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Health unit reports 3 deaths, 15 more COVID patients hospitalized

Five COVID patients from Simcoe-Muskoka region are in ICUs
2020-07-28 SMDHU offices 2
The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit offices are located on Sperling Drive in north-end Barrie. Raymond Bowe/BarrieToday

Three more people have died and 15 more people from Simcoe-Muskoka region have been hospitalized for COVID-19, according to the latest update by the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit. 

Among the deaths reported today are three men from Simcoe County, one between 65 and 79 years old, and two over 79 years old. Two of the men died on May 10 and one man died May 8. 

In total, the health unit has reported five COVID deaths in May.

There are 36 people from the region hospitalized because of COVID-19, including five patients in intensive care units. 

Testing has captured 198 new COVID cases in the region since the last update on May 9. Because testing is not available to everyone, case counts are underestimated. 

Since the start of the pandemic, the local health unit has confirmed 44,637 cases of COVID-19 with 43,144 of those cases recovered and 479 cases ending in death. 

Of the deaths reported by the health unit since March 2020, 419 were COVID-related, 50 deaths were not related to COVID-19 but the person tested positive, and for 10 of them, the cause of death is unknown or pending. 

To date, 83 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.

There are 28 active outbreaks in Simcoe-Muskoka, down from 35 outbreaks on May 4. The current active outbreaks include 17 in institutional settings (hospitals, long-term care, retirement homes), 10 in congregate settings (group homes, shelters), and one at a childcare centre.

A list of outbreaks is available on the health unit website here.

According to monitoring of the region's hospitals by the health unit, about 74 per cent of the region's ICU beds are full and about 45 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. 

Here's a look at the Ontario COVID update for today.


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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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