COVID CASES BACK ON THE RISE IN SIMCOE-MUSKOKA WITH 193 THURSDAY

Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com

SIMCOE-MUSKOKA — Local public health reports 193 confirmed COVID cases.

An increase of 33 after 160 yesterday, which included a data dump of 102.

Regionally 28 people are in hospital, 3 more overnight and 6 in ICU.

There are 834 active cases according to the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit (SMDHU).

Meanwhile, the province’s chief medical officer of health Kieran Moore says mask mandates may end by April.

But he said because of fewer PCR tests now total cases can be estimated by multiplying the number of positive tests by 10. That would mean 22,000+ today.

And as he warned the new BA.2 variant will soon be the dominant COVID variant.

Quebec also expects to lift its mask mandate by the middle of next month. And Alberta is unsure when it will do the same.

In Florida, Republican Gov. Rick Santis chastised a group of high schoolers wearing masks at a college event he was speaking at. He confronted them and asked them to remove their face-coverings, telling them it was “time to end COVID theatre” and that masks aren’t effective.

This as some U.S. states are scrambling to dispense vaccine before their due date.

THURSDAY: PHO CONFIRMED COVID CASES: … 184 SIMCOE-MUSKOKA (160 YESTERDAY) … ONTARIO 2,262 AND 19 DEATHS (1,959-27); 834 IN HOSPITAL (847); AND 267 IN ICU (273) … TORONTO 324 (274) … YORK 92 (107) … PEEL 120 (113) … NORTH BAY-PARRY SOUND 35 (48) …

Lunchtime crowds are returning to downtowns, now that restrictions are lifting. And high schoolers can always be counted on to boost the economy.

HEALTH UNIT HIGHLIGHTS:

  • 35,757 confirmed cases to date
  • 280 cases this week
  • 567 last week, 18% lower than the 695 cases the week before
  • 47 deaths in February, 74 in January
  • From July 18 to March 2, the rate of COVID-19 hospitalizations among the unvaccinated vaccine-eligible Simcoe Muskoka population is 4 times higher than it is for those who have received at least two vaccine doses, the rate of COVID-19 ICU admissions is eight times higher and the rate of deaths is 3 times higher.
  • 1,273,088 vaccines have been administered
  • 496,673 residents have received at least one vaccine, which represents 81% 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 years of age have received at least one dose of vaccine
Hospitalizations were back up to 28 today with 6 in ICU.

IN OTHER COVID NEWS …

  • Only 15 per cent of Hong Kong’s LTC residents are vaccinated.
  • 1,700 deaths still per day in U.S.

EMAIL: [email protected]

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