45 SIMCOE CASES FRIDAY AS VARIANTS OUT-PACING VACCINES
Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com
SIMCOE-MUSKOKA — With at least 45 Simcoe cases Friday, Canada’s top doc says variants are outpacing the national vaccine rollout.
Dr. Theresa Tam says supply is not keeping up vis-à-vis demand — while promised Moderna doses have been delayed again to next week.
This afternoon Ontario Premier Doug Ford called the shortages “a joke.”
This morning the province posted 48 cases in Simcoe-Muskoka, three up from what the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit showed on its website this afternoon.
Variants of concern (VOCs) make up 64.6 per cent of Simcoe-Muskoka’s 7,457 cases, reports the Toronto Star.
It says Toronto’s percentage is 68.8 York 61 per cent, Haliburton 46 per cent and North Bay-Parry Sound 20 per cent.
The province also said today effective Monday, marinas and boating clubs will be allowed to open club houses and food establishments for outdoor dining.
It also announced that in grey zones hair and nail salons can open April 12; and outdoor fitness classes are being freed up to open with limits Monday. Also Monday outdoor weddings and funeral will have no limits, but distancing rules.
Toronto continues to have no indoor dining, only outside patios.
Meanwhile, people are being urged to remain close to home to contain COVID’s spread with Easter next weekend and the spring break April 12-16.
The third wave has the country’s Public Health Agency predicting 1 million total cases by next week.
Ontario cases remained dangerously and “disconcertingly” high at 2,169 with 12 deaths.
And as the province’s key 7-day average to watch is at 1,480.
Toronto topped the numbers at 682, Peel was up almost 100 to 387 and York went up 10 to 254.
North and east of here … Thunder Bay fell by half to 17, Sudbury rose by 4 to 33, Peterborough jumped by 10 cases to 11 and Haliburton dropped to 4 from 5 yesterday.
HEALTH UNIT HIGHLIGHTS:
- 542 UK variants, 10 from Brazil, 1 South Africa.
- 577 VOC cases awaiting confirmation
- 80,000+ vaccines have been administered, including more than 17,750 who have received both doses.
- 3,000 (95%) long-term care residents and 3,500 (96%) retirement home residents have received their first dose, mostly Pfizer.
- Nearly 4,200 AstraZeneca vaccines have gone to 60- 64-year-olds at Family Health Teams in Simcoe and Muskoka; along with 1,400 Moderna doses
- This week’s COVID cases count is 200, down 64 from last week and 101 from the week before.
IN OTHER COVID NEWS …
- Toronto was begging for people 75+ to fill 30,000 vaccine vacancies next week.
- Hamilton is moving to the grey zone from red; and Eastern Ontario and Timiskaming are moving to red.
- Liberals, Conservatives feuding over rules for possible pandemic election.
- Pizza sales soar. Frozen pie makers forecast busy year ahead after 20 per cent hike in 2020 and as 75 per cent of Canadians tried to make their own, says pollster Nielsen.
- Backyard pool sellers are also banking on a busy summer with staycations.
- Canada’s auditor general Karen Hogan is citing benefits double-dippers who cost the government $500 million in combined CERB payments and Canada Revenue Agency and Employment and Social Development Canada funding.
- Mexico surpasses 200,000 deaths, trailing only the U.S. and Brazil.
- U.S. could end up with vaccine over-supply as it sends vaccines to Canada.
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