MARCH BREAK NOW APRIL BREAK — WITH NO NEW MUSKOKA CASES TODAY

Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com

SIMCOE-MUSOKA — March Break is now April Break as Ontario has postponed the annual school holiday by a month.

Students here — who just returned to classes this week — will be off again in just more than eight more weeks for their mid-winter respite April 12-16.

The government says it’s to protect them and their families and the rest of Ontario from being outdoors and catching COVID and helping its spread.

This as Simcoe-Muskoka District Health Unit (SMDHU) reported 35 cases — all in Simcoe and none in Muskoka. Public Health Ontario’s number was 34.

There were also 2 more deaths locally and 717 actives cases.

Vaccines are now up to 24,121 with 1,055 yesterday.

Across Ontario cases fell to 945 with 18 deaths.

Quebec reports 1,121 and 37 deaths. Manitoba 90 cases, 3 deaths.

Toronto reported just 112, but it is moving to the provincial health reporting system (which was falsely said to be complete), so the numbers aren’t up to date.

Peel did post 258 cases and York Region 116.

The province says 883 people are in hospital, 299 in ICU and 211 on ventilators.

And 11 more people in LTCs died.

Also today, the province echoed what SMDHU MOH Dr. Charles Gardner said on Tuesday that variants of concern (VOC) threaten recovery plans later this month and in March.

HEALTH UNIT HIGHLIGHTS:

  • To date 133 local cases have been tested positive for the COVID-19 variant of concern UK B.1.1.7 and an additional 93 cases have screened positive (awaiting confirmatory testing)
  • 24,121 Pfizer vaccines have been administered in Simcoe Muskoka. They includes 8,000 individuals that have received both of the required doses of the vaccine. In addition, 2,924 (or 91 per cent) long-term care residents and 2,375 (or 65 per cent) retirement home residents received their first dose.
  • There have been 107 new cases this week; 283 last week; 306 cases the week before.
  • There have been 12 COVID-19 related deaths in February and 88 in January.

IN OTHER COVID NEWS …

  • An outbreak of cases has Newfoundland and Labrador postponing voting indefinitely for Saturday’s provincial election in 18 districts around St. John’s — which is almost half the province.
  • Manitoba breaks with Ottawa opting to buy 2 million vaccines that are still unapproved by Health Canada.
  • New York Times says Donald Trump was on verge of need respirator when in hospital last October for COVID treatment.
  • Instagram bars Robert F. Kennedy for spreading false vaccine claims.
  • U.S. President Joe Biden to announce U.S. getting 200 million new vaccines as
  • California closing sites due to lack thereof. And Dr. Anthony Faucci says April will be “open season” with COVID.
  • Brazilian island city finding shortage of oxygen.
You’ll have to wait a month for March Break as the province wants to continue positive steps toward decreasing COVID numbers.
A statistical look at COVID today, Thursday Feb. 11.

 

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