9 MUSKOKA COVID CASES TODAY, AS REGION ENDS WEEK WITH DROP TO 113

Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com

SIMCOE-MUSKOKA — Four people in Gravenhurst and 5 in Muskoka Lakes end the week as being among 32 COVID cases the health unit is reporting this afternoon.

They bring to 113 the number of Simcoe-Muskoka residents this week, which is down from 207 last week and 305 the week before.

And today the region topped 12,000 cases since the pandemic began, with 12,014.

The 9 Muskoka cases reported Friday were:

  1. Gravenhurst woman, 18-34, close contact, first episode June 2
  2. Gravenhurst man, 18-34, community acquired, first episode May 25
  3. Gravenhurst man, 35-44, close contact, first episode May 30
  4. Gravenhurst woman, 45-64, close contact, first episode May 27
  5. Muskoka Lakes female, under 18, under investigation, first episode June 2 
  6. Muskoka Lakes male, under 18, under investigation, first episode June 2 
  7. Muskoka Lakes woman, 35-44, under investigation, first episode June 2 
  8. Muskoka Lakes woman, 35-44, under investigation, first episode June 2 
  9. Muskoka Lakes man, 35-44, under investigation, first episode June 2

A previous case in Bracebridge was moved to another health unit.

Across the province cases were up to 914 with 19 deaths. Yesterday there were 870 people newly infected and 10 deaths.

Toronto fell by 11 to 214, York was up by 3 to 31 and Peel saw 2 new cases for 169.

North Bay-Parry Sound had no new cases after 4 Thursday.

Manitoba, meanwhile, continues to struggle with 329 cases and 4 deaths. The province has now cancelled its popular Winnipeg Folk Festival.

Nationally, Canada will get delivery of 2 million vaccines every week in July and August from Pfizer. And by the end of August Pfizer will have delivered all 48 million vaccines Canada ordered from them.

This as AstraZeneca is becoming more widely available to younger Ontarians now. And as Canada turns to the U.S. for Moderna shipments instead of through the company’s spotty supplier in Europe.

And it seems school principals had no plans to go back into class this month, as they’d already been working on virtual graduations they say.

So when Premier Doug Ford said they could cap and gown kids in outdoors ceremonies in a few weeks they said too late.

Like online learning, virtual diplomas could be handed out.

Check your school for details.

Meanwhile, 68,000 Canadians lost their jobs in May, most likely due to COVID.

The Calgary Stampede may be going ahead next month — albeit without chuck-wagon races — but rodeo fans won’t be able to saddle up for another Pro-Rodeo Rally this weekend. An Alberta judge has upheld a court injunction bucking the broncos who hash-tagged the event #fireJasonKenney. It was to feature “animal athletes” after a similar event last month that drew 3,773 cowboys and cowgirls sparked national health criticism as the province was the epicentre of Canada’s COVID crisis at the time.

HEALTH UNIT HIGHLIGHTS:

  • 12,014 cases to date
  • cases this week, 207 last week, which was a 32 per cent lower than the 305 starting May 16
  • 1 death in June, 18 in May, 25 in April, 12 in March.
  • 3,783 Alpha variants (UK) 124 Gamma (Brazil), 23 Beta (South Africa), 10 Delta (India)
  • 719 cases await confirmation of variant
  • 374,575+ vaccines have been administered in Simcoe Muskoka
  • 337,700+ residents have had a first vaccine, which is more than 56% of the population
Simcoe-Muskoka topped 12,000 total COVID cases in reporting Friday.

IN OTHER COVID NEWS …

  • “Had a little nip in the Zanzibar Strip” used to appear on buttons along Yonge Street in ’70s. But today, if you were spotted in the famed Toronto strip club, you could get a new sticker saying “Had a little jab …,” as vaccines were distributed in partnership with local sex workers. So that’s your excuse.
  • Let’s play vaccine: Blue Jays will hold vaccination day this month at their new home away from home Buffalo, along with all 30 MLB teams.
  • A New Brunswick doctor has moved to Quebec after being centred out as “irresponsible” by Premier Blaine Higgs May 27 after police charged the Congolese-born physician with violating COVID restrictions. Charges have now been dropped by the RCMP after Dr. Jean-Robert Ngola failed to quarantine after a visit to Montreal to pick up his 4-year-old daughter last month. His lawyer wants the premier to apologize after Ngola received hate calls and racist comments on for allegedly being the source of an outbreak.
  • U.K. could return to more lockdowns as the Alpha (UK) variant ramps up again.
Summer’s getting a rise out of these young cyclists in Gravenhurst as schools won’t be reopening and graduation caps, gowns, diplomas and celebrations will mostly likely be online events.

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