GRAVENHURST WOMAN AMONG 15 COVID CASES IN REGION WEDNESDAY

Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com

SIMCOE-MUSKOKA — A slight uptake in regional COVID cases today follows similar provincial reporting.

Simcoe-Muskoka had 13 cases today — 1 more than yesterday as Ontario rose to 321 from 269 Tuesday.

One of Wednesday’s cases was a Gravenhurst woman, 45-64, who had close contact after reporting Tuesday with her first episode five days before on last Friday.

That brings this week’s cases to 30 for the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit (SMDHU).

And 11 of the cases were among those unvaccinated.

There was one more death in Simcoe and there are 147 active COVID cases in the region.

Ten people are in hospital, which is 1 more than yesterday.

This as the province has charged its first LTC in London. Kensington Village faces three charges under the Occupational Health and Safety act.

Meanwhile, the  province is also planning to help PSWs become registered practical nurses (RSPNs) and for RSPNs to become nurses as part of an on-the-job training initiative that will cost Ontario $100 million.

And while Ontario is facing pressure to mandate vaccines among school workers, Quebec has decided not to as cases there are declining, it said today.

Erin O’Toole has given in and says his 118 federal Conservative MPs will agree to be vaccinated or provide exemptions to return to Parliament next month when it resume sitting.

In Toronto TTC some bus and subway services will be cut as of Nov. 21 due a lack of workers. That’s a day after mandatory vaccine rules come in for employees.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Pfizer’s vaccine for kids 6-11.

WEDNESDAY: COVID BY THE P.H.0. NUMBERS: … 13 CASES IN SIMCOE-MUSKOKA (12 YESTERDAY) … ONTARIO 321 AND 9 DEATHS (269-5) … TORONTO 66 (39), YORK 33 (13), PEEL 16 (36) … NORTH BAY-PARRY SOUND 1 (1) … PORCUPINE 0 (0) …

A pontoon boat headed for Campbell’s Landing Marina tipped over on a tight corner on Bay Street in Gravenhurst this afternoon, just before 5 p.m., while trying to make the turn at Brown Street.
Traffic of Bay Street was temporarily detoured after a pontoon boat rolled on its side while headed down to Muskoka Lake. It was quickly righted. And there were no injuries to the Campbell’s Landing Driver.

HEALTH UNIT HIGHLIGHTS:

  • 13,942 cases to date
  • 30 cases this week; 122 last week, which was 10% higher than the 111 cases reported for the week of Oct. 10
  • From Dec. 22 there have been 378 confirmed COVID-19 cases among vaccinated individuals
  • 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, 1,539 Delta
  • 905,283 vaccines have been administered
  • 459,858 residents have received at least one vaccine, which represents 76% of the total population
  • 87% of the population 12+ have had at least one vaccine
  • 86% of youth 12 to 17 have also received at least one vaccine

Simcoe recorded 1 more death overnight.

IN OTHER COVID NEWS …

Drug maker Merck has agreed to allow other certified drug makers also make its COVID-19 pill to aid countries with low vaccine access.

In Quebec, which reports 478 cases and 4 deaths, a court today will hear a health workers’ challenge to the vaccine mandate to take effect Nov. 15.

Spain will give those who had a first shot of the J&J vaccine another kind of vaccine after they say the efficacy of the J&J shot was lower than expected. That means 1.9 million Spaniards of 37 million vaccinated will get a different new dose.

WHO says its European region had an increase in both COVID cases and deaths — by 18 and 14 per cent respectively last week.

Beijing has had a flare-up of 20 new cases this week.

This as Moscow is instituting a lockdown due a cases increase.

Germany, meanwhile, won’t extend its restrictions even as cases are on the rise there.

B.C. says 4,000 of its health-care workers are unvaccinated.

EMAIL: news@muskokatoday.com

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