3 MUSKOKA COVID CASES AND 29 VARIANTS IN SIMCOE-MUSKOKA

Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com

SIMCOE-MUSKOKA — With a vaccine message from doctors who say: “Don’t call us we’ll call you,” 29 regional variant reports emerged today.

This as Muskoka COVID cases also mounted with 3 more women testing COVID positive — two in Huntsville and one in Muskoka Lakes.

Simcoe accounted for 58 of today’s 61 local cases.

Yesterday 6 cases were reported over the weekend in the health unit’s northern district, for a total of 213.

The 3 new cases are:

  • Huntsville woman age 65-79 community acquired, reported Feb. 20 with a first episode Feb. 8.
  • Huntsville woman 80+ under investigation first reported Feb. 20 and a first episode Feb. 8.
  • Muskoka Lakes woman 18-34, under investigation first reported Feb. 20 and a first episode Feb. 19.

Tuesday’s reported cases included 61 across the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit (SMDHU), it said, totalling 6,298.

And its 187th death, a person in Simcoe.

There are now 564 active cases.

The province and Public Health Ontario reported 48 cases and 6,317 cases total.

They also report 0 cases for the second day in North Bay-Parry Sound, with a total of 258.

The health unit said there are now 171 confirmed UK variant cases in the region and 216 other people who have been screened with a variant of concern (VOC).

Ontario cases were below 1,000 again at 975 with 12 deaths and totalling 295,119 the past year.

Toronto accounted for 343 (9,463 total), York Region 89 (28,194) and Peel 186 (59,821).

Quebec remained well under 1,000 again at 239 cases, 13 deaths and 283,666 total cases.

Newfoundland and Labrador report 15 new cases.

HEATLH UNIT HIGHLIGHTS …

  • To date 171 local cases have been tested positive for the COVID-19 variant of concern UK B.1.1.7 and an additional 216 cases have screened positive (awaiting confirmatory testing)
  • Over 35,170 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in Simcoe Muskoka, with more than 15,000 people who have received both of the required doses of the vaccine. In addition, 2,943 (92%) long-term care residents and 3,158 (87%) retirement home residents have received their first dose.
  • There are 76 new cases this week, 275 last week and 210 the week before starting Feb. 7.
  • January saw 88 Simcoe residents die, which is four times higher than December when 18 deaths were reported.
  •  There have been 29 COVID-19 related deaths so far in February — all in Simcoe.

IN OTHER COVID NEWS …

  • Justin Trudeau and Joe Biden meeting this afternoon.
  • U.K. PM Boris Johnson targets June 21 to lift restrictions.
A look at Simcoe-Muskoka’s numbers today shows a “pattern of concern” for Dr. Charles Gardner.
Muskoka has had 9 new COVID cases since Friday and now has 9 variant cases as well.

Email mark@muskokatoday.com or news@muskokatoday.com

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