County of Haliburton
11 Newcastle St K0M2K0 Minden, ON, Canada

Haliburton County Community COVID-19 Assessment Centre Positivity Rate Report (February 26, 2021) Background: Over the past month, our community has seen a decr...ease in confirmed COVID-19 cases and high risk contacts locally, after having experienced a spike in cases over the months of December and January. The provincial lockdown and stay-at home order, along with all the other precautions in place, have had a positive impact on helping reduce the spread of the virus in our area and elsewhere in the province. At the time of this release, Haliburton-Kawartha-Pine Ridge District Health Unit (HKPR DHU) is currently reporting a total of 51 confirmed COVID-19 cases for Haliburton County since the outset of the pandemic; the HKPR DHU, like all other public health units, is mandated to report based on the geographical boundaries within which it provides service, which means the cases reported for the Haliburton region only include those among persons residing within the boundaries of Haliburton County, regardless of where the testing takes place. Our Assessment Centre, however, provides testing to our broader community, including persons who reside outside of the Haliburton County border but who are still a part of our community. In order to complement the HKPR PHU reports, and provide a sense of the prevalence of COVID-19 in our community that is not restricted by geographical boundaries, our Assessment Centre has begun reporting its ‘positivity rate’. The positivity rate represents the percentage of persons tested at our Assessment Centre who test positive, over a designated two-week period. Current Positivity Rate: Our most recent positivity rate is 0.42% (for the period of February 8 to 19), with an average of 112 tests being completed each week during that time period. HKPR PHU reported a total of 1 new case for Haliburton County within the same time period; it is important to note that the positivity rate still may not represent all positive COVID-19 cases in our community, but only those who are identified through testing at our local Assessment Centre; some persons in our community who reside outside of Haliburton County borders may be tested at other locations, and would not be included in the Assessment Centre positivity rate or the HKPR DHU total case numbers. Similarly, it is also important to note that all cases reported through HKPR DHU for Haliburton County may not be included in the Assessment Centre positivity rate, as some tests may have been completed elsewhere. Our team strongly believes it is important for our community to be aware of the prevalence of COVID-19 locally, and encourages everyone to continue adhering to all the public health measures to help prevent further spread of the virus, in order to keep our community safe and to help protect our local healthcare system and resources. We would like to thank all of you for your efforts to date in this regard, and for your continued efforts to keep our community prevalence rates low.

Haliburton County Community Vaccination Information (February 26, 2021) The Haliburton Highlands Family Health Team, Haliburton Family Medical Centre, Haliburto...n County Paramedic Service, the County of Haliburton, and Haliburton Highlands Health Services are working collaboratively with the local public health agency to finalize plans for a community vaccination hub in Haliburton County. While no firm timeline or clinic information is available at this time, the partners recognize that community members are seeking local information about what they can expect in terms of immunization plans and locations. While the supply of vaccines into Haliburton County is guided by the availability and determination of priority groups by the province, the local health teams are working diligently with the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit (HKPRDHU) to plan for the arrival of vaccines for the community. We know that many of our residents are anxiously awaiting details on the availability of the vaccine locally, and we appreciate everyone’s patience as we wait for the vaccine supply to arrive, said Dr. Ian Gemmill, Acting Medical Officer of Health for the HKPRDHU. The province has determined the timelines and priority populations that will receive vaccine and the local public health agency is working closely with all of our health care partners to finalize how we will get the vaccine in arms once it arrives. Currently, the community partners are following prioritization guidelines from the Ministry of Health, which means that after local healthcare workers are immunized, the next priority group for vaccination will be residents over the age of 80. More information about prioritization across Ontario is available at Ontario.ca/CovidVaccine. Information regarding when, where, and how to book appointments for vaccination will follow in the coming weeks. This information will be shared with residents through the newspapers, local radio stations, social media, and health care partner websites. At the moment, there is no wait list process to receive the vaccine and partners are grateful for the patience of community members who are anxious to receive immunization. Until vaccines are more widely available, partners urge the community to continue to follow all public health measures to help stop the spread of COVID-19, including staying home as much as possible, practicing physical distancing, wearing a mask or face covering in public spaces, and getting tested for COVID-19 if they are experiencing any of the symptoms.

DYK: COVID-19 vaccine does not contain the coronavirus and cannot give you COVID-19. Instead, the vaccine offers a dose of protection! With vaccines becoming more available, learn why they’re safe, effective and worth getting: https://bit.ly/2Lz1sv1

Focus on Mental Health: Mindfulness & Meditation Learn how to begin a daily meditation routine, practise self-compassion, find richness in stillness, and lea...rn mindfulness techniques. Some find mindfulness and meditation useful for anxiety, depression, stress, and chronic pain management. Follow the link to check out our list of titles curated by HCPL and the Haliburton Highlands Family Health Team, which link directly to our catalogue (books, audiobooks, e-books, and e-audiobooks): http://www.libraryaware.com//9ade0b81-547e-4cf4-882d-e5a24 HCPL is currently offering curbside pickup. You can reserve books for pickup online through your account or by calling the branch while it is open. With your library card number, you can download e-books and e-audiobooks from home anywhere you have an internet connection. #MentalHealth #Mindfulness #Meditation

The Haliburton County Joint Accessibility Committee meeting will take place this Wednesday, February 24th beginning at 1 pm. The meeting will be live streamed via YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qj9RV3-UWC4 The full agenda is available here: https://haliburton.civicweb.net/Po/MeetingInformation.aspx

The Haliburton County Public Library is seeking a temporary Chief Executive Officer (CEO)/Chief Librarian to fill a temporary vacancy created by a leave of absence. For more information, visit: https://www.haliburtoncounty.ca//county-offi/careers.aspx

The County of Haliburton is currently accepting applications for a temporary Finance Assistant to fill a vacancy created by a leave of absence. For the full job description: https://www.haliburtoncounty.ca//county-offi/careers.aspx

As we head into the holiday season, we are asking for continued vigilance to help flatten the curve and protect ourselves and our loved ones. While official reports of active cases of COVID-19 within Haliburton County show relatively low numbers at this time, there is a continued flow of people in and out of the area, some of whom could test positive. Unfortunately their numbers are counted in their home territory. Please continue to follow important public health measures. Together, we can do this!

Congratulations to Councillor Liz Danielsen, who was elected today as the County of Haliburton's Warden for 2021.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Haliburton County Council, along with Councillors from all member municipalities, will be receiving the final Service Delivery Review report on Wednesday, November 25th, 2020 through a virtual conference via the Zoom platform. To view the full news release, https://www.haliburtoncounty.ca//service-delivery-review.a To view the full agenda for Wednesday's meeting: https://haliburton.civicweb.net/Po/MeetingInformation.aspx

How is COVID-19 affecting you and your family? Do you wear masks and practise physical distancing? Do you agree with these prevention measures? Complete a new survey from Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit and let them know how COVID-19 is affecting you: www.hkpr.on.ca/covid-19/

Please note that a special meeting of County of Haliburton Council to discuss Shoreline Preservation will take place on Monday, November 23rd 2020 beginning at 9 am. The full agenda is available here: https://haliburton.civicweb.net/Po/MeetingInformation.aspx Live proceedings can be watched on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/xc9myR_p_3w

Let’s all do our part to prevent COVID-19. If sick, DO NOT go out. Stay home instead. We need to do this to reduce rising cases @Nthld_County @HaliburtonCty @KawarthaLakes

Please note the regular meeting of County of Haliburton Council will begin at 9 am this Wednesday, November 25th. The meeting will be live streamed for the public via YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCD5Nnj_j7WcU-OkketJpqqw For the full agenda, visit: https://haliburton.civicweb.net/Po/MeetingInformation.aspx

On November 25 at 12:55 p.m., there will be a test of the Alert Ready system in Ontario. This includes testing on compatible mobile devices, television and radio. Learn more: https://www.alertready.ca/ #AlertReady

Dining out? Be sure to follow COVID-19 rules around mask use. You can also make an informed choice of where to eat in the County of Haliburton by visiting @HKPRDHU online portal that provides inspection results for restaurants: www.hkprcheckINspection.ca

The Haliburton County Paramedic Service is currently accepting applications for part-time primary care paramedic. For more information, https://www.haliburtoncounty.ca//county-offi/careers.aspx

The County of Haliburton is seeking a full time engineering assistant (capital projects). For more information and to apply, visit: https://www.haliburtoncounty.ca//county-offi/careers.aspx

Time, space, people, place cover your face, test and trace! While rhyming off COVID-19 prevention measures can seem repetitive, they are essential to protect public health @HaliburtonCty @KawarthaLakes @Nthld_County. Let’s all do our part to prevent the spread!

Please see the Board's recent post regarding inclement weather days for the 2020-2021 school year: http://ow.ly/jo2A50Cn1vB