TODAY’S COVID SCOREBOARD: MUSKOKA 2 — SIMCOE 80

Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com

SIMCOE-MUSKOKA — Two Muskoka women and 80 others in Simcoe add up to another bad day on the corona front today, according to the health unit this afternoon.

  1. A Gravenhurst woman, aged 35-44, is under investigation after reporting May 5 with a first episode May 4.
  2. And a Huntsville, 65-79, with close contact reported May 4 with a first episode April 28.

This morning the province reported 95 cases for the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit.

Neither reported any deaths.

Meanwhile, as Ontario works on when tit will vaccinate kids 12+, today teachers and those older than 50 became eligible for the vaccine.

Province-wide cases were back up by 483 at 3,424 cases and 26 deaths. Yesterday there were 2,941 and 44 deaths.

Toronto was at 915 (924), York 291 (254) and Peel 900 (565).

The 7-day average is 3,369.

COVID testing saw 54,118 swabs with a positivity rate of 6.8 per cent.

Out east, Nova Scotians are being warned of more restrictions as cases rose to 182 from 175 yesterday.

And out in the wild west, Albertans 30+ and 12+ will start getting the vaccine now. This  as they reported 2,271 cases yesterday.

HEALTH UNIT HIGHLIGHTS:

  • 10,851 total cases
  • 263 cases this week, 554 last week, 638 the week of April 18.
  • 3 deaths in May, 25 deaths in April, 12 in March
  • 2,937 UK variant cases, 51 with the P.1 strain from Brazil) and 13 cases of the B.1.351 VOC associated with South Africa; 705 other people have a VOC with second testing to confirm which strain
  • 226,300+ vaccines have been administered in Simcoe Muskoka
  • 210,200+ people living here received gotten a vaccine (34% of the population)
A roundup of the latest COVID information as provided by local public health.

IN OTHER COVID NEWS …

India is back above 400,000 cases with at least 412,262 and 230,168 deaths. Both government figures are believed to be lowered than the actual numbers.

Crazy rumours are rife these days fuelled by Facebook and Twitter. And FB, which has its thumbs on Donald Trump, has placed “false information” on posts claiming insurers won’t pay out if you get the vaccine — not oddly that if you don’t get it.

It’s enough to drive you to drink — which according to health experts is OK to do even if you get the vaccine. A few drinks won’t affect its efficacy.

Monitoring COVID patients is a full-time job 24-7 as nurses and doctors keep close eyes on an escalating number of people in ICU at Royal Victoria Hospital.

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