480 COVID CASES REGION-WIDE THURSDAY, INCLUDING 27 IN MUSKOKA

Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com

SIMCOE-MUSKOKA — COVID cases climbed back close to 500 today — including 27 in Muskoka.

Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit (SMDHU) reports 480 people testing positive in its daily update.

That after reporting 362 region-wide yesterday. And another death in Simcoe.

Provincially numbers rose to 13,330 from 11,582. There were 20 deaths.

As the focus remains on Omicron (98% of local cases last week) and testing for it, SMDHU says 312 of Thursday’s reported cases were fully vaccinated, 66 unvaccinated and 22 partially vaccinated.

Thirty-two people remain in hospital with no new over-night admittance.

The numbers reinforce Dr. Charles Gardner’s comments yesterday that vaccines — while still good — alone they aren’t enough to stop the new virus.

And that people should return to old habits formed the past two years with distancing and gathering restraints.

Only go out if it’s essential, SMDHU’s medical officer of health reinforces.

In the U.S. the government is sticking with the first two shots to be considered “fully vaccinated.”

Muskoka cases:

THURSDAY: COVID P.H.0. NUMBERS: … 459 CASES IN SIMCOE-MUSKOKA (381 YESTERDAY) … ONTARIO 13,330 AND 20 DEATHS (11,582-14) … TORONTO 2,645 (2,524) YORK 1,238 (1,294), PEEL 1,500 (1,435) … NORTH BAY-PARRY SOUND 93 (36) … PORCUPINE 68 (62) … KINGSTON 161 (144) … HALTON 675 (511) …

Winter works continued over the holidays as another fast food restaurant is going up at the south end of Gravenhurst.

HEALTH UNIT HIGHLIHTS:

  • 24,361 cases to date
  • 1,641 cases this week
  • 3,537 last week
  • 1,643 cases the week before
  • From December 22 there have been 6,651 confirmed COVID-19 cases among vaccinated individuals
  • 2 deaths in January, 10 in December, 14 in November, 5 each in October and September
  • From November 7 to January 1 the rate of COVID-19 infection among the unvaccinated vaccine-eligible Simcoe Muskoka population is two times higher than it is for fully vaccinated population and the rate of COVID-19 hospitalizations is 17 times higher.
  • 3,663 Delta cases
  • 174 cases have tested positive for Omicron
  • 1,855 cases await confirmation of variant
  • 1,131,843 vaccines have been administered
  • 486,935 residents have received one vaccine, which represents 81% of the total population
  • 85% of the population 5+ have had at least one vaccine; including 82% of youth 12 to 17 years of age
  • 41% of children 5 to 11 have also received at least one vaccine

With no overnight admissions today, there are 32 people in hospitals region-wide.

IN OTHER COVID NEWS …

  • Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole wants Justin Trudeau to “accommodate” anti-vaxxers. The prime minister said yesterday Canadians are angry at those not vaccinated who are filling up hospitals and delaying cancer care and surgeries for others.
  • Nunavut says no community will receive COVIC lab tests unless the community has not reported any previous cases.
  • Quebec-based Transat Air is cutting 30 per cent of its routes southbound, as fallout continues over a Sunwing charter flight to Mexico that saw dozens of passengers flaunting masking and gathering rules onboard. They are now stuck down south after the airline refused to fly them home.
  • Cineplex has laid off 5,000 part-time movie staff with theatres temporarily closed.
  • Nova Scotia calls on Ottawa to help them administer its new booster program.
  • Sin taxes now include proof of vaccination at Quebec’s liquor and pot shops.
  • Toronto Public Health has returned runny noses to the list of symptoms kids should be screened. But they must also have a secondary symptom like a headache, sore throat, nausea, diarrhea or vomiting.
  • Ontario is speeding up booster shots for school and child-care workers.
  • U.S. teens are being recommended, the CDC, for booster shots.
  • 131 residents in a Toronto LTC have received a fourth vaccine.
  • Ontario reports 2,279 people in hospital — including 319 in ICU.
  • Germany’s new Chancellor Olaf Scholz will bring forward a bill in March to make vaccines universally mandatory among health-care-related workers. The leader of the three-party coalition is calling for a free vote in parliament.
  • France has opened its doors to South Africans.
  • Britain no longer requires a COVID test to leave the country or isolation coming into to it.
  • Japan wants U.S. troops confined to barracks.

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