NO MUSKOKA CASES TODAY, BUT 29 IN SIMCOE AS SCHOOLS IN ‘TEST-TO-STAY’ MODE

Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com

SIMCOE-MUSKOKA — Ontario and Simcoe-Muskoka both had a third straight day of increased cases today.

Muskoka was exempt Thursday, but Simcoe had 29 cases.

The rest of the province reported 409 cases this morning and 3 deaths.

This as Ontario is focussing more on the school setting — but still not making vaccines mandatory.

Education Minister Stephen Lecce announced that rapid test home kits for kids will be available by mid-November.

And non-vaccinated education workers will have to provide three negative tests a week now instead of two.

It’s part of “test to stay” program Ontario has adopted.

Measures that are better late than never? You decide.

Meanwhile it’s out with the and in with the new as Ontario also said today that outdoor gatherings are no longer limited in capacity size; the same with indoor concert venues.

That means Remembrance Day ceremonies and Santa Claus parades can go ahead this year after the 2020 cancellations.

And one man is dead and 15 other men’s hockey league players in Newmarket — all vaccinated — are part of a COVID outbreak.

THURSDAY: COVID BY THE P.H.0. NUMBERS: … 21 CASES IN SIMCOE-MUSKOKA (13 YESTERDAY) … ONTARIO 409 AND 3 DEATHS (321-9) … TORONTO 54 (66), YORK 25 (33), PEEL 45 (16) … NORTH BAY-PARRY SOUND 2 (1) … PORCUPINE 0 (0) …

Halloween will be a lot different fun this year, with more treats than last year’s tricks for kids who may want to dress up and return to a little bit of fun. This as the province today announced new rules for workers and home testing kits for students to keep classes and schools open.

HEALTH UNIT HIGHLIGHTS:

  • 13,971 cases to date
  • 59 cases this week; 122 last week, which was, 10% higher than the 111 cases the week before
  • From Dec. 22 there have been 389 confirmed COVID-19 cases among vaccinated residents
  • 3 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, 1,545 Delta
  • 906, 037 vaccines have been administered
  • 460,087 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 had one vaccine

Cases in Simcoe-Muskoka are back on the rise this week with 59 so far.

IN OTHER COVID NEWS …

  • Quebec reports 478 cases and 5 deaths.
  • Dr. Rochagne Kilian’s certificate of registration has been pulled by the Ontario College of Surgeons and Physicians. The Owen Sound doctor had been suspended for giving exemptions.
  • U.S. in the third quarter was just 2 per cent.
  • A shortage of 2.2 billion syringes in Africa looms, says the UN.
  • Some workers at Toronto’s University Health Network were in court today challenging a mandated vaccine policy.

EMAIL: news@muskokatoday.com

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