Simcoe Muskoka health unit logs 16 new COVID-19 infections
The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit (SMDHU) logged 16 new COVID-19 infections on Thursday.
Of those who tested positive, 10 are unvaccinated, and six are fully.
The new cases listed are in Barrie (6), Bradford (3), New Tecumseth (2), and single cases in Bracebridge, Collingwood, Huntsville, Midland and Orillia.
Two are the result of close contact with a positive case, and three are community-acquired. The health unit is working to trace how the remaining became infected.
Four cases are among children 0 to 17.
The health unit reports that between July 25 to Sept. 18, the rate of COVID-19 infection among the unvaccinated vaccine-eligible Simcoe Muskoka residents is 12 times higher than it is for the fully vaccinated, and the rate of COVID-19 hospitalizations is 54 times higher.
There are currently 161 active COVID-19 cases locally, including five hospitalizations.
VACCINATION LATEST
The SMDHU reports first doses increased after the province announced the vaccination certificate program.
Across the region, 74 per cent of residents rolled up their sleeves for their first shot.
Vaccination numbers break down to show 70.6 per cent of children 12 to 17 have had both doses, and 78.5 per cent of those 18 and older have had a double dose.
The former president of the Ontario Medical Association praised those who got their vaccines for helping prevent worst-case daily projections so far.
"I'm pleasantly surprised that our numbers aren't higher," said Dr. Sohail Gandhi.
"With the return of school, I had thought that we would be crossing the 1,000 cases a day mark at this point in time, and I think that what that shows is that the 85 per cent of Ontarians who got vaccinated or got the one-shot, this is because of them," continued Gandhi.
"I think that even though we're at 85 per cent, I think there's a lot of good that's been done," he concluded.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.
What a urologist wants you to know about male infertility
When opposite sex couples are trying and failing to get pregnant, the attention often focuses on the woman. That’s not always the case.
'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.
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.
Made-in-Newfoundland vodka claims top prize at worldwide competition
A Newfoundland-made vodka has been named one of the world’s best by judges at this year’s World Vodka Awards.