MERRY HO, HOMICRON CHRISTMAS! 8 MORE MUSKOKA CASES AMONG 126 IN REGION

Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com

SIMCOE-MUSKOKA — It’s beginning to look a lot like … Christmas is going to be a lot like last year — and possibly worse in the days leading up to Saturday.

Home for the holidays is again the sound of the season as Omicron cases climb faster than Dasher and Donner can carry Santa’s sleigh in to the night sky.

Eight more in Muskoka today will be confined to quarters after testing positive.

They are among 126 the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit (SMDHU) says have newly tested COVID positive. There were 407 cases reported over the weekend.

Sadly 2 more Simcoe residents are reported to have died overnight.

Including:

  1. Bracebridge woman, 18-34, under investigation, reported Dec. 20, first episode Dec. 18
  2. Bracebridge woman, 45-64, under investigation, reported Dec. 20, first episode Dec. 12
  3. Bracebridge woman, 45-64, under investigation, reported Dec. 20, first episode Dec. 18
  4. Gravenhurst boy, 0-17, under investigation, reported Dec. 20, first episode Dec. 18
  5. Gravenhurst man, 80+, under investigation, reported Dec. 20, first episode Dec. 17
  6. Bracebridge woman, 35-44, under investigation, reported Dec. 20, first episode Dec. 16
  7. Muskoka Lakes woman, 45-64, under investigation, reported Dec. 16, first episode Dec. 13
  8. Gravenhurst man, 35-44, close contact, reported Dec. 15, first episode Dec. 12

Hospitalizations were up to 26 including 2 more overnight.

That as the province recorded a 9 per cent jump in hospitalization.

But so far no one in Ontario has been admitted to ICU due to Omicron.

SMDHU says 85 of its cases today were fully vaccinated, 35 unvaccinated and 6 partially vaccinated.

Meanwhile hundreds lined up in Gravenhurst all day today at the Shoppers Drug Mart for booster shots.

They are among 93,000 locally the health unit reports who have received their third shots.

As they were lucky enough to get boosted, there were no walk-ins today at the Huntsville Active Living Centre. SMDHU says: “Our immunization staff have been delayed due an event beyond their control therefore the clinic cannot accommodate walk-ins.”

TUESDAY: COVID P.H.0. NUMBERS: … 82 CASES IN SIMCOE-MUSKOKA (88 YESTERDAY) … ONTARIO 3,453 AND 11 DEATHS (3,784-0) … TORONTO 901 (1,056), YORK 345 (310), PEEL 280 (381) … NORTH BAY-PARRY SOUND 9 (7) … PORCUPINE 0 (5) …

With increasing COVID cases people everywhere are lining up for booster shots, including hundreds today in Gravenhurst.

HEALTH UNIT HIGHTLIGHTS:

  • 17,735 cases to date
  • 204 cases this week (87 Sunday)
  • 845 last week, which was 50% higher than the 564 cases the week before
  • From Dec. 22 there have been 2,010 confirmed COVID-19 cases among vaccinated individuals
  • 6 deaths in December, 14 in November, 5 each in October and September
  • From Oct. 24 to December 18th, the rate of COVID-19 infection among the unvaccinated vaccine-eligible Simcoe Muskoka population is five times higher than it is for fully vaccinated population and the rate of COVID-19 hospitalizations is 15 times higher
  • 3,468 Delta cases
  • 1,036,748 vaccines have been administered
  • 483,267 individuals have received at least one vaccine, which represents 80% of the total population
  • 84% of the population 5+ have had at least one vaccine including; 82% of youth 12 to 17 years of age
  • 15,798 (36%) of children 5 to 11 have also received at least one vaccine, 15,798

26 people are in hospital – including 2 overnight. But the are no Omicron ICU cases in Ontario.

IN OTHER COVID NEWS …

  • Quebec has third record day of cases with 5,053 and 8 deaths.
  • Atlantic premiers united in Christmas message to stay home for holidays.
  • In case you missed it, Omicron is now 4 to 8 times more transmissible than Delta.
  • You’ll need to pass a test to get in to Canada again — a rapid test — even if you’re out of country and shovelling (shopping?) off to Buffalo for the day.
  • Ontario says selling the free rapid test kits is illegal and you’ll be fined.
  • NHL hockey is off Wednesday to Saturday and players won’t be going to the Beijing Olympics. The QJHL has also suspended operations until Jan. 7.
  • StatsCan says sales were up 1.6 per cent in October and early indications are they went up again in November by 1.2 per cent.
  • Joe Biden will get be COVID tested tomorrow after a close staff member tested positive. The U.S. president who is regularly tested has had two rapid tests since Sunday.
  • And Dr. Anthony Fauci is applauding Donald Trump for getting his booster shot, but condemning those who booed the ex-president.

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