Simcoe Muskoka health unit logs 8 new COVID-19 infections
Public health logged eight new COVID-19 cases across Simcoe Muskoka Friday, all in residents under the age of 45.
The Simcoe Muskoka health unit reports two individuals in Barrie, three in Collingwood, one in Essa, one in Oro-Medonte and one in Gravenhurst tested positive for the virus.
Of those, four contracted the disease through close contacts, while two were community-acquired. The remaining two are under investigation.
There are currently 30 active infections in the region, including four COVID-19-positive patients in local hospitals.
To date, 255 residents have lost their lives after contracting the virus, including four so far in July.
According to the health unit, 68 per cent of eligible residents have had their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, while 52 per cent are fully vaccinated.
Dr. Barry Nathanson urged those who could get the vaccine to do so as soon as possible. The Stevenson Memorial Hospital chief of staff and intensive care specialist said the unvaccinated population would "constitute the fourth wave."
The Alliston physician said a spike in COVID-19 cases in the fall months was "inevitable."
Immunization clinics across the region and participating pharmacies offer first and second doses to residents 12 and older.
Some clinics offer no appointment, walk-in vaccines for more convenience.
Complete information on Simcoe Muskoka's COVID-19 vaccination program is available here.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.