HUNTSVILLE MUSKOKA COVID HOT BED WITH 3 MORE CASES THURSDAY

Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com

SIMCOE-MUSKOKA — On National Pandemic Observance Day and as the region marked the one-year anniversary of its — and the province’s — first death today, Huntsville added three more COVID cases.

That brings to 15 the number of cases in the town this week — and its total account in a year to 86 — by far the most in Muskoka.

Simcoe had the region’s other 41 cases and its 191st death.

Around the world, more than 2.5 people have died since the pandemic began.

In Canada 22,335 have died — 31 the last 24 hours.

Since the pandemic officially began March 11, 2020, there have been 898,577 cases — with 30,571 active as of now.

Today’s Muskoka cases are:

  • Huntsville woman 18-34 under investigation, first reported yesterday and with a first episode the day before.
  • Huntsville man 35-44 with close contact with a first report yesterday and first episode Feb. 28
  • Huntsville man 18-34 also with close contact and too first reported yesterday with a first episode March 3.

They are among 148 cases this week reports the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit, which says 236 people have tested positive for the UK variant, 7 cases have tested positive for the P.1 variant of concern (Brazil), 1 case has tested positive for the B.1.351 variant of concern (South Africa).

An additional 491 cases have screened positive (awaiting confirmatory testing).

North Bay-Parry Sound had zero cases, while Sudbury, which is moving to grey-lockdown Friday had 11.

Province-wide there were 1,092 cases and 10 deaths.

Toronto reported 393, Peel 199, a positive York 79 and troubled Thunder Bay was down to 48.

This as local public health said anyone who has gotten their first dose of the Pfizer vaccine will be called to let them know that all second dose appointments have now been cancelled and will be rescheduled in the next four months to save doses for first-timers.

As well, the province clarified confusion about the two-dose AstraZeneca vaccine age rules.

“You are eligible if you are 60-64 (years old) as of the day of vaccination OR, if you will be or have been 60-64 in 2021,” a health ministry spokesperson told the Toronto Star.

In Simcoe-Muskoka 932 people were vaccinated.

And as of last night more than 1 million Ontarians had gotten a first vaccine and 281,714 have received a second shot.

HEALTH UNIT HIGHLIGHTS:

  • More than 52,600 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in Simcoe Muskoka, mostly to health care workers in local hospitals, long-term care and retirement homes. This includes more than 15,714 individuals who have received both of the required doses of the vaccine. In addition, 3,000 (or 94%) long-term care residents and 3,429 (or 94%) retirement home residents have received their first dose.
  • There have been 148 new cases reported to the health unit so far this week. There were 208 new cases reported to the health unit last week (week of Feb. 28), nearly 20% lower than the 255 cases reported for the week of Feb. 21.
A year after recording its first death at the start of the pandemic, here’s some numbers to ponder.

IN OTHER COVID NEWS …

  • Toronto’s Sunnybrook hospital is expanding its field tent hospital by 100 more beds this week.
  • Hospitals in Brazil reeling with highly contagious B1 variant.
  • Quebec cases jumped to 748 with 15 deaths; Manitoba was also back up to 91 and 3 deaths.
  • Canadian infectious disease specialist Dr. Isaac Bogoch says don’t be overly worried about Denmark temporarily stopping AstraZeneca vaccine as it investigates a small number of blood clots.
  • Cambodia reported its first death Thursday.
  • India had its worse case count since Christmas, with 22,854 cases. India has had the most cases outside the U.S. at 11.2 million.
  • U.S.A. has had 29.2 million cases and 529,000 deaths.
Scott Slater shops for groceries as Simcoe-Muskoka saw 44 more cases today, including three more in Huntsville.

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