The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit reported eight deaths and ten new hospitalizations related to COVID in the latest update published Feb. 7.
All eight of the deaths reported today were Simcoe County residents, including:
- A man between 45 and 64 years old who died on Feb. 3.
- A woman over 79 years old who died on Jan. 24. Her case was outbreak-related.
- A man between 65 and 79 years old who died on Feb. 4. His case was outbreak-related.
- A man between 35 and 44 years old who died on Feb. 3.
- A woman between 65 and 79 years old who died on Feb. 6. Her case was outbreak-related.
- A woman between 18 and 34 years old who died on Jan. 26.
- A man over 79 years old who died on Feb. 3.
- A man between 65 and 79 years old who died on Feb. 2.
The report is the first from the health unit since Friday.
There are at least 48 people from the region hospitalized because of COVID-19.
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 324 new cases since Friday.
Since the start of the pandemic, the local health unit has confirmed 32,791 cases of COVID-19 with 30,472 of those cases recovered and 371 cases ending in death.
Since July 18, 2021, hospitalizations of Simcoe-Muskoka residents over 11 years old have included 171 fully vaccinated people, 18 partially vaccinated, and 190 unvaccinated people. Of those, 52 unvaccinated, fewer than five partially vaccinated, and 25 fully vaccinated people have been admitted to intensive care units.
In the last six months, 66 fully vaccinated people (at least two doses) and fewer than five partially vaccinated have died after contracting COVID. Over the same time period, 46 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.
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 eight resident cases and seven staff cases
Collingwood General and Marine Hospital is reporting, as of Feb. 7, 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. 7, the Grey Bruce Health Unit reported 26 new COVID cases confirmed through limited testing, with 12 people from the region currently hospitalized.
Since the start of the pandemic, 27 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. 7, lab testing confirmed 5,747 cases in Grey Bruce since the start of the pandemic with 182 active cases remaining and 5,514 recoveries.
There are five long-term care/retirement homes with active COVID outbreaks in the region including:
- Rockwood Terrace Long Term Care – Durham
- Lee Manor in Owen Sound
- Kelso Pines Retirement Home in Owen Sound
- Maple Court Retirement Home in Walkerton
- Grey Gables Long-Term Care in Markdale
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.
