UPDATE: THIRD COVID CASE IN HUNTSVILLE THIS WEEK
Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com
HUNTSVILLE — Two more people here have tested positive for COVID-19 — bringing Huntsville’s count this week to three — and Muskoka’s total to 41.
Both were listed in an update this afternoon by the health unit as acquiring it through close contact.
One is a male aged 45-64 and the other is a female 35-44.
That’s after a teenage girl working in a food services business was confirmed two days ago.
The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit (SMDHU) said Tuesday, Sept. 8, that a “female aged 0-17 tested positive in a workplace outbreak.”
Health officials didn’t identify her, but a Henrietta’s Bakery in Dwight said it had a positive case.
Dr. Charles Gardner told the media that the teen is the second worker at the workplace to test positive. Both are in self-isolation.
The latest test brings to 27 in Muskoka the number of identified coronavirus cases.
The number of cases is trending consistent with predictions early in the pandemic — from three months ago — for the Central Ontario area, says the health unit.
SMDHU’s website notes in a forecasting tab that models from researchers at the University of Toronto designed to help understand the possible impacts of the pandemic and plan for a recovery have released a forecasting model – Design your own COVID-19 exit strategy.
It says in order to prevent a considerable increase in transmission and associated health and health care burden, to the extent possible we will need to:
– Maintain social distancing and use of face masks;
– Increase testing and contact tracing.
Simcoe Muskoka’s previous local model that included results to the end of April 2020 was quite accurate in its findings.
It had predicted that, with the use of the public health intervention ‘enhanced detection and moderate social distancing’, Simcoe Muskoka could expect 15 to 25 deaths and 170 to 300 reported cases by April 30.
In fact, says SMHDU, by May 1, Simcoe Muskoka reported 20 deaths and 283 reported cases.
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