine authorized by U.S. regulators or the World Health Organization will be considered fully vaccinated and able to enter the United States. The Government of Canada is actively engaging other countries and international partners to encourage them to recognize those who have received mixed vaccine schedules or extended dose intervals as being fully vaccinated.
• Effective October 30, 2021, all travellers 12 years of age and older departing from Canadian airports, and travellers on VIA Rail and Rocky Mountaineer trains, will be required to be fully vaccinated in order to travel. To allow travellers time to become fully vaccinated, there will be a short transition period where they will be able to travel if they show a valid COVID-19 molecular test within 72 hours of travel as an alternative to providing proof of full vaccination. If travellers have not already started the vaccination process, or do not start soon, they risk not qualifying for travel as of November 30, 2021.

Canada announces accelerated delivery of COVID-19 paediatric vaccine pending regulatory authorization

• The Government of Canada and Pfizer have agreed to an accelerated delivery schedule of this vaccine, pending regulatory authorization. Specifically, Pfizer and BioNTech have shared that deliveries of 2.9 million doses will begin shortly after regulatory authorization so that Canada receives enough doses to administer a first shot for all eligible children.

Statement from the Council of Chief Medical Officers of Health (CCMOH): COVID-19 Vaccination and the Use of COVID-19 Vaccine Boosters

• NACI recommends booster doses for some key populations, 6 months or more after a primary series of COVID-19 vaccines approved by Health Canada. The key populations recommended to receive boosters at this time are those at greatest risk of decreased protection over time, and greatest risk of severe illness and outcomes. This also includes some health care providers who received their initial vaccine series with less than 28 days between doses. These health professionals could pose an increased risk of transmission to vulnerable populations, and would leave a critical gap in our health systems should they become ill even with a mild infection.
• Given there is currently no evidence of widespread waning of protection against severe disease in the general population who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 in Canada, boosters for this group are not required at this time but CCMOH will continue to monitor vaccine effectiveness and other data to inform the need in the future.

Government of Canada provides further details on new vaccine requirements

• Transport Canada issued the final orders and guidance to airlines and railways to implement the vaccination requirements for travellers which are effective at 3 AM (EDT) October 30, 2021. The vaccination requirements will apply to all travellers 12 years of age plus four months who are:
  • Air passengers flying on domestic, transborder, or international flights departing from certain airports in Canada; and
  • Rail passengers on VIA Rail and Rocky Mountaineer trains.

• Travellers will need to show airlines and railways proof of vaccination. For a short transition period until November 29, 2021, travellers have the option to show proof of a valid COVID-19 molecular test in order to board. Airlines and railways will be responsible for confirming the vaccination status of travellers. In the aviation mode, the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) will also support operators by confirming vaccination status.

• As of November 30, a negative COVID-19 molecular test will no longer be accepted as an alternative to vaccination.

Government announces targeted COVID-19 support measures to create jobs and growth

• The government is proposing the following changes to business support programs:
  • Extend the Canada Recovery Hiring Program until May 7, 2022, for eligible employers with current revenue losses above 10 per cent and increase the subsidy rate to 50 per cent. The extension would help businesses continue to hire back workers and to create the additional jobs Canada needs for a full recovery.
  • Deliver targeted support to businesses that are still facing significant pandemic-related challenges. Support would be available through two streams:
    • Tourism and Hospitality Recovery Program, which would provide support through the wage and rent subsidy programs, to hotels, tour operators, travel agencies, and restaurants, with a subsidy rate of up to 75 per cent.
    • Hardest-Hit Business Recovery Program, which would provide support through the wage and rent subsidy programs, would support other businesses that have faced deep losses, with a subsidy rate of up to 50 per cent.
  • Applicants for these programs will use a new “two-key” eligibility system whereby they will need to demonstrate significant revenue losses over the course of 12 months of the pandemic, as well as revenue losses in the current month.
  • Businesses that face temporary new local lockdowns will be eligible for up to the maximum amount of the wage and rent subsidy programs, during the local lockdown, regardless of losses over the course of the pandemic.
  • These programs will be available until May 7, 2022, with the proposed subsidy rates available through to March 13, 2022. From March 13, 2022, to May 7, 2022, the subsidy rates will decrease by half.
• To ensure that workers continue to have support and that no one is left behind, the government proposes to:
  • Extend the Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit and the Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit until May 7, 2022, and increase the maximum duration of benefits by 2 weeks. This would extend the caregiving benefit from 42 to 44 weeks and the sickness benefit from 4 to 6 weeks.
  • Establish the Canada Worker Lockdown Benefit which would provide $300 a week in income support to eligible workers should they be unable to work due to a local lockdown anytime between October 24, 2021 and May 7, 2022.

HPEPH

Media Release – Residents encouraged to obtain flu vaccine at their health care provider or a local pharmacy this November

• Getting the flu vaccine is especially important this year, to reduce your risk of illness during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• This year, residents are encouraged to seek their flu vaccination as soon as possible through their health care provider or a pharmacy.
• The vaccine is available to individuals over 2 years of age at local pharmacies, and everyone over 6 months of age can receive the flu vaccination from their health care provider.

Media Release: People who are pregnant can make the choice to keep themselves and their baby safe through COVID-19 vaccination.

• Emerging evidence shows that pregnant individuals are at an increased risk of complications related to COVID-19. Vaccination can give someone who is pregnant the best possible protection against the virus. Protecting the health of the mother is critical in protecting the health of a developing baby.

Useful Links

• Ontario's Roadmap to Reopen
• HPEPH COVID-19 Vaccine Booking and Eligibility web page
• HPEPH COVID-19 General Information
• HPEPH COVID-19 Information for Health Care Providers
• How Ontario is responding to COVID-19
• Public Health Ontario - COVID-19
• Canada.ca - COVID-19

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