April 14 Board of Health Meeting Summary
Written by Communications, April 19, 2021
Board of Health Chair Report
Board of Health chair Mayor Andy Mitchell thanked Peterborough Public Health (PPH) staff for their hard work and continuous efforts addressing the Herculean task of managing the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak in our community. He noted that things had dramatically changed since mid-February when businesses were starting to reopen to now with the April stay at home order and school closures across the province. Our community has not been spared the effects of the third wave: in the first 13 days of April, we have seen 13% of all total cases of the pandemic to date. When this emergency is over, there will be significant load on the board to address items that have been set aside in order to focus on the pandemic.
COVID-19 Update
Dr. Salvaterra reported that the exceptional number of cases and high-risk contacts presently indicates that this third wave is going to be our worst. In April, PPH has seen its highest single-day case count and highest weekly case count since the beginning of the pandemic. The community is also experiencing the most outbreaks to date, fortunately fewer have been in seniors congregate living settings in comparison to last year. There are large numbers of high- and low-risk contacts linked to school cohorts. All PPH staff are fully deployed. PPH is experiencing now what we thought would happen last spring. For the week of April 4-10, the local case incidence rate is 53 cases per 100,000, the reproductive rate is over 1, and test positivity rate is 2.3%. Wastewater surveillance is now part of our surveillance efforts to help us predict in a non-invasive and equitable way how the outbreak is unfolding by detecting the virus in wastewater samples. PPH is targeting certain locations such as Trent University and three retirement homes. It has never been more dangerous for people to go outside their homes. The number of cases where there is no known epidemiological link (i.e. not exposed from a high-risk contact) have doubled over the past week.
COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout
Peterborough’s vaccination plan follows the same framework as the Ontario plan. Phase 1 is not completed yet as the second dose interval has been extended. All residents in long-term care homes, retirement homes and other seniors’ congregate settings have been offered vaccinations. Close to 9,000 healthcare workers have received their first dose including staff in long-term care and retirement homes. Second-dose clinics were completed in Curve Lake First Nation; second-dose clinics in Hiawatha First Nation will be done before the end of April. PPH staff are waiting for lists from the Central East LHIN of chronic home care recipients that require in-home vaccination. Those who are mobile are booked into the Peterborough Regional Health Centre clinic, and those who remain housebound will be vaccinated by PPH mobile teams.
Phase 2 was supposed to start when vaccines began to flow in more abundance, but we have not experienced this yet. PPH is 12,000 doses short this month in order to complete 60+ adults by April 30. AstraZeneca supplies are going out through pharmacies and primary care providers. Those with highest-risk health conditions are starting to receive vaccine, and PPH is planning a clinic in the new Brock Mission for the homeless population. Earlier this week the province extended eligibility for special education teachers. Some of these teachers are booking into May, and others are on the list of “last call” doses at the end of a clinic should vaccine be available to avoid wastage. Clinics have taken place in the County in Norwood, Apsley and Buckhorn. PPH has administered more than 42,600 doses to date, this includes doses given to those who live in other regions. Nearly 39,000 local residents have received their first dose, and 2,400 have received both first and second dose. Approximately one-third of the total eligible population has been vaccinated in our region with at least one dose. The Evinrude clinic will soon reduce to four days/week due to limited vaccine supplies. Every vaccination appointment is booked up until May 14.
COVID-19 Public Education Efforts
PPH holds two media briefings each week that are well attended by media and local elected officials and First Nations partners. These keep our key messages in the news and are posted afterwards on the PPH YouTube channel. PPH has also partnered with the County and City to deliver an ongoing marketing campaign that adjusts messaging as COVID-19 communications needs evolve. Currently there are two campaigns in market, one focuses on the stay at home order/safe shopping guidance, the second one promotes the Notify Me system. This system enables residents to sign up to receive an email notification when it’s their turn to get vaccinated. So far 18,700 people have signed up, and notifications have gone out to more than 10,000 residents. These communication efforts are in addition to sector-specific education delivered by the Operations Team.
Fourth Quarter 2020 Opioid Harms Status Report
The board also received the latest report on the effect of the opioid harms in the community from the period of October 1 to December 31, 2020. It covers the number of paramedic calls, visits to the Emergency Department, and deaths due to opioid poisonings.
Next meeting: The Board of Health meets next virtually on Wednesday, May 12, 2021 at 5:00 p.m. Please click here for a list of Board of Health meeting dates and location details.