NO MUSKOKA CASES TUESDAY AS SCHOOLS NOW UNLIKELY TO RE-OPEN

Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com

SIMCOE-MUSKOKA — As it looks like schools won’t open after all, Simcoe-Muskoka is reporting 18 COVID cases this afternoon.

None in Muskoka.

This as Ontario dropped to 699 with 9 deaths. (Yesterday there were 916 cases and 13 deaths.)

Cases dropped across the board in the GTA Tuesday, with Toronto 207 (226), York 52 (85) and Peel 144 (165).

North Bay-Parry Sound remained at 1 (1).

This comes on the eve of the June 2 date for the current stay-at-home order to end.

And two weeks ahead of the province’s first stage re-opening plan due to kick-in June 14, but which could see patios open before then.

Multiple government sources say that while health officials feel in-class learning is safe other safety measures in public must be in place before schools re-open.

As of yesterday, Ontario says 57.4 per cent of the total population has had its first vaccine and is on target for 60 per cent by Friday. (71.1 per cent of all adults have been jabbed at least once.)

This as Canada’s National Advisory Committee on Immunization says those who got the first shot of the AstraZeneca vaccine can now safely receive the Pfizer or Moderna next time.

Quebec reported 208 cases and deaths.

HEALTH UNIT HIGHLIGHTS:

11,932 cases to date

35 cases this week, 207 last week, which was 32% lower than the 303 cases the week of May 16

18 deaths in May, 25 in April, 12 in March

3,734 Alpha variant (UK), 21 Beta (South Africa), 113 Gamma (Brazil), 4 Delta (India)

725 cases await confirmation of the variant of concern type

353,500+ vaccines have been administered in Simcoe Muskoka

320,400+ residents have received their first dose of vaccine, which more than 53% of the region’s population.

Latest numbers show more of a decline.

IN OTHER COVID NEWS …

Justin Trudeau is promising more money for municipalities to help with the high cost of housing for young and middle-class Canadians pushed out of the real estate market due to soaring sales prices that make million-dollar homes nothing new.

As more people get out and the economy starts to open, the province says it’s going to let that happen possibly before June 14.

Email [email protected]

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 [email protected]

SUBSCRIBE for $25 by e-transferring to [email protected]

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