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COVID-19 spread steady in region, 'moderate' risk: health unit

12 people from Simcoe-Muskoka are currently hospitalized because of COVID-19
2021-12-07 Health unit Sperling RB 2
The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit offices are located on Sperling Drive in Barrie.

COVID-19 indicators in Simcoe County and Muskoka continue to hold steady, maintaining the local health unit's rating of "moderate" risk in the community. 

There are 12 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 seven deaths reported in February so far, but reporting is delayed. There were four deaths between Jan. 29 and Feb. 4, four between Feb. 5 and 11, and two so far between Feb. 12 and 15.

There were 29 deaths reported in January and 24 in December. Nineteen of the last 20 deaths have been among seniors aged 70 years and older.

Since March 2020, there have been 715 deaths reported in the region, including 575 that were COVID-19 related, and 129 unrelated to COVID-19. The cause of eleven of the deaths is unknown or still pending. 

The seven-day rolling average of new COVID-19 cases has been on the decline since a high peak at the end of December when there were 500 new cases per day. The latest average is about 30 new cases per day. 

Weekly wastewater sampling in Penetanguishene, Midland, Collingwood, and Bracebridge shows high SARS-CoV-2 signals (that's the virus that causes COVID-19) in the communities, but with no increase or decrease. There is a decrease in wastewater samples taken in Orillia recently. 

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. 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


Erika Engel

About the Author: Erika Engel

Erika regularly covers all things news in Collingwood as a reporter and editor. She has 15 years of experience as a local journalist
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