4 MUSKOKA CASES THURSDAY AMONG 36 OR 44 IN SIMCOE-MUSKOKA

Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com

SIMCOE-MUSKOKA — At least three dozen new COVID cases  today include 4 more from Muskoka.

The health unit reports 36 cases (province says 44) bringing their total to 6,362 with 522 active cases.

Among them are:

  • Bracebridge man, 35-44, under investigation first reported Feb. 24 and first episode Feb. 23
  • Muskoka Lakes woman, no age, with close contact Feb. 24/Feb. 20
  • Muskoka Lakes woman, 45-64, close contact, Feb. 24/Feb. 19
  • Huntsville woman, 18-34, outbreak related, Feb. 6/Feb. 6

And a previous Huntsville case has been moved to another health unit.

There was also 1 more death in Simcoe, the 185 person to die there.

Twenty are in hospital including one new case since yesterday.

North Bay Parry Sound had no cases again today, according o the province.

Province-wide, Ontario reports 1,038 case and 23 deaths; Toronto 339 cases, Peel 204 and York 106.

Quebec reports 858 cases, 16 deaths; Newfoundland and Labrador 10 cases; Manitoba 70 and 1 death.

HEALTH UNIT HIGHLIGHTS:

  • To date 182 local cases have been tested positive for the COVID-19 variant of concern UK B.1.1.7 and an additional 276 cases have screened positive (awaiting confirmatory testing)
  • Over 37,208 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in Simcoe Muskoka (1,088) yesterday.
  • This includes more than 15,000 individuals who have received both of the required doses of the vaccine. In addition, 2,944 (92%) long-term care residents and 3,228 (89%) retirement home residents have received their first dose.
  • There have been 139 new cases reported to the health unit for the current week, 273 last week and 211 the week before.

IN OTHER COVID NEWS …

  • Peel police have charged 49 people at Pearson airport for COVID violations in February. Fines have been $880 as new fly-in rules are in place.
  • Police also won’t charge hotel quarantine violators unless they warrant criminal charges.
  • In Europe new COVID cases are half what they were weeks ago, says WHO.
  • In U.S. nursing homes seeing steeper declines than general public.
  • Rich, powerful in South America jumping vaccine queues, corruption scandals reveal.
  • No surprise, but infections among health care worker have tripled since the summer, according to a study by the Canadian Institute for Health Information. However, they still trail the general public.
Here’s an interesting S-M chart from Feb. 24 on Muskoka COVID cases per month.
Here’s a snapshot of where Simcoe-Muskoka sits today, Thursday Feb. 25.
Shielding yourself from possible exposure to the coronavirus is still the smart thing to do even as vaccines are on their way now.

Email [email protected] or [email protected]

Celebrating 26 YEARS of ‘Local Online Journalism’

Follow us at Twitter @muskokatoday & on Facebook at mclairmont1

Leave your comments at end of story. Or write a letter to the Editor at [email protected]

And subscribe for $25 by e-transferring to [email protected]

Or online at https://muskokatoday.com/subscriptions