BRACEBRIDGE WOMAN AMONG 68 COVID CASES OVER THE WEEKEND
Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com
SIMCOE-MUSKOKA — With the world today topping 5 million COVID deaths, local health officials report 68 cases over the weekend in the region.
One of them was a Bracebridge woman, 45-64, who is under investigation after reporting Saturday and with her first episode that day.
And 39 of the positive results were among residents unvaccinated, 2 were partially vaccinated and 27 fully vaccinated.
There were also 2 more deaths in Simcoe.
Total cases locally now have topped 14,000 by an additional 61 as of Monday.
Starting the week (Sunday) there have been 22 cases (Public Health Ontario says 25). Last week there were 128 to Saturday.
A dozen regional residents are in hospital, including 3 overnight.
This as a former Quebec health minister blames “ageism” for first wave deaths in the province.
Rejan Hubert told a coroner’s inquest today that vital COVID resources were utilized elsewhere in 2020, resulting in 10 per cent of positive cases dying. That was five times the national average in care homes.
Quebec reported 497 cases today and 2 more deaths.
That comes as another report says the U.S., Britain, European Union and Brazil — which account for an eighth of the world’s population — have suffered almost half the global deaths. The U.S. itself has had 740,000 people die.
A further report out on Glasgow’s COP26 (Conference of Parties) conference says millions more could die in the U.S. alone from the climate rising in temperatures over the next 50 years.
Kids vaccinations within weeks:
The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit (SMDHU) says due to continuing COVID-19 demands, it is placing publicly-funded child and adult routine immunization services at each of its seven local health unit offices across the region on hold.
It says as has been necessary throughout the pandemic, the health unit has needed to shift resources to protect our community from COVID-19, which remains the top provincial priority for vaccination efforts.
When plans to resume publicly-funded immunization services, including the in-school Grade 7 School Immunization Program, were announced in late September, it was thought that COVID-19 vaccines for 5- to 11-year-olds would not likely receive approval until early 2022.
However, there are indications that this may now occur as soon as this month. In addition, the province is expected to announce its plans for the provision of third doses for additional priority populations in Ontario based on last week’s National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) recommendations.
As such, the health unit is working to ensure it is prepared to implement both of these immunization initiatives when they are announced.
Any existing routine immunization appointments that have been booked and confirmed will be honoured. Individuals who do not want to wait to receive their routine vaccines and boosters should contact their primary care provider, who will be able to order these vaccines from SMDHU.
HEALTH UNIT HIGHLIGHTS:
- 14,061 cases to date
- 22 cases this week; 128 last week, which was 6% higher than the 121 cases the week before
- From Dec. 22 there have been 420 confirmed COVID-19 cases among people vaccinated.
- 5 deaths were reported in each of the past two months
- From Sept. 5 to Oct. 30 the rate of COVID-19 infection among the unvaccinated vaccine-eligible Simcoe Muskoka population is 8 times higher than it is for fully vaccinated population and the rate of COVID-19 hospitalizations is 13 times higher. Please note that due to the smaller number of unvaccinated hospitalized cases, one or two additional hospitalized cases will noticeably change the ratio listed above.
- To date there have been 4,007 Alpha cases, 169 Gamma, 34 Beta and 1,618 Delta
- 908,485 vaccines have been administered
- 461,241 residents have had at least one vaccine, which represents 76% of the population
- 87% of those 12+ have had at least one vaccine
- 87% of youth 12 to 17 have also received at least one vaccine
IN OTHER COVID NEWS …
- Cruise ships are welcome back in Canadian waters, tweeted Transport Canada today. That opens the port at Parry Sound.
- In anticipation of the kids vaccine in the U.S. within days, the government there is shipping out vaccines to states so American children can quickly roll up their sleeves to be jabbed. And more procurement has also begun for the Pfizer vaccine for those aged 5-11.
- The results are in and Ontario’s Health Minister Christine Elliott says she now has the raw data to decide whether to — or not — mandate vaccines for health care workers including those in hospitals and LTCs.
- A private think tank in Washington, D.C., says the inevitable next pandemic will require Canada and the U.S. to work more collaboratively on border and trade issues. Canadian members of the panel included former Quebec premier Jean Charest and federal Liberal justice minister and attorney general Anne McLellan.
- Canadian rocker Bryan Adams had to back out of a duet last night in Cleveland with Tina Turner who was being inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame after he tested positive.
- Israel opened up today to welcoming tourists.
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