Dashboard case counts to give way to wastewater, hospital admission data By Stephen Petrick Health officials are ushering in a “paradigm shift” in how COVID-19 is managed and the Haliburton Kawartha Pine Ridge District Health Unit…
Walk-in times available for everyone eligible for COVID-19…
Walk-ins for getting COVID-19 vaccines are now open to anyone age five years and older who is eligible for a first, second or booster dose. Effective immediately, the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit…
Haliburton County schools reporting absence rates of 14%…
By Sue Tiffin One week after staff and students returned to in-person learning at schools, schools across Haliburton County were reporting absence rates of 14 to 39 per cent. While the Ministry of Education is…
Test positivity rates, outbreak reports being monitored by…
By Sue TiffinThe following are brief reports from a Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge district health unit press conference with medical officer of health Dr. Natalie Bocking, held virtually on Jan. 12. There have been 4,858…
Pandemic pushes people to Nordic trails
By Stephen PetrickFor so many, the last two years of the pandemic has included our winters of discontent.The COVID crisis, which we now know is worsened in winter, leads to shuttered schools, boarded up businesses,…
Hike Haliburton – Winter Edition cancelled
By Stephen PetrickAnother event is taking a hike, thanks to COVID.The Hike Haliburton - Winter Edition festival, scheduled for Feb. 5 and 6, has been cancelled. The news was made official at the Wednesday, Jan.…
Premier Doug Ford announces easing of COVID-19 restrictions
Indoor dining, gyms, and movie theatres are opening up with 50 per cent capacity beginning Jan. 31, according to an announcement made today by the provincial government. After days of announcing “positive news” to come…
Efforts focused on decreasing the impact
By Sue Tiffin The following are brief reports from a Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge (HKPR) district health unit press conference with medical officer of health Dr. Natalie Bocking, held virtually on Jan. 5. Dr. Natalie…
Return to modified Stage Two affecting business community
By Chris DrostWith the recent move by the Province of Ontario to return to a modified Stage Two in its ongoing efforts to protect the hospital system, business owners in Haliburton County are feeling the…
No shot at Canadian National Pond Hockey this…
The Canadian National Pond Hockey Championships is cancelled for 2022.The multi-day outdoor hockey tournament was hoping to return to action after a two-year pause caused by the pandemic. This year it was scheduled to be…
Long-term solutions needed for longterm care: advocate
By Stephen Petrick New measures by the province to protect long-term care residents from COVID-19 seem necessary, but more work needs to be done to improve their quality of life long-term, said a local advocate.The…
We’ve been here before
To the Editor, I’ve been doing what many others have likely been doing during the pandemic - projects that I’ve been meaning to turn my attention to. One of them is working through a box…
Look for health care answers beyond the continent
To the Editor, I was very impressed this morning reading Darren Lum’s editorial “What’s old is new again.” I think it was very well written and captures the public mood in our community.For weeks I’ve…
Province acts to slow COVID-19 surge
By Sue Tiffin A new year has brought new provincial restrictions during the fifth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.In-person school will move to online learning for the next two weeks, indoor dining at restaurants will…
Weighing the different health metrics for a return…
By Darren LumStudents all across Ontario will be learning online the next two weeks, as one of the newly announced measures in the face of rising COVID-19 case counts and the threat to the province’s…
Routine, sense of purpose key to coping this…
By Nick BernardWinter – the coldest, darkest time of the year.Where the holidays can be difficult for many, the long trudge towards springtime can be even worse for those who have concerns about their mental…
Plant sale proceeds to spring Water Festival back…
By Stephen PetrickIf you’re a friend of the environment, you have a chance to plant the seeds for a feel-good movement.Local environmental organization FEEL (Friends of Ecological Environmental Learning) is holding its annual native plant…
Local Rotarians give gift of life this Christmas
By Nick BernardGetting vaccines to those who need them most has been part of The Rotary Club’s worldwide mission to make each community in which it operates a better place. For more than a hundred…
MOH urges public to stay at home for…
The local medical officer of health is asking residents to give the best gift possible this holiday season – the gift of staying home and isolating if they are ill. “This is the best gift…
Businesses respond to new restrictions
By Nick BernardIn an announcement presented on Dec. 17, the Ontario government announced new restrictions in the face of rising COVID-19 case counts, and the continuing spread of the Omicron variant.Effective as of Dec. 19…
Ontario announces restrictions for businesses, gatherings as COVID-19…
This afternoon, Premier Doug Ford announced new restrictions for businesses and social gatherings as COVID-19 cases throughout the province continue to rise in part due to the Omicron variant. “Throughout this entire pandemic, we’ve never…