GEORGIAN BAY, LAKE OF BAYS CASES AMONG 23 IN SIMCOE-MUSKOKA TODAY

Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com

SIMCOE-MUSKOKA — A pair of Muskoka residents are among almost two dozen COVID cases being reported today by the health unit, as Ontarians brace for word on the next step tomorrow on the province’s recovery road.

The two cases in Georgian Bay and Lake of Bays are a man and woman, both aged 45 to 64. Both were reported yesterday with first episodes the day before. The Georgian Bay woman had close contact and the man’s case is under investigation.

They were among 23 cases on Thursday, says the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit.

Fifteen of them were unvaccinated and 8 fully vaccinated.

Eleven people are now in hospital after 2 more were admitted overnight.

This as Ontario is lifting limitations on restaurants, bars and gyms.

And Friday Premier Doug Ford will outline new benchmarks to meet for further business re-openings.

He will also explain the QR code for Ontario’s vaccine passport.

Today businesses could begin downloading the reader at app stores that will let them verify the customer’s codes when they take effect next Thursday, Oct. 21.

Meanwhile, Ottawa is working on a national vaccine passport to help people travel. Reports say its delay is technical and not as a result of provincial reluctance.

The passports are important as more government bodies and businesses demand vaccines.

And as impending new U.S. rules will open the southern border.

But Canada’s Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland urges caution when crossing into the States, where only 57 per cent of Americans are fully vaccinated. And 66 million are unvaccinated.

THURSDAY: COVID BY THE NUMBERS PHO: … 18 CASES IN SIMCOE-MUSKOKA (11 YESTERDAY) … ONTARIO 417 AND 3 DEATHS (306-12) … TORONTO 69 (68), YORK 18 (29), PEEL 43 (18) … NORTH BAY-PARRY SOUND 1 (1) … PORCUPINE 1 (0) …

Gravenhurst Rotarian Gord Durnan checks the balls are in place for last night’s weekly Rotary TV Bingo on Your TV.

HEALTH UNIT HIGHLIGHTS:

  • 13,731 cases to date
  • 51 cases this week; 134 last week, a 37% increase over the 98 cases the week before
  • From Dec. 22 there have been 315 confirmed COVID-19 cases among vaccinated individuals
  • 1 death in October, 5 in September
  • 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 35 times higher
  • 4,007 Alpha variants of concern, 168 Gamma, 34 Beta, 1,354 Delta
  • 663 cases awaiting confirmation of variant
  • 893,295 vaccines have administered
  • 455,904 residents have received at least one vaccine, which represents 75% of the total population
  • 86% of the population 12+ have had at least one vaccine
  • 85% of youth 12 to 17 have also received at least one vaccine

Two of the 23 cases today are in Muskoka.
81 per cent of Simcoe-Muskoka residents aged 12+ are fully vaccinated; 14 per are unvaccinated and 5 per cent have had one vaccine, according the health unit today.

IN OTHER COVID NEWS ….

  • Quebec reports 644 cases and 2 deaths.
  • Nova Scotia has joined Quebec with plans to ban protests near hospitals and health care sites. They will also prevent anti-vaxxers from protesting outside homes where people are receiving vaccinations. The N.S. fines start at $5,000.
  • A street hockey demonstration last night in Toronto as the Leafs hosted the Montreal Canadiens was meant to draw attention to sports restrictions, says its organizer, who says his kids suffered mental health withdrawal from not being allowed to engage in competitive puck pursuits and other such health games.
  • Joe Biden, a Catholic, is to meet with Pope Francis at the Vatican Oct. 29, before the U.S. president attends the G20 Summit in Rome and the UN climate conference in Glasgow right after.
  • Haiti is returning hundreds of thousands of best-before vaccines as it struggles to distribute them in the poor country. They will trade them to COVAX for future returns.
  • UK seeing resurgence in cases, many more among children. However, the rate of deaths has remained about the same.
  • A California court is preventing the state from enforcing vaccines on prisoners, but not staff.

EMAIL: news@muskokatoday.com

28 years of ‘Local Online Journalism’

Twitter: @muskokatoday, Facebook: mclairmont1

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