The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit reported five deaths and two new hospitalizations related to COVID in the latest update published Feb. 4.
The deaths reported today include three Simcoe County residents, two men and a woman, over 79 years old. All three died between Feb. 2 and 3. All three cases were outbreak-related.
Two of the people who died were from Muskoka. Both were men over 79 years old. One died on Jan. 30 and one man died on Feb. 3. One case was outbreak-related.
There are at least 41 people from the region hospitalized because of COVID-19, including seven patients in intensive care units.
While provincial testing guidelines prioritize testing for Indigenous people, hospitalized patients and people living and working in high-risk congregate care settings, the health unit is reporting 176 new cases today.
Since the start of the pandemic, the local health unit has confirmed 32,478 cases of COVID-19 with 30,073 of those cases recovered and 363 cases ending in death.
Since July 18, 2021, hospitalizations of Simcoe-Muskoka residents over 12 years old have included 166 fully vaccinated people, 18 partially vaccinated, and 189 unvaccinated people over 11 years old. Of those, 50 unvaccinated, fewer than five partially vaccinated, and 24 fully vaccinated people have been admitted to intensive care units.
In the last six months, 60 fully vaccinated people (at least two doses) and fewer than five partially vaccinated have died after contracting COVID. Over the same time period, 44 unvaccinated people have died after contracting COVID-19. All of the deaths have been people over 11 years old.
About 87 per cent of the over-11-year-old population has been fully vaccinated with two or more doses and 11 per cent of the same population group is unvaccinated.
Available capacity at the region's hospitals shows about 87 per cent of acute care unit beds occupied, 68 per cent of ICU beds occupied, and 45 per cent of ventilator beds occupied. The capacity levels include all patients in Simcoe County or Muskoka hospitals.
There are 50 active outbreaks in Simcoe-Muskoka, down from 73 last Friday, including 25 in institutional settings (hospitals, long-term care, retirement homes), seven in congregate settings (group homes, shelters), and 18 at child care centres.
There is one outbreak still active in Collingwood long-term care/retirement homes.
- Balmoral Retirement Home
- one outbreak declared Jan. 17 with seven resident cases and seven staff cases
Collingwood General and Marine Hospital is reporting, as of Feb. 4, there are six 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.
Grey-Bruce
On Feb. 4, the Grey Bruce Health Unit reported 23 new COVID cases confirmed through limited testing, with 15 people from the region currently hospitalized.
Since the start of the pandemic, 25 Grey Bruce residents have died in the region and another nine residents have died while receiving treatment outside the Grey Bruce region.
As of Feb. 4, lab testing confirmed 5,668 cases in Grey Bruce since the start of the pandemic with 206 active cases remaining and 5,423 recoveries.
There are five long-term care/retirement homes with active COVID outbreaks in the region including:
- Rockwood Terrace Long Term Care – Durham
- Parkview Manor – Chesley
- Lee Manor in Owen Sound
- Kelso Pines Retirement Home in Owen Sound
- Maple Court Retirement Home in Walkerton.
In Grey and Bruce Counties, about 50 per cent of the eligible population has received three or more doses of a COVID vaccine, and another 28 per cent of the eligible population has two doses of a vaccine. About 18 per cent of those eligible for a vaccine remain unvaccinated in the region.
