8 MUSKOKA CASES THURSDAY AS ONTARIO CONSIDERS CURFEW

Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com

SIMCOE-MUSKOKA — With Ontarians moving the goalposts, COVID’s endgame for Simcoe-Muskoka remains a summer stretch.

Certainly with another 121 cases today, according to the health unit — and 118 by all provincial accounts.

So Premier Doug Ford warns be prepared for a curfew.

No wonder, as the province had another record day with 4,736 people infected Thursday and 29 people dying.

That’s a one-day increase of 580 — after 4,156 yesterday.

The 8 Muskoka cases, 3 in Bracebridge, 2 each in Gravenhurst and Huntsville, and 1 in Muskoka Lakes include:

1.      Bracebridge man, 45-64, under investigation, reported April 14, first episode April 13

2.      Gravenhurst woman, 18-34, under investigation, reported April 14, first episode April 13

3.      Gravenhurst man, 45-64, under investigation, reported April 14, first episode April 13

4.      Huntsville woman, 35-44, under investigation, reported April 14, first episode April 13

5.      Huntsville man, 45-64, under investigation, reported April 14, first episode April 13

6.      Bracebridge man, 18-34, outbreak, reported April 13, first episode April 7

7.      Bracebridge woman, 18-34, under investigation, reported April 10, first episode April 9

8.     Muskoka Lakes man, 18-34, under investigation, reported April 7, first episode April 4

They are among 386 new cases this week, and follow 658 last week and 450 the week before.

Simcoe-Muskoka had no new deaths since yesterday.

Toronto cases did slip to 1,188 from 1,254, while York was up about 50 to 526 and Peel soared 390 to 983

North Bay-Parry Sound fell 3 to 2 and Sudbury was up 2 to 16.

While Ontario keeps hitting daily records, Quebec had less than third at 1,513 and 15 deaths Thursday.

There was some good news for frontline health care workers as the provinces announced free child care for them in the wake of school classrooms not resuming next week.

However, on the vaccine front Moderna is delaying Canadian shipments for quality control, which could see local appointments put back next week by another week.

Moderna is widely uses in rural parts of Ontario, which is experiencing its own critical shortage of vaccines.

HEALTH UNIT HIGHLIGHTS:

  • 1,629 UK tests, 20 from Brazil, 2 from South Africa
  • 430 cases await second VOC testing
  • 140,750+ vaccine have been administered
  • 125,270+ living in Simcoe-Muskoka have received their first vaccine (20% of population).
  • There have been 13 COVID-19 deaths so far in April and 12 in March.
  • Click here to view the epidemic curve by municipality.
  • Seniors 80 years of age and older had the highest rate of infection in January, with over 90% of these cases associated with an institutional outbreak.
  • Young adults (18-34 years) had the highest rate of infection in February and March.

 

IN OTHER COVID NEWS …

  • Europe surpasses 1 million deaths.
  • A safety blitz on 1,300 Ontario construction sites is underway.
  • Nunavut has its first case, an airline worker with Canadian North, which has led to strict lockdown rules in the northern city.
  • An oil tanker off Cape Breton is languishing at sea unable to dock with a couple of cases.
A critical shortage of vaccines could see delays in appointments next week – notably for those due to receive Moderna doses as people travel across parts of Ontario.

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