Local doctors call on unvaccinated to get their shot as COVID-19 numbers rise

BARRIE, ONT. -

With COVID-19 cases on the rise, many doctors believe we are in the midst of a fourth wave, with a vast majority of the new cases in unvaccinated people.

“The fully vaccinated folks are not the ones ending up in hospitals or in ICUs,“ says Dr. Karim Kurji, York Region`s Medical Officer of Health.

York Region’s top doctor says people are getting sick at parties and large gatherings. Letting their guard down when around others, failing to screen for symptoms and wear masks when socializing as restrictions have loosened over the summer months.

“We were just around five cases a day or so but the numbers have now increased to anywhere between 40 and 60 cases a day,“ Kurji says.

With outbreaks in the construction industry and at childcare centres, Dr. Kurji is calling on the province to delay further reopening. He also recommends exploring tighter limits on capacity before the virus gets out of control, as vaccination rates lags for younger people.

“We thought that reaching targets like 75% of our population being fully vaccinated would have been enough, but that certainly doesn’t seem to be the case with the aggressive delta variant,“ Kurji says.

Dr. Chris Martin is the chief of critical care at RVH.

“It’s potentially nastier in terms of your symptoms and how sick it gets you,” Martin says.

In Simcoe Muskoka, 34% of those aged 18-29 are either unable or unwilling to get a shot. About 1 in 4 people age 30-39 remain hesitant.

“I literally think you’re playing Russian roulette,” Martin says. “You got through the first wave, you got through the second wave, you got through the third wave. Eventually there’s going to be a bullet in that chamber so get vaccinated before you get sick and you’re in here regretting you didn’t get the shot,” he says.

The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit will be holding various walk-in and pop-up clinics throughout the week. Visit the health unit`s website for more information.