Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com

SIMCOE-MUSKOKA — With almost 100 COVID cases regionally today and the Omicron variant on the rise, residents are being asked to keep to themselves inside this month.

Not a bad idea considering the weather.

However, 4 cases Tuesday in Muskoka (92 in Simcoe) are hardly cause to celebrate after a dozen here yesterday.

• Bracebridge woman, 18-34, close contact, reported Dec. 6, first episode Dec. 4
• Georgian Bay woman, 45-64, under investigation, reported Dec. 6, first episode Dec. 5
• Georgian Bay man, 18-34, under investigation, reported Dec. 5, first episode Dec. 5
• Georgian Bay boy, 0-17, outbreak, reported Dec. 4, first episode Nov. 25

With the latest forecasting continuing to call for more cases it looks like another Christmas of little holiday-making.

Not with 53 unvaccinated cases, 34 fully vaccinated and 9 partially vaccinated.

And a York Region Omicron case knocking on the door.

Or 30 people in hospital — 3 of them overnight.

No wonder Ontario says now won’t be lifting capacity limits on bars, restaurants and other public gathering spots. Not with 450 of today’s 928 cases among unvaccinated Ontarians.

Health Minister Christine Elliott says the province is in relatively good shape with 165 people in ICU (95 on ventilators), which she says is far from the 300 cases that would again cause surgical delays for other non-emergency patients.

Yet new projections today show 150-400 ICU cases next month.

McMaster University has just begun administering two oral inhaler vaccines that go directly into the lungs.

And a Quebec vaccine maker says it has high hopes after its latest third-stage testing, Medicago’s two-dose vaccine was 71 per cent successful against all variants studied — but before Omicron — and 75 per cent successful combating Delta.

TUESDAY: COVID BY THE P.H.0. NUMBERS: … 68 CASES IN SIMCOE-MUSKOKA (73 YESTERDAY) … ONTARIO 928 AND 9 DEATHS (887-3)… TORONTO 163 (139), YORK 84 (60), PEEL 48 (60) … NORTH BAY-PARRY SOUND 1 (0) … PORCUPINE 0 (1) …

KIDS VACCINE VIRTUAL Q&A WEDNESDAY NIGHT

The local health unit is hosting a virtual live Q&A for parents and caregivers on vaccinations for kids 5 to 11 years Wednesday, Dec. 8, from 7 to 8:30 p.m.

Dr. Colin Lee, associate medical officer of health, will be joined by Dr. Rania Hiram, Royal Victoria Regional Hospital pediatrician and Jocelyn Leworthy, a certified child life specialist.

The event will be hosted on Microsoft Teams and can be accessed by clicking the following link or by visiting the SMDHU website.

Participants can pose questions in the live chat box and receive answers in real-time.

COVID-19 vaccinations are available to eligible residents through community clinics, participating pharmacies, primary care providers, and the GOVAXX mobile clinic.

Children born between 2010 and 2016 are eligible to receive the children’s Pfizer vaccine. Two doses of the vaccine are recommended with at least eight weeks between the first and second doses.

Health officials encourage parents and caregivers to discuss vaccination with their children before booking an appointment.

If they have questions that include personal health information, parents should reach out to their primary care provider or the SickKids COVID-19 Vaccine Consult Service — a by-appointment judgement-free phone call with a pediatric registered nurse from Sick Kids, available in multiple languages, using over-the-phone language interpretation.

To learn more about COVID-19 vaccines and current public health safety measures and requirements, visit smdhu.org/covid19.

HEALTH UNIT HIGHLIGHTS:

• 16,247 cases to date
• 134 this week
• 579 last week, 16% higher than the 499 cases the week before
• From Dec. 22 there have been 1,205 cases among vaccinated individuals.
• 0 deaths in December, 14 in November, 2 each in October, September
• From Oct. 10 to Dec. 4th the rate of COVID-19 infection among the unvaccinated vaccine-eligible Simcoe Muskoka population is seven times higher than it is for fully vaccinated population and the rate of COVID-19 hospitalizations is 15 times higher.
• 4,008 Alpha variants of concern, 169 Gamma, 34 Beta, 2,882 Delta
• 968,632 vaccines have been administered
• 477,313 residents living in Simcoe Muskoka have received at least one vaccine, which represents 79% of the total population
• 88% of the population 12+ have had at least one vaccine; including 85% of youth 12 to 17 years of age.
• 25% of children 5 to 11 years of age have received at least one vaccine
• Most COVID-19 cases in Simcoe Muskoka are from the Barrie and South Simcoe areas. Click here to view the epidemic curve by municipality.
• Young adults (18-34 years) had the highest rates of infection from February to August; however, since September, children under the age of 12 have had the highest rate of new cases

Overnight 3 people were admitted to hospitals, bring the number of residents in hospital to 30.

IN OTHER COVID NEWS …

Booster shots slowed in the U.K. the past week. So the country is cutting by half the time between last shots from six months down to three.

WHO doesn’t recommend for use plasma from COVID survivors to treat people infected with the virus. The costly and time-consuming procedure isn’t proven to reduce severe illness or death.

Donald Trump was closer to death in October 2020 when he came down with COVID, according to his former chief of staff Mark Meadows. He says in “Chief to Chief” Trump nearly died.

Canadian wages the past two years have risen 5.2 per cent as businesses now look to hire workers again. Particularly in food service where on average pay is up 2.3 per cent. Nurses are in high demand with wages up 20.5 per cent to $35.40 per hour. Experienced nurses’ wages are up 2.3 per cent to $40.47.

South Africa was hit hard before Omicron, with foreign visitor travel there down more than 70 per cent in 2020 — dropping to five million from 15 million. Safaris are way down among the mostly British travellers.

An Oxford University study says mixing AstraZeneca or Pfizer vaccines with any other produces the same positive effect as two of the same.

Japan is reporting only 1 death a day now.

Hong Kong researchers claim to have produced a new stainless steal alloy that repels COVID in 99.75 per cent of cases within three hours; and 99.99 per cent of the time in six hours. It could be vital in food service and medical fields.

EMAIL: [email protected]

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