‘SO GO OUT AND GET VACCINATED,’ AS DOZEN OR MORE CASES IN SIMCOE

Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com

SIMCOE-MUSKOKA — A dozen more Simcoe COVID cases today keeps the pressure on regional residents to stay the course on staying apart.

The province reported 15 cases locally Tuesday.

With an American travel invasion underway Muskoka is a prime destination for an influx of visitors from a country still struggling to come to grips with the coronavirus and vaccinations relative to some relatives and family in the country they are entering.

U.S. President Joe Biden can’t reciprocate because he’d have to do the same at his southern border. And with Mexican cases on the rise he just can’t do that.

While again the northern half of Simcoe-Muskoka is avoiding the worst of the pandemic, local streets and businesses are a mix of masked and un-masked permanent and seasonal residents and visitors.

Like Lisa McKenna, a Brampton teacher torn between her condo in Gravenhurst and going back to online classes again next month.

“It’s all the curve balls COVID keeps throwing at us,” she said this afternoon while dodging rain on the main street.

She said hybrid classes have been difficult for her and her students, because she’s a phys-ed teacher who was working online from home.

How do you that and still make gym fun, interesting and productive?

“It was hard,” she admitted with touch of frustration.

But she’s as worried about people — especially teens and students — getting fully vaccinated.

In an impromptu personal “public service announcement” she appealed to those unvaccinated.

“I can’t wait to get back in the classroom with my kids — coaching volleyball, having fun field trips,” she said.

“I feel the only we can do it safely is if everyone gets their vaccinations — so we can do it as safely as possible.

“So go out and get vaccinated.”

McKenna, 43, who was fully vaccinated last month, said she supports vaccine passports and can’t understand the reluctance of anti-vaxxers.

It’s just not fair for others, she lamented, especially for those who are elderly or ill and whose hospital beds could be placed further at risk.

As a public service, teacher Lisa McKenna calls on everyone to get out and get vaccinated in fairness to all.

This as America’s most trusted doctor, Dr. Anthony Fauci, urges that all teachers be vaccinated.

He said he doesn’t care if that “upsets” some. “We should do it.”

Meanwhile, Ontario again reported more than 300 cases and two more deaths.

Quebec reports 234 cases today and no deaths.

And the Simcoe-Muskoka District Health Unit (SMDHU) reports vaccine numbers nudged up today.

It says that as of Tuesday 69.8 per cent of all residents have had one vaccine and 60.7 per cent two shots.

TUESDAY: COVID BY THE NUMBERS … 15 CASES IN SIMCOE-MUSKOKA  (10 YESTERDAY) … ONTARIO 321 AND 2 DEATHS (325-0) … TORONTO 96 (90), YORK 30 (29), PEEL 31 (47) … NORTH BAY-PARRY SOUND 0 (1) …  PORCUPINE 0 (0) …

Teacher Lisa McKenna agrees with vaccine passports and urges everyone to “go out and get vaccinated.”

HEALTH UNIT  HIGHLIGHTS:

  • 12,439 cases to date
  • 23 new cases this week, 36 last week, which was 29% higher than the 28 cases reported the week before
  • 0 deaths in August, 4 in July, 6 in June
  • 4,000 cases of Alpha variant, 168 Gamma, 34 Beta, 214 Delta
  • 672 cases await confirmation of VOC
  • 798,385 vaccines have been administered in Simcoe Muskoka
  • 421,990+ residents have received at least one vaccine, which represents almost 70% of the population
  • 79% of the population 12 years and older have had at least one vaccine
  • 70% of youth 12 to 17 years of age have also received one vaccine.
There are 64 active cases in Simcoe-Muskoka, show health unit tallies today.

IN OTHER COVID NEWS …

  • It’s ironic that with Moderna vaccines widely rejected by Canadians, a memorandum of understanding was announced today that would see their vaccine produced in Canada at some point. It’s the second such announcement following a May’s $199-million federal aid package for Resilience to build a plant in Mississauga.
  • Meanwhile, Mexico has rejected U.S. shipments of Moderna, preferring now to go for Pfizer.
  • B.C. is shortening the time between vaccine shots to 28 days from 49; and P.E.I. plans to do the same dropping the number of weeks to 6 from 8 (42 days vs. 56).
  • Germany will end free COVID testing as of October to encourage more vaccinations. And German investors are showing worries that the economic recovery may not be as fast as they want.
  • U.S. CDC advises Americans not to travel to Iceland, Israel and France.

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