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COVID cases rise in region this week; hospitalizations steady

There are 20 area residents currently hospitalized because of COVID-19 and there are 24 active outbreaks in the region, officials say
2020-07-28 SMDHU offices 1
The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit offices are located on Sperling Drive in north-end Barrie. Raymond Bowe/BarrieToday

COVID cases increased and hospitalizations stayed about the same last week in Simcoe-Muskoka according to the Aug. 18 update from the region's health unit. 

The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit confirmed five more deaths and seven new hospitalizations since the last report on Aug. 11.

All five of the deaths occurred between July 28 and Aug. 14. The people who died were Simcoe County residents, including two men and a woman over 79 years old, a woman between 65 and 79 years old, and a man between 45 and 64 years old. Three of the fatal cases were outbreak-related. 

There are 20 area residents currently hospitalized because of COVID-19. 

The Collingwood General and Marine Hospital reported 13 inpatients are currently positive for COVID-19. The hospital confirmed active outbreaks in the medical and the surgical units on Aug. 10 and the outbreak is ongoing. 

Based on the latest health unit update, posted Aug. 18, there were 443 new COVID cases confirmed in Simcoe-Muskoka region since last week. There were 403 cases reported to the health unit during the week of Aug. 7, which is 28 per cent higher than the 316 cases reported during the week of July 31. 

Case counts are underestimated as testing is limited. 

There are 24 active outbreaks in the region, including 18 at institutional settings like hospitals or long-term care homes, and six at congregate settings like group homes and shelters. 

Since the start of the pandemic, the local health unit has confirmed 49,071 cases of COVID-19, with 47,934 of those cases recovered and 544 cases ending in death.

Of the deaths reported by the health unit since March 2020, 463 were COVID-19-related, 72 deaths were not related to COVID-19 but the person tested positive, and for nine of them, the cause of death is unknown or pending. 

To date, 86 per cent of the population aged five years old and up are fully vaccinated with two or more doses, and 18 per cent of the region’s total population (including children) is unvaccinated.

According to monitoring of the region’s hospitals by the health unit, 61 per cent of the region’s ICU beds are full and 36 per cent of the ventilator beds are occupied. Acute care occupancy is highest with 91 per cent of the beds in the region currently full.

Wastewater monitoring in Barrie, Orillia, Penetanguishene, and Midland shows COVID-19 virus DNA as present in each of the communities, but there's been no increase or decrease noted in the last week. Sampling from Collingwood indicates an increase in the COVID-19 virus DNA in the community. 

Anyone who has not yet received their COVID-19 vaccination or booster doses is encouraged to do so as soon as they are eligible. Information about eligibility and clinic locations is available at smdhu.org/GetVaccinated.


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Erika Engel

About the Author: Erika Engel

Erika regularly covers all things news in Collingwood as a reporter and editor. She has 15 years of experience as a local journalist
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