COVID-19 cases in Simcoe Muskoka on a downward trend
Simcoe Muskoka's medical officer of health said the trend of declining COVID-19 cases week over week is holding steady, but that doesn't mean it's time to loosen restrictions with flu season looming.
"We certainly want to avoid any kind of resurgence or the kind of experience that's happened in western Canada," Dr. Charles Gardner said during a COVID-19 update.
The health unit logged 19 new infections Thursday, 17 of those among unvaccinated residents.
Gardner said he's confident vaccination and safety measures are working.
"Perhaps we're at the point where every additional percentage increase in coverage is tipping us more and more in the right direction; that we're sort of teetering on the edge of getting there," he said during a COVID-19 update on Wednesday.
School-aged children who aren't eligible for a vaccine now make up one-third of new cases.
The health unit report 28 per cent of those who test positive for the virus are fully vaccinated.
There are currently 131 active COVID-19 cases across Simcoe Muskoka.
The cases listed Thursday are in Bradford (6), Barrie (5), Essa (2), Innisfil (2), New Tecumseth (2), Orillia and Oro-Medonte.
Three are children under 17 who contracted the virus from an outbreak. Five are community-acquired, and three are from close contact with a positive case. The remaining are under investigation.
With files from CTV's Mike Arsalides
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Possible scenarios that could play out in Ottawa as the Liberal government teeters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is said to be reflecting on his future over the holidays after the resignation of his top cabinet minister, Chrystia Freeland, in mid-December. The bombshell move prompted a fresh wave of calls for Trudeau to step down as Liberal leader from inside and outside the caucus.
5 things we know and still don't know about COVID, 5 years after it appeared
The virus is still with us, though humanity has built up immunity through vaccinations and infections. It's less deadly than it was in the pandemic's early days and it no longer tops the list of leading causes of death. But the virus is evolving, meaning scientists must track it closely.
The man who died in a Las Vegas Cybertruck was shot in head before explosion, sheriff says
The person inside the Tesla Cybertruck blown up outside U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's Las Vegas hotel suffered a gunshot to the head before the explosion, Clark County Sheriff Kevin McMahill said Thursday. McMahill said a handgun was found at his feet.
Woman, father killed on New Year's Eve were victims of intimate partner violence: Halifax police
Halifax police are investigating three deaths that are connected – two of which they say were homicides resulting from intimate partner violence – in the city on New Year’s Eve.
Mounties investigate discovery of 'very small pipe bomb' in Kamloops, B.C.
Mounties are investigating and appealing for witnesses after an explosive device was discovered Wednesday on a beach in Kamloops, B.C.
LIVE UPDATES FBI says the New Orleans truck attacker acted alone in an 'act of terrorism'
The FBI now says the New Orleans truck attacker acted alone in an 'act of terrorism' when he drove a pickup truck into a crowd of New Year's revellers early Wednesday, killing 14 people.
Sask. RCMP locate missing inmate of Yorkton prison
An inmate who was wanted for being unlawfully-at-large after not returning to Whitespruce Provincial Training Centre in Yorkton has been found and arrested.
FORECAST Weather warnings issued in 7 provinces and territories
Wintry weather conditions, including heavy snow and wind chill values around -55, prompted warnings in seven provinces and territories Thursday.
Who are Canada's top-earning CEOs and how much do they make?
Canada's 100 highest-paid CEOs earned $13.2 million on average in 2023 from salaries, bonuses and other compensation, according to the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.