10 MUSKOKA CASES AMONG 281 OVER THE WEEKEND REGIONALLY

Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com

SIMCOE-MUSKOKA — The local weekend COVID toll climbed along with the province Monday, including 10 cases in Muskoka since Friday.

In releasing its figures late this afternoon, the health unit added 281 cases to the provincial total of 4,447 and 15 deaths.

The province is reporting 114 regional cases Monday, while the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit (SMDH) pegs it at 73 for the same time.

SMHDU notes two cases from Bracebridge and Gravenhurst were removed as they were transferred to different Public Health Units or did not meet case definition last week; and one unidentified cases was added to Muskoka.

Gravenhurst and Bracbridge topped today’s cases with 4 each, followed by 1 each in Huntsville and Lake of Bays.

Here are those latest grim statistics. Read them and weep:

1.      Gravenhurst man, 45-64, under investigation, reported April 18, first episode April 17

2.      Lake of Bays man, 35-44, under investigation, reported April 18, first episode April 17

3.      Bracebridge, female, 0-17, close contact, reported April 17, first episode April 14

4.      Bracebridge female, 0-17, close contact, reported April 17, first episode April 13

5.      Bracebridge woman, 35-44, under investigation, reported April 17, first episode April 16

6.      Gravenhurst woman, 65-79, close contact, reported April 17, first episode April 10

7.      Bracebridge man, 45-64, under investigation, reported April 16, first episode April 15

8.      Gravenhurst man, 18-34, close contact, reported April 16, first episode April 14

9.      Huntsville man, 45-64, under investigation, reported April 16, first episode April 15

10. Gravenhurst man, 18-34, close contact, reported April 14, first episode April 13

Provincewide it’s the same story, with 4,447 cases Monday and 19 deaths — up 250 from Sunday.

Toronto dropped 93 cases to 1,299, York was up 94 to 577 and Peel jumped 212 to 926.

North Bay-Parry Sound was up 1 case to 4.

Today Doug Ford’s government has voted against measures to assist essential workers, including paid sick days leave. Ontario says Ottawa already covers them.

This as AstraZeneca has been approved for those older than 40 in Ontario, primarily being distributed through pharmacies where you have to book through their store websites.

Quebec reports 1,092 and 15 deaths, along with 686 people in hospital, 183 of them in the ICU.

Manitoba had 108 and no deaths and is lowering vaccine threshold to 40 for AstraZeneca.

B.C. opens vaccine doors to all adults 18+ this week.

Vaccines that are a big part of the COVID solution continue to be distributed widely across the Central Ontario as health officials struggle to obtain supplies that threaten area clinics and residents.

HEALTH UNIT HIGHLIGHTS:

  • There have been 9,456 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Simcoe Muskoka since COVID-19 was first identified in Canada.
  • There have been 73 new cases reported to the health unit for the current week. There were 706 new cases reported to the health unit last week (week of April 11th), 7% higher than the 662 cases reported for the week of April 4th.
  • There have been 14 COVID-19 deaths so far in April and 12 in March.
  • 1,835 cases of UK variant, 20 Brazil, 2 South Africa.
  • 463 cases have screened VOC positive awaiting confirmation.
  • Nearly 155,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in Simcoe Muskoka, 139,300 have received a first dose of vaccine, or about 22% of population.
  • Click here to view the epidemic curve by municipality.
  • More than 5% of COVID-19 cases have been hospitalized.
  • More than 2% of COVID-19 cases have passed away.
  • The number of active ICU admissions in the month of April 2021 remains the highest since the start of the pandemic.
  • More than 90% of hospitalized COVID-19 cases have recovered, but doesn’t include cases currently in hospital.
  • More than half of deaths were never hospitalized. This is due to the disproportionately large impact of COVID-19 mortality on long-term care and retirement home residents who passed away without being hospitalized.
  • Since the onset of wave 2 (October 2020) and continuing into the third wave (March 2021), a higher proportion of cases are requiring hospitalization and ICU care when compared to the first wave (March 2020-June 2020).
  • With the arrival of the variants of concern in Simcoe Muskoka (Dec 2020/Jan 2021) and a surge in cases starting in March 2021, at least one death has been reported every week in 2021.
Case counts continue to rise today with 281 over the weekend.

IN OTHER COVID NEWS …

  • Federal Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland rolled out a budget plan that includes billions to jump-start the post-pandemic period, help families with child care get more women in to the workforce. The Liberals this afternoon committed $30 billion of the next five years for their child-care plan and $8 billion a year after. There’s also $4.4 billion in interest-free eco home improvement loans of up to $40,000. All tolled Canada’s debt the past year soared to $354 billion due to COVID. This year they predict a deficit of jus $154 billion. Before the pandemic it was about $30 billion, which it hopes to return to in 2025-26.
  • Anita Anand, the federal government’s public services and procurement minister, says Ottawa is considering using emergency powers to curb the third wave.
  • Transport truck drivers entering Ontario will have to isolate until they test COVID-free.
  • In the U.S. 131 million of the 333 million people have been vaccinated and now all Americans over the age of 16 are eligible with all states meeting President Joe Biden’s goal.
  • Rogers apologizes for today’s wireless mess that left millions on the hook trying to book vaccine appointments and threatened lives of people trying to call 911.
  • Canada, meanwhile, today surpassed the 10 million vaccine mark and close to one-in-four Canadians have received at least one shot.
  • B.C. beach parties no biggie for coastal health officials and police, who are more focussed on indoor gatherings.
Here’s a look at SMDHU’s latest hospitalizations statistics.
Intensive care unit admittances have been steadily going up since January.
Deaths among seniors have remained the dominant trend throughout the pandemic. (Health unit graphics)

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