BARRIE, ONT. Premier Doug Ford announced a province-wide lockdown would begin at 12:01 a.m. on Dec. 26, and last for at least 28 days The lockdown would be much like what we experienced back in the spring, with only essential businesses remaining open, but this time around, the province decided schools would not fully close, opting instead to extend the winter break. Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit s chief medical officer of health, Dr. Charles Gardner, says shifting the region into lockdown could prove beneficial as local COVID-19 case numbers continue to climb. The pandemic is growing in Simcoe Muskoka, Gardner says. People are at higher risk, and we have the potential for more hospital admissions, more very serious illness, potential for more outbreaks.
SHARE ON: Illustration of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus 2, the cause of COVID-19 (Photo supplied by: Alissa Eckert, MS, Dan Higgins, MAMS)
Three new cases of COVID-19 are being reported by the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit from the weekend.
It puts the active case count in the region at 16.
The new cases are:
Bracebridge woman between the ages of 18 and 34. The cause is under investigation.
Muskoka Lakes man between the ages of 65 and 79. The cause is under investigation.
Muskoka Lakes woman between the ages of 45 and 64. The cause is under investigation.
There have been a total of 124 cases of the coronavirus in Muskoka since the pandemic began with 19 of them from Bracebridge and 29 from Muskoka Lakes. 106 people have recovered and two people have died.
TORONTO The Ontario government is implementing a province-wide lockdown by the end of December, but the length of time each region will be under the new restrictions will vary. The lockdown will begin at 12:01 a.m. on Dec. 26 and will last for 28 days in the southern portions of the province and 14 days in the northern parts. The province-wide lockdown will look similar to the shutdown back in March, with only essential businesses allowed to remain open. Here is the breakdown of how long each region is expected to be in lockdown.
Regions with a 28-day lockdown Brant County Health Unit
BARRIE, ONT. The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit (SMDHU) reports 62 COVID-19 cases Friday, for a weekly total of 321. The health unit lists 17 people in the hospital with the virus and 448 active cases across Simcoe Muskoka. Four people died with COVID-19 this week, including two at Georgian Bay General Hospital, where staff are battling a stubborn outbreak of the virus. The recent virus-related deaths bring the region s death toll to 58. Along with the Midland hospital, there are nine other institutional outbreaks listed by the health unit. Eight of those are in seniors homes, while one is at the Central North Correctional Centre in Penetanguishene.
BARRIE, ONT. Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre (RVH) in Barrie and Southlake Regional Health Centre in Newmarket are among 17 Ontario hospitals the province says will receive the next batch of COVID-19 vaccines by the end of the year. The additional hospitals announced Friday join Toronto s University Health Network and the Ottawa Hospital in giving the vaccine to health care workers. A COVID-19 Immunization Clinic will open in Barrie in the Sperling Drive RVH COVID-19 Testing and Assessment Centre in anticipation of the vaccine. This is wonderful news for all of us and cause for real optimism, but it is a complex endeavour, said Dr. Charles Gardner, Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit s medical officer of health. It will take some time for us, working together with our partners, to roll out mass immunization for all of our residents who want it.