NUMBERS DOWN TO 13, BUT MASKS MORE IMPORTANT NOW

Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com

MUSKOKA — With dire warnings for the coming weeks, this morning’s local COVID count is about what we can expect.

Here’s the grim look at COVID-19 for Simcoe and Muskoka:

  • 13 overall;
  • 1 in Gravenhurst — a male aged 18-34 who health officials say had close contact with someone with the coronavirus;
  • 5 in Barrie;
  • 3 in Bradford-West Gwillimbury;
  • 2 in Innisfil
  • 1 each in Severn and Essa townships.

After 29 cases reported in Simcoe-Muskoka over the weekend (stats for Friday, Saturday, Sunday) today’s (Sept. 29) numbers as posted at 1 p.m. are consistent — if down slightly from a day ago.

Double-digit counts are becoming the norm in many parts of Canada as public health officials in most provinces are projecting the worst is yet to come in a second wave of the pandemic.

Wasaga Beach will be a hot spot watch site over the coming days and weeks after this weekend’s massive car rally shut the town to non-residents without as many police charges as would’ve been expected.

While the latest stats aren’t totally positive, they are encouraging in that no new institutional outbreaks were reported.

But everyone from the prime minister down is calling for more use of masks and social distancing.

That’s something too many are not doing say health officials.

A return to Stage 2 lockdowns in Ontario is being discussed, as Quebec now returning to more restrictions.

In B.C. the buzz words are quarantine and self isolation.

Health officials are urging people to remain at home and not go out unless absolutely necessary.

Today’s Simcoe-Muskoka corona count for Tuesday, Sept. 29.
Wearing a mask in public is essential now, say health officials. But roughly just half the dozens and dozens of people wandering the Muskoka Wharf in Gravenhurst this weekend were wearing recommended face coverings.

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