5 MUSKOKA CASES AS NO WORD ON WHEN OR IF SCHOOLS WILL RE-OPEN

Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com

SIMCOE-MUSKOKA — As debate swirls around AstraZenca, a drop in local cases comes as the health unit is offering some end-of-day vaccine within 45 minutes.

The health unit is reporting 56 cases Tuesday — 5 in Muskoka and 39 in Simcoe.

Yesterday the Simcoe-Muskoka District Health Unit (SMDHU) said there were 76 cases. Public Health Ontario reported 52 today and 101 Monday.

The latest Muskoka cases were:

  1. Muskoka Lakes woman, 18-34, outbreak related, reported May 3, first episode April 30
  2. Georgian Bay woman, 18-34, close contact, reported May 1, first episode May 1
  3. Huntsville man, 45-64, close contact, reported May 1, first episode April 28
  4. Muskoka Lakes woman, 18-34, outbreak related, reported April 30, first episode April 30
  5. Muskoka Lakes man, 18-34, outbreak related, reported April 30, first episode April 30

A previous Huntsville case was moved to another health unit.

The two-day average this week is 60 cases as SMDHU reports 120 cases for Sunday and Monday after 281 over the weekend.

One more death in Simcoe was reported.

The regional decrease in cases follows lower numbers province-wide and in key health units.

Ontario reported a huge drop of more than 600 — going down 2,791 today with 25 deaths, compared to 3,436 yesterday and 16 deaths.

Toronto fell to 931 (985), York was down to 275 (351) and Peel was at 653 (714).

Meanwhile, Canada’s chief medical officer so health Teresa Tam continued to show confidence in the AstraZeneca vaccine, saying people should get it or the first available vaccine ASAP.

And she says — as of now — the current medical advice is that both vaccines be of the same kind — whether AZ, Pfizer, Moderna or the on hold Johnson & Johnson.

However, she said evolving science could yet change that and she will have more to say soon.

Earlier today, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canada is set to receive a million more doses of the Moderna vaccine tomorrow.

And that the government is indeed working on vaccine passports people will have to carry with them to provide proof of having been jabbed in order to go in to public venues and the like.

This as the province’s education minister said today that online learning for students will continue for the 2021-22 school year.

But Stephen Lecce wouldn’t say if students will return to classes in three weeks after the May 24 long weekend when the current lockdown is due to end.

So it’s unclear if in-class studies will even resume in September. That could depend on summer COVID numbers.

Elsewhere,

HEALTH UNIT HIGHLIGHTS:

  • 10,703 confirmed cases to date.
  • 120 new cases this week, after 548 last week and 638 the week before.
  • 1 new death in Simcoe in May, 23 deaths in April, 12 in March. There has been one COVID-19 death so far in May among Simcoe Muskoka residents.
  • To date 2,824 local cases have tested positive for the COVID-19 variant of concern UK B.1.1.7 (UK), 47 cases have tested positive for the P.1 variant of concern (Brazil), 13 cases have tested positive for the B.1.351 variant of concern (South Africa) and an additional 694 cases have screened positive (awaiting confirmatory testing).
  • Over 218,750 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in Simcoe Muskoka, including doses administered by local pharmacies. Over 202,600 individuals living in Simcoe Muskoka have received their first dose of vaccine, which represents over 32.5% of the total population.
The health unit reports today 1 more death in Simoce.

IN OTHER COVID NEWS …

  • Ontario pharmacies were happy to help offer vaccines, but aren’t keen on complications of having to contact people to rebook them for a second jab.
  • Quebec had 797 cases (15 deaths), Manitoba 291, Nova Scotia 153, PEI 7, New Brunswick and Newfoundland-Labrador 4 each.
  • Worldwide, John Hopkins University is reporting 153.7 million cases and 3.2 million deaths.
  • Canadian has had 1,247,304 cases and 24,385 deaths
  • India has surpassed 20 million cases.
Case numbers were down across Simcoe-Muskoka today, but include 3 cases in Muskoka Lakes and 1 each in Huntsville and Georgian Bay.

Email news@muskokatoday.com

Celebrating 27 YEARS of ‘Local Online Journalism’

Follow us on at Twitter @muskokatoday & on Facebook at mclairmont1

Leave your comments at end of story.

Send Letters to the Editor at news@muskokatoday.com

SUBSCRIBE for $25 by e-transferring to news@muskokatoday.com

Or go online to https://muskokatoday.com/subscriptions