Simcoe Muskoka hospital officials sound alarm about rising COVID-19 levels
Hospital chiefs of staff in North Simcoe Muskoka wrote a joint letter warning about rising COVID-19 levels following the health unit voicing concerns on rapidly growing wastewater signs.
"The level of COVID-19 in the North Simcoe Muskoka region is on the rise," the letter issued Tuesday states.
The physicians point to an increase in the region's positivity rate and hospitalizations.
"Hospitalizations are experiencing record levels of staff and physician absence due to illness and exposure to COVID at home, in schools, and in the community," it reads.
"We are concerned about everyone and the impact on our ability to provide timely care."
Simcoe Muskoka's chief medical officer of health (MOH), Dr. Charles Gardner, held a COVID-19 briefing on Tuesday, urging residents to continue wearing masks, noting a jump in case counts since the province lifted mandates.
"We have seen elevated case counts," Dr. Gardner said. "The pandemic is not over, and we cannot let our guard down."
The province removed mask mandates in most indoor settings on March 21.
According to the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit (SMDHU), the region saw a 79 per cent increase in case counts in the first week of April compared to the weeks before mandates were removed.
The SMDHU reports the region's sharp spike outpaced the province's incidence rate at that time.
"The number of cases, outbreaks and hospitalizations we are seeing in Simcoe Muskoka is very concerning," Dr. Gardner noted.
In the letter, the region's seven hospital chiefs of staff and the MOH "highly recommend" four ways to protect against COVID-19 and help slow the spread.
- Get vaccinated with all eligible doses;
- Limit close contacts;
- Wear a mask in indoor public spaces; and
- Stay home if sick and get tested with a rapid test at home or, if eligible, a PCR test.
Local health officials encourage limiting Easter weekend gatherings to household members or holding outdoor or virtual gatherings.
"Virtual gatherings or events are still the safest way to celebrate, and if you opt to host or attend a gathering or event, remember that outdoor gatherings are safer than those held indoors," the SMDHU stated.
On Thursday, Premier Doug Ford said he would extend the remaining mask mandates, which require masks in health-care settings, if Ontario's top doctor recommended.
Masking in retirement homes, long-term care homes, hospitals and public transit are set to expire on April 27.
Ontario's top doctor has yet to recommend extending that timeline, only saying he is considering it amid the sixth wave.
Meanwhile, the province's science advisory table's latest modelling points to COVID-19 transmission possibly having peaked, but the experts noted it's uncertain which way the trend will shift.
Ontario's expert group said the modelling suggests hospitalizations and ICU admissions would rise but wouldn't likely hit levels recorded during the previous wave.
With files from The Canadian Press
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.