UPDATED: RETURN TO ‘RED’ MONDAY, MARCH 8, WITH 2 MORE MUSKOKA CASES

Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com

SIMCOE-MUSKOKA — Keeping up with COVID is a minute by minute job.

News changes and spreads faster than variants.

No sooner do you learn Muskoka has two more cases, than you learn Simcoe-Muskoka is moving back in to the ‘red zone’ Monday — a week after leaving it to the delight of business.

And that stay-at-home orders for Toronto and North Bay-Parry (NB-PS) are lifted.

The next minute Toronto and Peel are joining Simcoe-Muskoka in grey lockdown.

Or that NB-PS is dropping down to red.

Such is the nature of digital news and medicine.

Locally the health unit says there were an additional 27 cases in Simcoe (35 according ot the province).

  • A Bracebridge boy under age 18 is under investigation as to his cause.
  • And a Huntsville woman, between the ages of 45-64 is also under investigation.

Both were reported yesterday with first episodes the day before.

Meanwhile, as protesters were out last night in Parry Sound, that region had zero cases today.

Unfortunately the same can’t be said for Thunder Bay, which suffered a setback today with 71 cases, up from 24 yesterday.

All this as Johnson & Johnson’s single dose vaccine has been approved by Health Canada. It’s being hailed as a game-changer for provinces looking to speed up vaccinations.

Provincewide there are 1,250 cases and 22 deaths; with Toronto leading the way up at 337, Peel down at 167 and York up at 129.

HEALTH UNIT HIGHLIGHTS:

  • To date 217 local cases have been tested positive for the COVID-19 variant of concern UK B.1.1.7 and an additional 401 cases have screened positive (awaiting confirmatory testing)
  • Nearly 47,000 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 15,500 individuals who have received both of the required doses of the vaccine. In addition, 2,976 (or 93%) long-term care residents and 3,419 (or 94%) retirement home residents have received their first dose.
  • There have been 132 new cases reported to the health unit for the current week. There were 256 new cases reported to the health unit last week (week of February 21st), approximately 10% lower than the 277 cases reported for the week of February 14th.
Catching at the end of the week in Simcoe-Muskoka.

IN OTHER COVID NEWS ….

  • Ontario to allow 4 months between first and second doses of Pfizer, Moderna vaccines.
  • Plans to give everyone aged 60+ one of the vaccines by June.
  • Province reports 1,250 cases, 22 deaths; Quebec 798 and 10 deaths; Manitoba 54 cases and 1 death.
  • Manitoba promises all adults will be vaccinated week before May 24 long weekend.
  • Trudeau touts millions more vaccines in coming months sooner than later
Just when some were getting used to it, the province said Friday that Simcoe-Muskoka is moving back in to the red zone where it was last week. It will be the ninth change counts one business.

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