LIGHTS AT END OF SOME VERY DARK TUNNELS AS 239 CASES STILL REPORTED IN REGION

Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com

SIMCOE-MUSKOKA — As light appears at the end of some very dark COVID-19 tunnels, 239 regional cases are being reported by local public health (136 according to Public Health Ontario).

And 5 deaths in Simcoe:

  1. Female 80+, Simcoe, outbreak, DOD – Feb. 11
  2. Male 65-79, Simcoe, community, DOD – Feb 11
  3. Female 80+, Simcoe, community, DOD – Feb 15
  4. Male 80+, Simcoe, community, DOD – Feb 14
  5. Male 80+, Simcoe, community, DOD – Feb 13

There are currently 43 in hospital, including 8 overnight, and 14 in ICU, according to the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit, Tuesday Feb. 15.

The news comes as Ottawa’s Police Chief Peter Sloly has quit amid controversy over his handling of protesters. He is accused by unnamed police sources as being combative with staff and other policing agencies and failing to have a plan to deal with the original ‘Freedom Convoy’ that rolled  into Canada’s capital 19 days ago.

His resignation comes the same day as federal emergency powers were invoked by the Liberal government to deal with related anti-vaccine demonstrations across the country. Yesterday Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the Emergencies Act would be invoked for the first time since the 1970s.

In Coutts, Alta., today and Windsor, Ont., yesterday traffic began moving across the U.S. border as protest trucks and their supporters went home after an Ontario court order and a police raid out west netted guns and bullet-proof vests in some trucks.

Most protesters said they didn’t want to be associated with armed conflicts.

Among those urging on protesters was Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s daughter, Krista Ford Haynes, who posted on her Instagram site a photo of her Jan. 27 supporting protesters headed to Ottawa.

Today Ford acknowledged the differences of opinion in his family, after declaring a provincial state of emergency last Thursday.

TUESDAY: PHO CONFIRMED COVID CASES: … 136 IN SIMCOE-MUSKOKA (52 YESTERDAY) … ONTARIO 1,593 AND 19 DEATHS (1,765-8); 1,465 IN HOSPITAL (1,369); 384 IN ICU (394) … TORONTO 223 (335) … YORK 63 (117) … PEEL 129 (134) … NORTH BAY-PARRY SOUND 16 (20) …

Trucks and tractors were out on Muskoka Bay today as icemakers began work this week clearing space for the On The Pond outdoor hockey tournament Friday and Saturday Feb. 25-26.

HEALTH UNIT HIGHLIGHTS:

  • 33,951 confirmed cases to date
  • 172 new cases this week
  • 762 cases last week, 20% lower than the 951 cases reported for the week of January 30
  • 26 deaths in February, 71 in January
  • From July 18th to February 14th, the rate of COVID-19 hospitalizations among the unvaccinated vaccine-eligible Simcoe Muskoka population is 6 times higher than it is for those who have received at least two vaccine doses, the rate of COVID-19 ICU admissions is nine times higher and the rate of deaths is 3 times higher.
  • 1,262,261 vaccines have been administered
  • 495,908 residents have received at least one dose of vaccine, which represents 80% of the total population
  • 85% of the population 5+ have had at least one vaccine; including 81% of youth 12 to 17
  • 48% of children 5 to 11 have also received at least one dose of vaccine
43 people are in hospital, 8 overnight, and 14 are in ICU.

IN OTHER COVID NEWS …

  • Canada will let fully vaccinated people in to the country without a positive PCR test.
  • Quebec is lifting its vaccine passports March 14. Today they report 1,973 COVID cases (+563 results submitted by the public online) and 53 deaths. The province also says 2,052 are hospital with 132 in ICU.
  • B.C. will keep its vaccine passport, but Saskatchewan ended theirs next Monday.

EMAIL: news@muskokatoday.com

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Twitter: @muskokatoday, Facebook: mclairmont1

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