COVID-19 cases confirmed through lab testing have been decreasing in Simcoe County and Muskoka, with an average of about 20 cases per day.
This excludes cases confirmed by at-home test kits, which are not counted in the health unit stats.
Other indicators are also mostly decreasing with moderate per cent positivity rates and active outbreaks. Testing of wastewater throughout the region shows a "high" level of SARS-CoV-2 DNA, which is the virus that causes COVID-19.
The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit indicates there is a "moderate" risk of COVID-19 transmission in the community.
There are 11 people from the region currently hospitalized because of COVID-19, reports the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit. Hospitalizations have been decreasing since the last peak of 32 people hospitalized mid-January.
There have been 17 deaths reported in February so far, but reporting is delayed. There were eight deaths between Feb. 5 and 11, and six so far between Feb. 12 and 18.
There were 29 deaths reported in January and 24 in December. The last 20 deaths have been among seniors aged 70 years and older.
Since March 2020, there have been 725 deaths reported in the region, including 582 that were COVID-19 related, and 132 unrelated to COVID-19. The cause of eleven of the deaths is unknown or still pending.
There are eight active outbreaks, including four in institutional settings (including hospitals and long-term care homes) and four in congregate settings (group homes and shelters).
Weekly wastewater sampling in Orillia, Penetanguishene, Midland, Collingwood, and Bracebridge shows high SARS-CoV-2 signals in the communities, but with no increase or decrease.
Those trends and indicators imply a "moderate" risk of COVID-19 in the community, or about the same as the bottom third of wave five of the pandemic, which was driven by the omicron variant, according to the health unit's ranking system.
The health unit continues to recommend staying home if you are sick, and taking extra precautions if you test positive for COVID-19 but have no symptoms, and/or if you've been exposed to someone with COVID-19. Wearing a three-layer, well-fitted mask indoors in public settings is still recommended.
Based on data collected over 120 days, the rate of COVID-19 hospitalization and ICU admission among unvaccinated or partially vaccinated adults aged 60 years or older is three times higher compared with adults with at least one booster dose. The rate of death for the same age range is two times higher for unvaccinated or partially vaccinated people compared to those with one booster dose.
Vaccination remains an important defence against severe COVID-19, says the health unit. Within the region, 13 per cent of the total population aged 12 years or older is unvaccinated, 30 per cent has completed the primary (two-dose) series only, and the rest have had booster doses, with 23 per cent getting a booster in the last six months.
For more information on COVID-19, vaccinations, and public health advice, visit the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit website.
