'We've had a dramatic drop,' Simcoe Muskoka logs 9 new COVID-19 cases
The Simcoe Muskoka health unit reports its second day of single-digit COVID-19 cases Wednesday, with just nine new infections in Simcoe County.
"We've had a dramatic drop in the incidents in cases per 100,000 population per week for all of our municipalities. All of them are under 30 cases per 100,000 population per week, which is excellent," Dr. Charles Gardner said Wednesday during a live conference.
The medical officer of health flagged Oro-Medonte with the highest incidence of cases in the past week, with 26 cases per 100,000 population, compared to the provincial rate of 24 cases.
COVID-19 Deaths
No new virus-related deaths have been reported this week. So far in June, one woman died after contracting the virus, while in May, there were 18 COVID-19 deaths in Simcoe Muskoka.
Hospitalizations
There are currently 135 active cases, including 23 hospitalizations. The region's medical officer of health said Wednesday that none of the patients had received their vaccine.
Variants of Concern
Fifteen individuals have tested positive for the Delta variant B.1.617.2, which is considered 50 per cent more contagious than the original strain.
"The Delta variant is increasing in prevalence, and we expect it to become dominant as a strain, really requires a second dose of immunization to be well protected," Gardner noted.
The UK B.1.1.7 variant remains the most commonly identified in the region, with nearly 4,000 confirmed cases.
Additionally, cases have tested positive for the P.1 and the B.1.351 variant.
Another 676 cases have screened positive for a variant of concern and require further testing.
Vaccinations
"As time goes on, we get more and more vaccinations from the province," Gardner said.
To date, 62 per cent of residents in Simcoe Muskoka have rolled up their sleeves for their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, while 12 per cent have had both shots.
Complete information on Simcoe Muskoka's COVID-19 vaccination plan is available here, including how to book an appointment.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
2 teens charged in Halifax homicide: police
Two teenagers have been charged with second-degree murder in connection to an alleged homicide near the Halifax Shopping Centre earlier this week.
'Deep ignorance': Calls for Manitoba trustee to resign sparked after comments about Indigenous people and reconciliation
A rural Manitoba school trustee is facing calls to resign over comments he made about Indigenous people and residential schools earlier this week.
ByteDance prefers TikTok shutdown in U.S. if legal options fail, Reuters sources say
TikTok owner ByteDance would prefer to shut down its loss-making app rather than sell it if the Chinese company exhausts all legal options to fight legislation to ban the platform from app stores in the U.S., four sources said.
12-year-old hippo in Japan raised as a male discovered to be a female
When Gen-chan arrived at a zoo in Japan in 2017, no one questioned whether the then-five-year-old hippopotamus was a boy. Seven years later, zoo staff made a surprising discovery: Gen-chan, now 12, was female.
Here's why Harvey Weinstein's New York rape conviction was tossed and what happens next
Here's what you need to know about why movie mogul Harvey Weinstein's rape conviction was thrown out and what happens next.
Improve balance and build core strength with this exercise
When it comes to cardiovascular fitness, you may tend to focus on activities that move you forward, such as walking, running and cycling.
Legendary hockey broadcaster Bob Cole dies at 90: CBC
Bob Cole, a welcome voice for Canadian hockey fans for a half-century, has died at the age of 90. Cole died Wednesday night in St. John's, N.L., surrounded by his family, his daughter, Megan Cole, told the CBC.