Two more people from the Simcoe-Muskoka region have died after contracting COVID-19 and 10 people have been hospitalized , according to the latest update from the local health unit posted Jan. 26.
The two deaths reported today were both women over 79 years old from Simcoe County. One of the cases was linked to an outbreak, and the other was considered sporadic. One of the women died on Jan. 20 and the other died on Jan. 25.
In the last six months, 26 fully vaccinated people, fewer than five partially vaccinated people, and 47 unvaccinated people from Simcoe-Muskoka have died after contracting COVID-19.
The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit has reported 57 people from the region are hospitalized because of COVID-19, which includes 10 new hospitalizations since yesterday.
Since July 18, 2021, hospitalizations of Simcoe-Muskoka residents over 12 years old have included 100 fully vaccinated people, 14 partially vaccinated, and 193 unvaccinated people. Of those, 47 unvaccinated, fewer than five partially vaccinated, and 13 fully vaccinated people have been admitted to intensive care units.
Available capacity at the region's hospitals has increased slightly with 70 per cent of intensive care unit beds and 42 per cent of ventilator beds currently occupied. About 90 per cent of the region's acute care beds are currently occupied with both COVID-positive and other patients.
While provincial testing guidelines prioritize testing for people living and working in high-risk congregate care settings and hospitalized patients, and test results are delayed by several days, the health unit is reporting 390 new cases today.
Among the cases reported today are 97 unvaccinated people, 12 partially vaccinated people, and 221 fully vaccinated people.
Since the start of the pandemic, the local health unit has confirmed 30,910 cases of COVID-19 with 26,601 of those cases recovered and 329 cases ending in death.
In total, 128 of the deaths in the region and 1,243 cases were linked to outbreaks at long-term care homes.
About 14 per cent of the region's population over five years old is unvaccinated, and 44 per cent has three doses of a vaccine against COVID. Another 37 per cent of the population has two doses and about five per cent has one dose.
There are 73 active outbreaks in Simcoe-Muskoka, including 37 in institutional settings (hospitals, long-term care, retirement homes), 20 in congregate settings (group homes, shelters), and 16 at child care centres.
There are active outbreaks in four Collingwood long-term care/retirement homes. They are as follows:
- Bay Haven Care Community:
- one outbreak declared Dec. 22 and declared over on Jan. 24 included 10 resident cases and seven staff cases
- a second outbreak declared Jan. 11 has fewer than five staff cases and fewer than five resident cases.
- Balmoral Retirement Home
- one outbreak declared Jan. 17 with fewer than five resident cases and fewer than five staff cases
- Georgian Traditions Retirement Home
- one outbreak declared Jan. 19 with fewer than five resident cases and zero staff cases
- Collingwood Nursing Home
- one outbreak declared Jan. 12 with seven staff cases and fewer than five resident cases
