NO MUSKOKA COVID CASES? IS THIS THE NEW SUMMER NORMAL?

Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com

SIMCOE-MUSKOKA — If getting back to normal means no cases in Muskoka and 51 in Simcoe, then we’re there today.

By all accounts that’s where the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit (SMDHU) is at as of Wednesday, May 19 — as these are the kinds of numbers we reported a year ago.

But you know what happened.

Will 2021 repeat 2020?

Most of us say, wish and pray it’s “no,” based on half of Canadians now partially vaccinated — and with 1,588 cases in Ontario and most health units down.

But by-nature cautious medical officers of health always hedge their bets.

Exhibit A: North Bay-Parry Sound up today to 9 from 8 yesterday.

Overall, however, Simcoe-Muskoka can confidently say it fell by about a dozen cases.

A small number, perhaps, when compared to the overall regional total of 11,493 cases. But nonetheless relatively encouraging given the winter and spring.

And that 241 people have died — 4 alone in Muskoka.

Still, despite troubles with booking 18+ and serious related mental health fallouts from the pandemic, there’s finally light at the end of this dark tunnel on the road to recovery — economic and otherwise.

Hospitals are being green-lighted to resume some elective surgeries — exciting news if you’ve had cancer, hip or knee surgeries postponed by the pandemic.

Muskoka for the most part has been spared the brunt — but we’re turning the COVID corner, even if this insidious infection is still far from over here or anywhere else you may therefore this 24 illegally travel to this inglorious Victoria Day weekend.

Ontarians were reminded of this a year ago and again in February when cases spiked again when people ignored stay-at-home orders.

Once more in to the breach and we could hurdle a final jump in cases?

Maybe, let’s hope so.

Let’s just do it.

This as Toronto reported 524 cases, York 94 and Peel 335.

And Ontario Solicitor General Sylvia Jones says it will likely be all for one and one for all after June 2. The province’s lockdown won’t end in a piecemeal fashion letting travellers pick and choose where they want to go and shop.

And Simcoe-Muskoka with relatively low new numbers isn’t expected to take advantage of that.

So don’t expect Muskoka to catch a break and be subdivided from Simcoe.

HEALTH UNIT HIGHLIGHTS:

  • 11,493 cases to date
  • 115 cases this week, 340 last week, which was 23% lower than the 444 cases starting May 2
  • 14 deaths in May, 25 in April, 12 in March.
  • 3,418 UK variants, 91 from Brazil, 19 from South Africa, 2 from India
  • local cases have tested positive for the COVID-19 variant of concern UK B.1.1.7 (UK), 711 more cases are awaiting second testing for the VOC.
  • 277,340+ vaccines have been administered in Simcoe Muskoka
  • 257,900+ people living in Simcoe Muskoka have received their first dose of vaccine, which represents over 43% of the total population. For adults 18+ the total is more than 50 per cent.
Figures like these haven’t been seen in about a year.

IN OTHER COVID NEWS …

  • If you’re an Ontario driver you know the pandemic plunged pump prices far below today’s $1.24 a litre. Statistics Canada says the consumer price index in April was up 3.4 per cent over 2020 — driven largely by a 62.5 per cent hike. No April fuel’s joke there, not as the largest annual on record.
  • In India, 4,529 people died the past 24 hours, and 267,334 tested positive for the corona virus, according to questionable government figures.
  • More than half of Albertans eligible for a vaccine have received one.
Maskless Muskoka streets are looking like more of the norm now with more vaccines. However low testing numbers could be a concern for the summer.

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