SIMCOE-MUSKOKA ‘DELTA HOT SPOT’ WITH 18 CASES AS OF THURSDAY

Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com

SIMCOE-MUSKOKA — May 13 was the first day a case of the Delta variant showed up in local health unit reporting.

Today there are 18 cases (all in Simcoe) as the province added Simcoe-Muskoka to the list of seven regions designated as hot spots for the variant of concern (VOC) first identified as being found in India.

And as local COVID cases rose to 12 from 9 yesterday, including a Huntsville woman, aged 65-79, with close contact first reported June 16 with a first episode June 9.

Muskoka’s last cases were June 8 in Gravenhurst, Huntsville and Muskoka Lakes.

This new designation may be why 50,000 new vaccine doses are headed here next week.

MuskokaTODAY.com reported that first Delta case 35 days ago, and including that Delta was reported 23 times in updates by the Simcoe District Health Unit (SMDHU):

1 case — May 13, 14, 17 and 18

2 cases — May 19, 20, 21, 25 and 26

3 cases — May 27 and May 28

4 cases — May 31 and June 1

10 cases — June 2 to 8

12 cases — June 9 and 10

13 cases — June 11

15 cases — June 15

15 cases — June 16

18 cases — June 18

When asked this afternoon about the new designation, the health unit responded:

“The technical briefing (from the province) is the first time we have learned that we are a delta variant hotspot.

“We understand from the briefing that as of June 23, individuals who live in Simcoe-Muskoka who received their first dose of mRNA on or before May 30 can book their 2nd dose.

“We are reaching out to our provincial colleagues to have more information on further details and next steps.

“We will be expanding the availability of appointments in our community clinics. We look forward to accelerating 2nd doses for everyone as quickly as possible.”

The health unit reported 4,833 variants as of today, with 13 of them new. They are among 12,182 total COVID cases to date.

Yesterday, Dr. Charles Gardner SMDHU medical officer of health acknowledged the rise in the Delta variant, which he said is “very much a concern.”

Late this afternoon in email response to MuskokaTODAY.com, he added that “at this time we are not considering additional control measures.”

He said Wednesday in his weekly media briefing that 87 per cent of cases already identified are VOCs — a number that “remains stable,” which he called “a good thing.”

But he said: “In particular we are watching the Delta variant B.1.617.2 and that is up slightly to 15 cases.

“Otherwise it’s very good to see stability with regards to that per cent positivity figure.”

“I don’t think what we’re seeing is a dramatic increase over time. It’s been a relatively slow progression.”

He also noted in response to another media’s question that because Delta takes extra genome sequencing to confirm cases, which isn’t done on all tests, that could alter positivity rates that right now don’t show a big increase.

“So at the moment I’m feeling somewhat assured.”

That was yesterday when he also said provincial and regional resources are being directed at local areas with high rates of VOCs — including 20,000 more Moderna and 30,000 more Pfizer vaccines.

Then today the province added Simcoe-Muskoka to Delta hot spots.

As of next Wednesday, June 23, residents here and in the six other health units of Hamilton, Halton, Durham, Waterloo, Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph and Porcupine can book booster shot appointments. They must have had their first vaccine on or before May 30.

Delta accounts for more than half the province’s cases and is 50 per cent more transmissible than the Alpha (UK) variant that caused the third wave and is quickly replacing the latter and could fuel a fourth wave.

This as Public Health Ontario reported 370 cases today and 7 deaths — a drop from 384 and 12 deaths yesterday.

Simcoe-Muskoka had 9 cases yesterday, according to the health unit.

Toronto went up day-over-day to 67 from 54, as did York that nearly doubled to 27 from 14. Peel fell to 47 from 60.

North Bay-Parry Sound also went up to 10 from 3. Likewise Porcupine at 17 from 13.

HEALTH UNIT HIHGLIGHTS:

• 12,182 total cases to date
• 31 new cases this week, 94 last week, 38% lower than the 152 the week before. This was the lowest weekly case total since early October 2020.
• 1 death in June, 18 in May, 25 in April, 12 in March
• 3,950 Alpha variants to date, 162 Gamma, 32 Beta, 18 Delta
• 671 more VOCs have screened positive awaiting confirmatory testing Note: all B.1.617 cases are currently presumed to be of the B.1.617.2 (delta) lineage as it is the dominant B.1.617 strain in Ontario.
• Over 455,700 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in Simcoe Muskoka, including doses administered by local pharmacies. Over 378,750 individuals living in Simcoe Muskoka have received their first dose of vaccine, which represents over 63% of the total population.
• Currently 73% of adults 18 years and older living in Simcoe Muskoka have had at least one dose of vaccine and 50% of youth 12 to 17 years of age have had their first vaccine dose.

IN OTHER COVID NEWS …

• Ontario says all residents will be eligible for second vaccine by June 28.
• U.S. donating 1 million vaccines to Canada, which this week said at G7 meetings in England that it would donate 100 million doses to COVAX for poorer countries.
• CBC tracking shows Canada’s death toll is now 26,010, total cases 1,405,888 with 13,597 active. And 30.6 million total vaccines — first and second doses — have been given to Canadians.

 

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