236 DELTA CASES THIS WEEKEND INCLUDES A DOZEN IN MUSKOKA

Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com

SIMCOE-MUSKOKA — With Ontario the most affected Omicron provinces, Simcoe-Muskoka reports 236 Delta cases over the weekend.

Twelve of them are in Muskoka:

  1. Gravenhurst woman, 35-44, under investigation, reported Dec. 5, first episode Dec. 3
  2. Bracebridge woman, 35-44, under investigation, reported Dec. 4, first episode Dec. 3
  3. Gravenhurst woman, 35-44, under investigation, reported Dec. 4, first episode Dec. 3
  4. Georgian Bay woman, 35-44, under investigation, reported Dec. 4, first episode Dec. 3
  5. Georgian Bay woman, 35-44, under investigation, reported Dec. 4, first episode Dec. 3
  6. Georgian Bay man, 45-64, under investigation, reported Dec. 4, first episode Dec. 4
  7. Georgian Bay man, 45-64, under investigation, reported Dec. 4, first episode Dec. 3
  8. Georgian Bay woman, 35-44, under investigation, reported Dec. 4, first episode Dec. 4
  9. Georgian Bay woman, 35-44, under investigation, reported Dec. 3, first episode Nov. 30
  10. Georgian Bay woman, 35-44, under investigation, reported Dec. 3, first episode Dec. 3
  11. Gravenhurst girl, 0-17, outbreak, reported Dec. 3, first episode Dec. 1
  12. Huntsville man, 65-79, under investigation, reported Dec. 3, first episode Dec. 2

Meanwhile, the health unit reports Monsignor O’Leary Catholic elementary school in Bracebridge with 3 new cases in an outbreak as of Monday.

The closed Spruce Glen elementary school in Huntsville has 25 cases after 1 was resolved over the weekend.

And V.K. Greer elementary in Port Sydney is also down 1 active case to 13.

This as the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit (SMDHU) says 139 of the weekend cases were among unvaccinated, 91 were fully vaccinated and 2 partially vaccinated.

30 people remain in hospital, 1 of them admitted this weekend.

That leaves 831 active COVID Delta cases.

To date 476,101 regional residents have been vaccinated once — 78.8 per cent of the total population.

Another 451,965 are fully vaccinated — 74.8 per cent of the population.

Good news coming out of Africa and the United States is that in early testing Omicron cases in South Africa aren’t requiring a higher number of hospitalizations.

American Dr. Anthony Fauci says that indicates the new variant may not be as severe, even if it is proving very easily transmissible.

The U.S. has 17 states with Omicron cases.

Ontario is suffering the brunt after barely more than a week since it was introduced.

A large outbreak of 42 in Windsor-Essex has been confirmed stemming from the Elite Restaurant. And another large cluster of 30 is suspected in nearby London-Middlesex.

Meanwhile, Ontario’s Health Minister Christine Elliott says the optimistic early Jan. 17 plan to ease out of QR card passport requirements will have to delayed. So keep them handy on your phone in 2022.

She also admitted it may be months before the province can determine Omicron’s impact on its plans.

But B.C.’s Health Minister Adrian Dix says he is more concerned now with Delta than Omicron — as it tries to rise its head above flood waters.

Alberta has 8 Omicron cases and Quebec still just Canada’s first case.

Quebec reports 1,189 cases and 2 deaths.

Drug maker Merck plans produce its COVID anti-viral pill in Whitby after a $19 million renovation to its production facility there.

MONDAY: COVID BY THE P.H.0. NUMBERS: … 73 CASES IN SIMCOE-MUSKOKA (96  YESTERDAY) … ONTARIO 887 AND 3 DEATHS (1,184-0)… TORONTO 139 (152), YORK 60 (88), PEEL 60 (81) … NORTH BAY-PARRY SOUND 0 (7) … PORCUPINE 1 (1) …

COVID didn’t hold back many fans from Bracebridge’s Santa Claus parade Sunday, where near record numbers lined Manitoba Street and its side streets in places four and five deep on a decent December day with no snow, rain or cold to worry about. They just wanted to get out after last year’s parade was cancelled – and to see the 60 floats and hear the Muskoka Concert Band play Christmas carols and song.  Most wore smiles that could be seen if social distancing wasn’t a concern for thousands streetside. Health experts would like to have seen more masks in such surroundings.
Everyone knows it’s Mrs. Claus who makes Christmas. Santa, too, as he made sure his co-pilot was front and centre as they toured the parade route on James Street by the arena and extending best wishes before jumping up on his sleigh for the ride through downtown.

HEALTH UNIT HIGHLIGHTS:

  • 16,156 cases to date
  • 44 new cases this week starting yesterday, Sunday, Dec. 5
  • 578 cases last week, 16% higher than the 499 cases reported for the week of Nov. 21.
  • From December 22nd, 2020 onwards, there have been 1,172 confirmed COVID-19 cases among vaccinated individuals.
  • 0 deaths in December, 14 in November, 5 each in October and September
  • From Oct. 10th to Dec. 4 the rate of COVID-19 infection among the unvaccinated vaccine-eligible Simcoe Muskoka population is seven times higher than it is for fully vaccinated population and the rate of COVID-19 hospitalizations is 15 times higher
  • 4,008 Alpha variants of concern, 169 Gamma, 34 Beta, 2,809 Delta
  • 965,168 vaccines have been administered
  • 476,101 residents have received at least one vaccine, which represents 79% of the total population
  • 88% of the population 12+ have had at least one vaccine, including 85% of youth 12 to 17 years of age
  • 22% of children 5 to 11 have received at least one vaccine
  • Most COVID-19 cases in Simcoe Muskoka are from the Barrie and South Simcoe areas. Click here to view the epidemic curve by municipality.
  • Young adults (18-34 years) had the highest rates of infection from February to August; however, since September, children under the age of 12 have had the highest rate of new cases.

There are still 831 active COVID cases even as more than 15,000 have been resolved.

IN OTHER COVID NEWS …

Ford Motor Company won’t be asking office workers to return to work from home in Michigan in the new year.

Cruise lines sailing again out of the U.S. saw 1,359 COVID cases between June 26 and Oct. 21, including Norwegian Cruise Lines with 17 cases of late — and 1 new Omicron variant.

Russia and Japan have reportedly only had 2 and 3 Omicron cases.

China’s ambitious vaccination has seen it inject 84 million children 3 to 11 since late October. In the U.S. during the same time 2.6 million have received kid’s shots — that’s about 10 per cent of children eligible.

In Italy, meanwhile, unvaccinated aren’t wanted or even allowed in bars and restaurants now.

The pandemic has thrown a curve ball at malaria vaccinations, as health resources are devoted to COVID.

Algoma and Timiskaming are among northern health units particularly hard hit right now with cases. Algoma had 28 cases today and 26 yesterday. They had 44 Saturday. Timiskaming fell to 1 Monday after 9 Sunday.

EMAIL: news@muskokatoday.com

28 years of ‘Local Online Journalism’

Twitter: @muskokatoday, Facebook: mclairmont1

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