GRAVENHURST MAN AMONG 23 WEEKEND COVID CASES

Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com

SIMCOE-MUSKOKA — A Muskoka man and 22 Simcoe residents today bring to 12,222 the number of people in the region who have now contracted the coronavirus.

And two more people in Simcoe died during the weekend, reports the health unit in latest numbers Monday.

The Gravenhurst man, aged 35-44, is under investigation as to the cause of his infection which was reported to the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit (SMDHU) Friday with a first episode last Thursday.

SMDHU says the 23 new cases include: 1 Sunday, 11 Saturday, 7 Friday, 1 Thursday, 1 each on June 8 and May, and 1 on April 22. Close contact accounted for 14 of them/

This as Delta variant cases rose in the region with 20 being reported today.

The health unit considers all 3,971 B.1.617 cases to be of the B.1.617.2 (Delta) lineage as it is the dominant B.1.617 strain in Ontario.

That is why Simcoe-Muskoka is deemed a Delta hot spot and is receiving extra vaccines this week from the province.

So far 63.4 per cent of residents have had their first vaccine, however just 16.4 per cent have had a second shot.

Meanwhile, Public Health Ontario reported 270 cases and three deaths this morning.

Toronto had 47 (45 yesterday), York 22 (13), Peel 42 (49), North Bay-Parry Sound

HEALTH UNIT HIGHLIGHTS:

  • 12,222 cases to date
  • As of Sunday, there is just 1 new case this week, 63 last week, which was 36% lower than the 98 cases reported for the week before.
  • 3 deaths in June, 18 in May, 25 in April, 12 in March
  • 3,971 Alpha cases, 164 Gamma, 32 Beta, 20 Delta
  • 669 cases await confirmation of variant.
  • 482,550+ vaccines have been administered in Simcoe Muskoka
  • 383,200+ residents have received their first dose of vaccine, which represents over 63% of the total population.
  • 74% of adults 18 years and older living in Simcoe Muskoka have had at least one dose of vaccine and 53% of youth 12 to 17 years of age have had their first vaccine.

IN OTHER COVID NEWS …

  • Two Catholic churches on B.C. First Nations were burned overnight today.
  • As of July 5 quarantine restriction are being lifted on returning Canadians and permanent residents who are fully vaccinated.
  • Shocking details emerging in an investigation of a Quebec LTC at a coroner’s inquest include deceased residents being left untouched for hours, oxygen shortages and employees with COVID still working.
Summer’s start saw more people on Muskoka streets as vaccines go up and case numbers go down.

Email [email protected]

28 years of ‘Local Online Journalism’

Twitter: @muskokatoday, Facebook: mclairmont1

Leave comments at end of story

SUBSCRIBE for $25 by e-transferring to [email protected]

Or go online to https://muskokatoday.com/subscriptions