‘ROADMAP EXIT STEP’ TAKES DETOUR AS MOORE PREDICTS ‘DIFFICULT’ FALL

Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com

SIMCOE-MUSKOKA — Stuck on Step 3.

That’s Ontario with 99 per cent of rising COVID cases Delta variants.

And Simcoe-Muskoka marred in flagging vaccinations among young residents.

This as Dr. Kieran Moore still predicts a “difficult” fourth wave fall, says Ontario’s chief medical officer of health.

Dr. Charles Gardner, his regional counterpart in Simcoe-Muskoka, says it’s “too early” to say what will happen.

And if there will ever soon be a safe ‘Roadmap Exit Step.’

But he told media this afternoon that he’s worried about how case counts translate in to hospitalizations.

He said he has seen projections that the Delta variant, which is more transmissible in children, may be the next new target for the disease.

And that’s important, why?

Because Gardner says it may the end of the year or 2022 before under-11 kids can hope to be next in line to be vaccinated.

All that as the Simcoe-Muskoka District Health Unit (SMDHU) is working fast to set up pop-up clinics in select schools by next week so kids 12-17 can get their first dose by Tuesday next — followed four weeks later by their second vaccine.

As of tomorrow, Wednesday Aug. 18, children who were born in 2009 can book their first appointment. Even if they won’t turn 12 until Dec. 31.

Gardner said after 13 weeks of downward cases, the past month has seen a rise — including 187 cases the past three weeks since his last update.

On the upside he said despite still low vaccination numbers they are steadily if slowly increasing.

Though he admitted youth and young adults up to 30 continue plague health officials. No matter the vast number of clinic opportunities SMDHU provides.

A good sign in Muskoka is that an outbreak at Muskoka Woods Camp in Rosseau was declared ended Saturday Aug. 14.

Gardner said the health unit will continue to encourage mask use in the classroom and en route when on school buses.

And he wants to see ventilation and air filtration in classes ASAP.

Finally, while he is saddened by the 255 deaths to date, he is happy not to have come near the 360 deaths a local round table exercise he was part of in 2006 had predicted.

A year ago there was only 36 deaths — then came the LTC disasters.

But he said he “can’t guarantee” the grim number may never be met in the years to come.

 

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