5 MUSKOKA CASES AMONG 74 LAST DAY OF 2020 REPORTING

Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com

SIMCOE-MUSKOKA — Five more people today ends the year with 3,589 COVID cases in Simcoe and Muskoka.

Can 2021 be any worse?

Among the 74 cases the health unit is reporting are three confirmed in Gravenhurst and one each in Huntsville and Lake of Bays.

All are under investigation by the “short-staffed” Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit (SMDHU).

In Gravenhurst, two females are age 45-69 and a man is 65-79.

A Huntsville male is under the age of 18.

And a Georgian Bay man is 45-64.

Among the other 69, the health unit says the identity of 7 remains pending.

This past week, since Christmas, there have been 392 cases — an average of 65.3 for those six days up to yesterday, Dec. 30.

Last week there were 313 cases.

According to SMDHU, based on a 1.5 per cent daily increase, that trajectory would lead to 69 cases per day and a total of 480 the week of Jan. 17-23.

They add that about half new infections in December with a known cause were acquired from close contact with a confirmed positive case. And about 20 per cent were acquired in the community with no known source of infection.

Nearly a third of all active cases are among young adults 18-34 years. It is an age group that has had the highest rate of infection since June and the rate in November and December for this age group is double the rate in September and October.

Simcoe Muskoka remains with 998 active cases, with 2,507 people who have recovered and 66 people who have died.

Three of those deaths are in Muskoka.

SMDHU stats show in year-end reporting 142 confirmed cases in Muskoka and 3,438 in Simcoe North and South.

Public Health Ontario today reports a record 3,328 cases for Thursday Dec. 31 and 56 more deaths.

With 182,159 cases province-wide in 2020 — and an average of 2,436 daily cases.

The COVID testing rate is now up to 5.7 per cent.

Toronto reports 888 cases, York 318, Peel 431 and Windsor-Essex  257.

Quebec, meanwhile reports 2,819 people with the coronavirus, including 62 deaths reported.

Manitoba saw a jump back up to 187 cases with 6 deaths.

NOTES:

  • Ontario Finance Minister Rod Phillips resigns after going on Caribbean vacation. He called it a “dumb, dumb mistake.”
  • Some U.S. prisons closing due to so many staff infections.
  • A spiteful Wisconsin hospital employ left 500 vaccine doses out to spoil.

  • A quick overview of 2020 stats from the health unit today, the last day of a terribly unhealthy year in the region.
Masks became essential wear in 2020 as COVID reshaped the fashion world and saved countless more lives than were sadly lost.

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