Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com

SIMCOE-MUSKOKA — COVID’s impact appears to finally be hitting local hospitals harder.

With the provincial switch in reporting to hospitalizations from overall cases, Muskoka hospitals, too, have succumbed to their highest hospitalization rates in two years.

This as the health unit reported late, this afternoon, 456 cases since Friday — and 68 Sunday to start the week. (The province reported 116 today).

Provincially there were 3,861 cases in hospital with 615 people in ICU.

The health unit says 49 people are in hospital, 8 of them over the weekend.

And an additional 5 people have also died over the weekend, including 3 more in Muskoka for a total of 20 there.

• Male 80+, Muskoka, community, DOD – Jan. 20
• Male 80+ Muskoka, outbreak, DOD – Jan. 13
• Male 80+, Muskoka, outbreak, DOD – Jan 20
• Female 80+, Simcoe, outbreak, DOD – Jan. 21
• Female 65-79, Simcoe, outbreak, DOD – Jan 22

Meanwhile, Ontario has surpassed 1 million total confirmed cases and 11,000 deaths the past 23 months.

15 COVID inpatients at once in Muskoka hospitals

Vickie Kaminski, new interim CEO of Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare, says: “In addition to heavy inpatient occupancy from increasing admissions at both sites, we are also seeing our highest COVID hospitalization rates in two years — at one point topping double digits this month with 15 COVID-positive inpatients at one time.

In her first blog since assuming management the hospitals in Bracebridge and Huntsville Christmas Eve, she says additional hospitalizations are creating additional challenges due to staffing shortages across the health care industry.

“Every hospital is working through staffing shortages, especially as team members become sick or exposed to COVID-19 and isolate at home away from the workplace,” she wrote today.

“And MAHC is no different.”

She said in line with provincial direction, “we have had to scale back scheduled care, including non-urgent surgeries, some diagnostic testing and clinic activity to redeploy our staff to maintain urgent and emergent services and look after our admitted patients.

“This directive, which is in place for a while longer, helps to bolster the workforce for a limited time.

“But postponing non-urgent care is very difficult for those who have been waiting for care. We are deeply sorry this measure has to be taken, and will do our best to resume those ramped down services as soon as we can.”

Kaminski added: “Rest assured our hospitals across North Simcoe Muskoka are working closely together to maintain consistent access to urgent and emergent care. This may require transfers of patients to services further afield, and that means loved ones may not be as close to home.

“To those who need the hospitals, we’re still here for. Your patience and kindness is appreciated, recognizing that everyone is exhausted and frustrated.

“Our staff and physicians are doing their best during extraordinary times. They also need the full support of the community and everyone’s help in slowing down the transmission of this virus and using our precious health care resources in the most effective way possible.”

School outbreaks no longer reported by SMDHU

The health unit says as of Monday, Jan. 24 they will no longer be reporting on school outbreaks or associated cases. For more information and data about COVID-19 and school impacts, visit the Province of Ontario’s COVID-19 cases in schools and child care centres website.

But Ontario reports 300 schools affected by more than 30 per cent absences the first week of a return to in-class learning.

This as Ontario kids under 5 are becoming sicker with Omicron and going into hospital at a higher rate than older children.

The Trillium Lakelands District School (TLDSB), on its website, shows no school closures, though that doesn’t reflect any schools with large absenteeism.

The Simcoe-Muskoka Catholic School board (SMCSB) also reports all schools open.

MONDAY: CONFIRMED COVID CASES: … 116 IN SIMCOE-MUSKOKA (190 YESTERDAY) … ONTARIO 7,195 AND 36 DEATHS; 3,861 IN HOSPITAL, 615 IN ICU … TORONTO 886 (1,022), YORK 384 (467), PEEL 690 (884) … NORTH BAY-PARRY SOUND 25 (60) …

HEALTH UNIT HIGHLIGHTS:

• 30,217 confirmed cases to date
• 68 new cases reported to the health unit Sunday. (Province reported 116 this morning.) There were 1,733 new cases reported to the health unit last week (week of January 9th), 33% lower than the 2,593 cases reported for the week of Jan. 9.
• From Dec. 22 there have been 10,193 confirmed COVID-19 cases among vaccinated individuals
• 32 deaths in January, 10 in December
• From July 18 to Jan. 23 the rate of COVID-19 hospitalizations among the unvaccinated vaccine-eligible Simcoe Muskoka population is 9 times higher than it is for fully vaccinated population, the rate of COVID-19 ICU admissions is 17 times higher and the rate of deaths is 8 times higher.
• 1,219,028 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in Simcoe Muskoka, including doses administered by local pharmacies.
• 491,935 residents have received at least one vaccine, which represents 81% of the total population
• 86% of the population 5+ have had at least one dose of vaccine; including 82% of youth 12 to 17 years
• 45% of children 5 to 11 years of age have received at least one dose of vaccine

IN OTHER COVID NEWS …

• Quebec orders proof of vaccination to enter non-essential big box stores of more than 1,500 square feet. The law doesn’t apply to grocers and pharmacies. Last week the province applied the same law to liquor and cannabis outlets.
• Nurses in hospital and home care settings say they are willing to leave the profession due to safety and mental health stress. An international study claimed 50 per cent have considered leaving the job.
• U.S. high school grads declined last year by 20 per cent, affected by the pandemic with colleges and universities seeing few enrolments of about 6-8 per cent.

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