3 YOUNG MUSKOKA WOMEN AMONG 57 COVID CASES FRIDAY

Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com

SIMCOE-MUSKOKA — Three young Muskoka women are under investigation after testing positive in latest reporting by the health unit, which says young adults (18-34 years) have had the highest rates of infection since February.

Two are from Bracebridge, one is from Muskoka Lakes. And all, aged 18-34, were reported yesterday. The Bracebridge women had first episodes May 12 and the Muskoka Lakes woman May 11.

They are among 57 cases being reported Friday by the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit and bring to 244 the total number this week.

That’s almost 200 less than the 443 last week and 560 the week before.

There was also one more death in Simcoe yesterday.

Meanwhile, Canada’s chief medical officer of health says if you’ve gotten your first vaccine you can gather with close family and friends outdoors this summer if they’ve done likewise.

That’s according to Teresa Tam this afternoon, as more than half Canadians have now had that first injection.

And you can breathe a bit easier knowing that the coronavirus is airborne and can’t be contracted through contact — as originally thought.

Health experts are now preaching ventilation not contamination, this after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control made that clear on their website last week.

Ontario reported 2,362 cases and 26 deaths.

Forty in Simcoe-Muskoka.

Ontario’s Big 3 were all down: Toronto at 691 (774), York 224 (258) and Peel 563 (602).

Even North Bay-Parry Sound fell by half to 3 from 6.

Meanwhile, a CBC report says Royal Victoria Hospital in Barrie has received 88 patient transfers from overflowing GTA hospitals. They are among 2,100 people moved about the province. Receiving hospitals with fewer than 5 patients weren’t included in the report.

Elsewhere, in Nova Scotia where 117 cases are being reported the province’s supreme court has agreed with a provincial request to stop an anti-mask, anti-restrictions protest Saturday in Halifax to prevent the spread of the virus.

Being outdoors without a mask is becoming easier if both you and those close to you you have had a least one vaccine shot, says Canada’s chief medical officer of health Teresa Tam.

HEALTH UNIT HIGHLIGHTS:

  • 11,280 cases to date
  • 244 cases this week, 443 last week and 560 starting April 25
  • 12 deaths in May, 25 in April, 12 in March
  • 3,252 UK variants, 82 from Brazil, 18 from South Africa, 1 from India
  • 704 other cases are being screened for the type of variant
  • 255,700+ vaccines have been administered in Simcoe Muskoka
  • 238,400+ people living in Simcoe Muskoka have received their first dose of vaccine — 38% of the total population.
One more death yesterday in Simcoe brings to 235 the number of dead since the pandemic began.

IN OTHER COVID NEWS:

  • Among G7 countries, Canada is now third in vaccine delivery after a slow start. The UK tops the list and Japan is at the bottom. Two months from the Olympics, Japan has declared another state of emergency in three more of the 19 of 47 prefectures that make up 70 per cent of the population.
  • Quebec has 838 cases today and 8 deaths; Manitoba dropped to 491 from 560 a day ago.
  • India’s surpassed 24 million cases today with the health ministry reporting 343,144 new infections the past 24 hours. That’s a drop of more than 70,000 below last week’s record 414,188 cases. The latest data includes more than 4,000 deaths for about 262,317 total dead. (*Indian government statistics are believed to be under-reported.)

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