4 MUSKOKA WEEKEND COVID CASES, AS ONTARIO LIFTS CAPACITY LIMITS

Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com

SIMCOE-MUSKOKA — As another step in the right direction today opens new doors to recovery, the region saw 13 COVID during the weekend.

Four of them were in Muskoka — all under investigation:

Muskoka Lakes man, 45-64, reported Saturday with a first episode Friday

Bracebridge boy, under 18, reported Friday with his first episode Thursday

Georgian Bay man, 18-34, reported Friday with a first episode on Thursday

Gravenhurst woman, 45-64, reported Friday with her first episode Wednesday

(* A previous case in Collingwood was moved to Muskoka.)

Ten of the weekend cases were unvaccinated, 3 were fully vaccinated.

There was another death in Simcoe, the 258th there. Muskoka has had 5 deaths.

Hospitalizations Monday are 8, with none new overnight.

Nineteen people have recovered since Friday.

This as Ontario provincial capacity limits were lifted today at restaurants, gyms and casinos where vaccine passports rules are in place. That includes at museums, galleries, places of worship and personal care settings.

B.C. is also as of today lifting much of its restrictions.

Quebec reports 324 cases and 5 deaths.

Meanwhile, Chinese children as young as age 3 are now getting vaccinated.

And Merck is seeking approval in the EU for the world’s first COVID vaccine pill.

MONDAY: COVID BY THE P.H.0. NUMBERS: … 10 CASES IN SIMCOE-MUSKOKA (19 YESTERDAY) … ONTARIO 326 AND 0 DEATH (370-1) … TORONTO 39 (47), YORK 31 (31), PEEL 33 (42) … NORTH BAY-PARRY SOUND 0 (1) … PORCUPINE 0 (1) …

Irene Turney was still wearing her surgical mask after leaving Sunday morning service yesterday at Trinity United Church in Gravenhurst. Today the province lifted capacity limits at places of worship.

HEALTH UNIT HIGHLIGHTS:

  • 13,915 cases to date
  • 7 cases this week (as of Sunday); 118 last week, which was 6% higher than the 111 cases the week of Oct. 10
  • From Dec.22 there have been 372 confirmed cases among vaccinated residents
  • 2 deaths in October, 5 in September
  • From Aug. 29 to Oct. 23 the rate of COVID-19 infection among the unvaccinated vaccine-eligible Simcoe Muskoka population is 10 times higher than it is for fully vaccinated population and the rate of COVID-19 hospitalizations is 19 times higher.
  • 4,007 Alpha variants of concern, 169 Gamma, 34 Beta, 1,502 Delta
  • 663 cases have screened positive and await confirmation of VOC
  • 903,213 vaccines have been administered
  • 459,167 residents have received one vaccine, which represents 76% of the total population
  • 86% of the population 12+ have had at least one vaccine
  • 86% of youth 12 to 17 have also received at least one vaccine

One more death in Simcoe over the weekend and 19 people have recovered from COVID.

IN OTHER COVID NEWS …

  • Justin Trudeau may want to take a detour later this week en route to Rome for the G20 and Glasgow for the COP conference. The prime minister is due to visit the Dutch capital to meet with its Prime Minister Mark Rutte. Holland is in the midst one of its worst COVID outbreaks.
  • A Toronto Star analysis of immunization data at 45 of Ontario’s largest school boards shows vaccine exemptions far higher than the public and what the province would expect. It found that “521 staff members have provided a documented medical reason for not being fully vaccinated out of 247,335 total individuals covered by the boards’ vaccination disclosure policies. That works out to a rate of about one in 475 people.
  • “But the rate of legitimate medical exemptions granted in the province, based on the true incidence of adverse reactions to the vaccine, should be between one and five in 100,000, or 0.005 per cent at the high end,” according to Ontario’s chief medical officer of health Dr. Kieran Moore.
  • Moderna says its testing shows “favourable safety” for a kids 6-11 vaccine. It gave doses half the adult size (2 x 50 micrograms) 28 days apart.
  • Estonia is no longer accepting negative test results to enter restricted spaces. It says residents must provide a vaccine passport.
  • First it was candy sellers claiming a chocolate shortage for Sunday’s Halloween. Now its toy stores saying the same in advance of Christmas shopping. Both urge early shopping.

EMAIL: [email protected]

28 years of ‘Local Online Journalism’

Twitter: @muskokatoday, Facebook: mclairmont1

Leave comments at end of story

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

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