Outbreak reported at Peterborough student residence - ThePeterboroughExaminer.com

A gathering last week has led to a COVID-19 outbreak at a local student residence and the closure of the building to visitors.

There are six confirmed cases at Severn Court, at 555 Wilfred Drive, health officials confirmed Saturday. A Section 22 order was issued Saturday by Dr. Rosana Salvaterra, closing the building to visitors and requiring residents to self-isolate. Anyone who visited the building between Feb. 20 and 27 is asked to self-isolate and get tested if they show symptoms.

“Based on initial investigations, several of the exposures occurred during a private gathering on Feb. 20,” Peterborough Public Health reports in a press release.

"This outbreak is very concerning not only because it involves a variant of concern and could lead to many more cases and high-risk contacts, but because it was also completely preventable," stated Salvaterra.

The specific strain of variant is not yet known.

The privately run student residence, located near Fleming College, has about 200 post-secondary students as tenants. Salvaterra said representatives of the Severn Court Management Company have been working with health officials to contain the spread, as have Trent University and Fleming College.

The news comes as Peterborough Public Health reports eight new cases of COVID-19 in the area Saturday.

The health unit, which tracks cases confirmed in the city and county, Curve Lake First Nation and Hiawatha First Nation, reports that there have now been 635 cases of COVID-19 since last March. Of those, 582 have been resolved.

One of those cases has involved a COVID-19 variant.

There are currently 41 active cases. There have been nine deaths.

An outreak has also been reported at Empress Gardens.

Vaccinations at Curve Lake are scheduled over two days next week, on Wednesday and on March 6. About 1,000 residents who signed up are scheduled to get their first dose of the Pfizer vaccine over the two days.

Getting tested

More than 43,400 residents, or 29.3 per cent, have been tested at least once for the virus, the health unit reportes.

COVID-19 testing continues at Peterborough Regional Health Centre and at Northcrest Arena, both by appointment only. To book a spot, visit prhc.on.ca and at peterboroughpublichealth.ca.

Testing by Peterborough Public Health staff can also be arranged in the home by calling 705-743-1000.

Some people can be tested at the Shoppers Drug Mart at High and Lansdowne streets, by appointment. Call 705-748-6141 or email asdm614@shoppersdrugmart.ca to book an appointment.

This is specifically for people who meet certain criteria: Asymptomatic students, teachers and staff in schools and child-care settings; Residents or workers in long-term care homes; Visitors to a long-term care home; Residents or workers in homeless shelters; International students who have passed their 14-day quarantine period; Farm workers; Self-identified Indigenous people.

Neighbouring areas

There were three new cases reported Saturday across the area covered by the Haliburton Kawartha Pine Ridge District Health Unit Saturday, all three in Northumberland County.

No new cases were reported in Haliburton or in the City of Kawartha Lakes.

There have been 1,029 cases confirmed in the area since last March, with 53 confirmed deaths and 13 probably COVID-19 deaths.

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Twelve people tested positive for the N501Y mutation of the coronavirus - two in the City of Kawartha Lakes and 10 in Northumberland County.

In Durham Region, there were 34 new cases confirmed Saturday, with 260 active cases and 23 people in hospital.

There were two COVID-19 deaths in Durham over the past week, for a total of 295 since the pandemic began.

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2021-02-27 22:57:56Z
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