BRACEBRIDGE RESIDENT ONE OF 65 COVID CASES IN REGION FRIDAY

Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com

SIMCOE-MUSKOKA — With Canada frowning on foreign flights due to rising variant fears, new numbers today in Simcoe-Muskoka show a man in Bracebridge and 36 people in Barrie among 65 new COVID cases today.

And one more death in Simcoe.

The Bracebridge resident — first diagnosed and reported for yesterday — is more than 80 years old and his infection is under investigation.

This as weekly cases topped out at 213 — a drop of more than half compared to last week when 441 cases were reported in the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit.

Meanwhile, the health unit reports that as of today 10 local cases have been tested positive for the COVID-19 variant of concern UK B.1.1.7 and an additional 105 cases have screened positive and are awaiting confirmation of testing.

Province-wide Ontario reports 1,837 cases and 58 deaths.

Toronto says it has had 595 cases, Peel fell below 295 and York 170.

Provincial LTCs added 229 outbreaks including 45 new staff cases.

Quebec says it had 1,295 cases today, 50 deaths and drop in hospitalizations.

Manitoba, which so far hasn’t seen variants, reports 3 deaths and X cases

NOTES:

  • The health unit says they have administered 16,282 doses (287 yesterday) of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine administered in Simcoe Muskoka, mainly to health care workers in local hospitals, long-term care and retirement homes.
  • This includes 967 individuals that have received both of the required doses of the vaccine. In addition, 2851 (or 89%) long-term care residents and 2039 ( or 55%) retirement home residents have received their first dose.
  • And there have been 213 new cases reported to the health unit for the current week. There were 441 new cases reported to the health unit last week (starting Jan. 17), slightly lower than the 448 cases reported for the week starting Jan. 10.

IN OTHER COVID NEWS …

  • Federal flight restrictions to certain countries mean foreign travel could cost you more coming home. Landing fees are said today to include a three-day mandatory stay-at-a-hotel at your own cost — and only then if you test negative for COVID-19 can you continue home to finish off your 14-day return quarantine. And flights to the Caribbean and Mexico are grounded until May.
  • Florida and Arizona travel destinations are still allowed.
  • Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced COVID-19 testing for all incoming international travellers at Toronto today.
  • In Great Britain last month, variant cases rapidly rose threefold to 60,000 daily as the local strain took quick hold, forcing a massive lockdown.
  • This as airlines will continue to be reimbursed as part of federal COVID aid packages.
  • Johnson & Johnson vaccine looks promising, if not as effective as Pfizer and Moderna, which are again coming up short on promises shipments to Canada and other countries.
  • Ontario to starting using huge stockpile of rapid tests that have gone un-used.
  • New Brunswick, which had 16 cases today, says variants mean “third wave” will be worse than one and two combined.
Simcoe-Muskoka’s numbers were back up to 65 Friday to end the week at 213, a huge drop of more than a half from last week when there were 441 cases. 

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