GRAVENHURST, GEORGIAN BAY CASES AMONG 71 IN REGION FRIDAY

Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com

SIMCOE-MUSKOKA — As Ottawa debates the social and financial cost of waiving COVID patents, Muskoka has two more cases according to the health unit today.

They are among either 64, 67 or 71 cases reported variously by the province this morning and the health unit this afternoon.

This as another person in Simcoe has died.

The Muskoka cases are:

  1. Georgian Bay man, 18-34, under investigation, reported May 6 with a first episode May 5
  2. Gravenhurst woman, 45-64, outbreak related, reported May 6 with a first episode May 4

They bring to 330 the number of cases this week, according to statistical notes below from the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit.

This as the province said a “technical issue” with data in Central East, Central West and Toronto regions may mean totals are under-reported.

Meanwhile, Nova Scotia had a record number of 227 cases today.

And Alberta is teaming up with Montana to vaccinate 2,000 truckers who ship goods back and forth across the border. The J&J doses are excess American supply and will be given at a truck stop in the U.S. starting Monday.

Manitoba is doubling the fines for repeat offenders — but it will only cost you your driver’s licence if you don’t pay up. Prime Minister Brian Pallister said the province will get the money one way or the other and could garnishee wages. Current fines are $300 for no mask, $1,300 for failing to comply with emergency orders and $5,000 for corporations.

Elsewhere in Ontario … Barrie Police are bracing for another anti-lockdown protest Saturday at the Sadlon Arena parking lot. It’s the latest in a series of gatherings where dozens of the hundreds on hand have been ticketed. This after the city shut down Meridian Place square downtown. Protesters moved their demonstration to Centennial Park.

HEALTH UNIT HIGHLIGHTS:

  • 10,918 cases in Simcoe-Muskoka
  • 330 cases this week, 555 last week and 638 starting April 18
  • 4 deaths now in May, 25 in April, 12 in March
  • 2,998 people have tested positive for the UK B.1.1.7 variant, 53 for the P.1 variant from Brazil and 15 for the B.1.351 variant from South Africa. And 706 people have screened positive awaiting confirmed VOC testing.
  • 230,800+ vaccine have been administered in Simcoe Muskoka
  • 214,600+ people living in Simcoe Muskoka have received their first dose of vaccine — 34% of the population.
Simcoe-Muskoka ended the week with 330 COVID cases according to the health unit, 71 today.

IN OTHER COVID NEWS …

  • WHO approves China’s Sinopharm vaccine for use in countries struggling to get inoculations.
  • 64 MPs from all five parties in the House of Commons have written to Justin Trudeau urging that Canada agree to a World Trade Organization bid to waive patents on vaccines. The prime minister said Canada is considering joining — but didn’t commit right away as other countries have done. International Trade Minister Mary Ng said Friday: “Our government firmly believes in the importance of protecting (intellectual property).”
  • COVID has cost Canada hundreds of thousands of jobs the past year, and at last count in April 207,000 more, Statistics Canada said Friday: 129,000 full-time and 78,000 part-time. That pushed the jobless rate up to 8.1 per cent from 7.5 per cent last month.
A better week for Simcoe-Muskoka saw 330 cases as of Friday’s reporting. That’s an improvement on 555 and 638 the past two weeks.

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