2 MUSKOKA COVID CASES AMONG 51 IN REGION THANKSGIVING WEEKEND

Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com

SIMCOE-MUSKOKA — Early results from Thanksgiving weekend show two people in Muskoka tested positive for COVID.

They are among 51 being reported since Friday — and 21 since Sunday — according to the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit (SMDHU).

Both cases were among young people aged 18-34 who were reported Friday after first episodes Thursday.

One is a man from Bracebridge, the other a woman from Muskoka Lakes.

Both are under investigation as to the cause of their infection.

Among the 51 latest to test positive, 30 were unvaccinated, 20 were fully vaccinated and 1 was partially vaccinated.

Nine people are in hospital within the region.

Muskoka pop-up clinics this week:

There are a couple of vaccination clinics still going in Muskoka the next couple of days.

Both are open to the public.

  • Wednesday, Oct. 3

MacTier: Moose Deer Point Health Centre, 1025C Mitawbik Rd. 9 a.m. to noon.

  • Thursday, Oct. 14

Huntsville: Deerhurst Resort, 1235 Deerhurst Dr., 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

TUESDAY: COVID BY THE NUMBERS PHO: … 8 CASES IN SIMCOE-MUSKOKA 0 YESTERDAY) … ONTARIO 390 AND 0 DEATHS (458-2) … TORONTO 66 (92), YORK 65 (36), PEEL 62 (71) … NORTH BAY-PARRY SOUND 1 (0) … PORCUPINE 0 (0) …

The biggest weekend of year at Bethune Memorial House in Gravenhurst drew its usual hundreds of visitors to the National Historic Site.
Dr. Norman Bethune’s birthplace is a regular stop on the fall colour circuit for many from the GTA.
With appropriate COVID protocols in place, visitors were being allowed in in limited numbers at a time.

HEALTH UNIT HIGHLIGHTS:

  • 13,698 cases to date
  • 21 cases since Sunday; 132 last week, which was 35% higher than the 98 cases the week before
  • From Dec. 22 there have been 307 confirmed COVID-19 cases among vaccinated individuals
  • 1 death in October, 5 in September — all in Simcoe
  • From Aug. 15 to Oct. 9, the rate of COVID-19 infection among the unvaccinated vaccine-eligible Simcoe Muskoka population is 11 times higher than it is for fully vaccinated population and the rate of COVID-19 hospitalizations is 44 times higher.
  • 4,007 Alpha variants of concern, 168 Gamma, 34 Beta, 1,334 Delta
  • 665 cases await confirmation of VOC
  • 891,116 vaccines have been administered
  • 455,191 residents have received at least one dose of vaccine, which represents 75% of the total population
  • 86% of the population 12+ have had at least vaccine
  • 85% of youth 12 to 17 have also received at least one vaccine

Nine people are currently in hospital in Simcoe-Muskoka.

IN OTHER COVID NEWS …

  • Funny how cases in schools are now a big concern — when since the pandemic began unreported cases in Muskoka were never as worrisome to many. This as there are 117 students provincewide with the virus and 10 staff.
  • Suffering Alberta residents got a bit of a reprieve seeing an amazing northern lights show Monday.
  • Moderna wants the U.S. to approve a ½ dosage of its vaccine because it says the efficacy of its doses wane six months after a second shot.
  • Ontario gave out 5,512 vaccines Monday (the fewest since February) and 12,213 Sunday.
  • Quebec reports 409 cases today and 2 deaths.
  • 149 Ontarians are in ICU today.
  • New Brunswick (with a population of just more than 777,000) has declared a red alert with 1,000 active cases, 56 in hospital and 20 in ICU.
  • TTC looks to hire back retirees as Oct. 30 looms as the date for employees to report vaccination status. It could mean a shortage of workers who are vaccinated and not allowed to work under new city rules.
  • IMF downplays global economic recovery slightly due to vaccine supply shortages causing a gulf between rich, poor countries.
  • UN says 100 million more people around the world are in poverty due to the pandemic — and incredibly 4 billion are without a social safety net, health care and income insecurity.

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