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2 more hospitalized, no new deaths in regional COVID update

34 people from Simcoe-Muskoka region hospitalized because of COVID-19
2020-07-28 SMDHU offices 2
The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit offices are located on Sperling Drive in north-end Barrie. Raymond Bowe/BarrieToday

Two more people from the region have been hospitalized for COVID-19, according to the latest update by the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit. 

The health unit has reported eight COVID deaths in May, but zero in today's report.

There are 34 people from the region hospitalized because of COVID-19, including five patients in intensive care units. 

Testing has captured 165 new COVID cases in the region since the last update on May 13. Because testing is not available to everyone, case counts are underestimated. 

Since the start of the pandemic, the local health unit has confirmed 44,979 cases of COVID-19 with 43,625 of those cases recovered and 482 cases ending in death. 

Of the deaths reported by the health unit since March 2020, 419 were COVID-related, 50 deaths were not related to COVID-19 but the person tested positive, and for 13 of them, the cause of death is unknown or pending. 

To date, 83 per cent of the population aged five years old and up are fully vaccinated with two or more doses, and 18 per cent of the region's total population (including children) is unvaccinated.

There are 20 active outbreaks in Simcoe-Muskoka, down from 26 outbreaks on May 9. The current active outbreaks include 14 in institutional settings (hospitals, long-term care, retirement homes), five in congregate settings (group homes, shelters), and one in an educational setting (child care).

A list of outbreaks is available on the health unit website here.

According to monitoring of the region's hospitals by the health unit, about 68 per cent of the region's ICU beds are full and about 39 per cent of the ventilator beds are occupied. Acute care occupancy is highest with 95.5 per cent of the beds in the region currently full. 

Here's a look at the Ontario COVID update for May 16.

The Collingwood General and Marine Hospital reported as of May 16, there are two COVID-positive inpatients at the hospital. This can include people admitted because of COVID and those hospitalized for other reasons who also test positive for COVID.


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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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