GRAVENHURST TRAVELLER, 18-34, AMONG 5 COVID CASES IN REGION FRIDAY

Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com

SIMCOE-MUSKOKA — While 5 more COVID cases today bring Simcoe-Muskoka’s weekly total to 20 (8 less than last week) provincial numbers jumped to 340 and 18 more deaths.

One of the cases Friday was a young Gravenhurst man who had travelled and reported yesterday (Aug. 5) with a first episode Aug. 1.

And it looks more like a fourth wave is on its way three weeks after Ontario moved to Step 3 of its Roadmap to Reopen.

Ontario says in a release this afternoon that 80.8 per cent of Ontarians aged 12 and older have received a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 70.8 per cent are fully vaccinated.

That is just one of the conditions the Ford government has stipulated before a move to Step 4.

The say 75 per cent need to be fully immunized and all public health units must have fully vaccinated 70 per cent of eligible residents. As of Friday only about half of Ontario’s 34 health units had met that condition.

The Simcoe-Muskoka District Health Unit (SMDHU) today says 79% of the those aged 12 years and older have had at least one vaccine and 69% of youth 12 to 17 have also received at least one vaccine.

And it adds 69.5 per cent of the total population has had one shot.

But only 59.3 per cent of all residents are fully vaccinated twice.

HEALTH UNIT HIGHLIGHTS:

  • 12,400 cases to date
  • 20 new cases this week. 28 last week, which was 22% higher than the 23 cases reported for the week of July 18.
  • 0 deaths in August, 4 in July, 6 in June
  • 4,000 Alpha variants, 167 Gamma, 34 Beta, 195 Delta
  • 672 cases await confirmation of variant
  • 787,550 vaccines have been administered in Simcoe Muskoka
  • 420,090+ residents have received at least one vaccine, which represents 70% of the population
  • 79% of the those12 years and older have had at least one vaccine
  • 69% of youth 12 to 17 have also received at least one vaccine
Simcoe-Muskoka ends the week with 8 fewer cases than last week, but with 36 active cases and 12 variants.

IN OTHER COVID NEWS …

  • 16 million vaccines have been injected since the start of the rollout.
  • 78 per cent of Ontario adults aged 18 and over have received at least a first dose and more than 51 per cent have received both doses.
  • 2 GO buses have been retrofitted as mobile vaccine clinics as part of the province’s “last mile” strategy to target those who have yet to receive a first or second dose. The first GO-VAXX bus hits the road this weekend, with its first stop at Canada’s Wonderland this weekend for guests with reservations to the park, as well as Wonderland staff. The buses will travel to malls, festivals, community hubs and events throughout the summer and fall across the Greater Golden Horseshoe Region. No appointments are needed, and anyone aged 12 and over can get their first or second dose while supplies last. The mobile clinics are fully accessible and will be administering the Pfizer vaccine.
  • Tokyo hit 4,515 cases today, the most since yesterday’s record 5,042.
  • CBSA guards begin working to rule, which will see delays at U.S. border crossings and airports.

 

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