COVID-19 continues to take a toll

Peterborough Public Health reported a new COVID-19-related death Wednesday while three new institutional outbreaks were declared, including two at Peterborough Regional Health Centre.

The death is the 135th COVID-19 death in the jurisdiction of Peterborough city and county, Curve Lake First Nation and Hiawatha First Nation since the pandemic began in March 2020.

Cases have surged at PRHC with 14 admitted patients having the virus as of Tuesday.

The other declared institutional outbreak is at the Centennial Place long-term-care home in Millbrook.

There were 61 new PCR test confirmed cases over the past week, raising active cases to 349. The tally is considered an underestimate since most people do not qualify for PCR lab testing.

The health unit kept the community COVID-19 risk index at moderate. The health unit continues to remain concerned about the emergence of the new Omicron variant XBB.1.5 strain.