The Simcoe Muskoka Health Unit has issued the following statement:
– The reason Simcoe Muskoka is moved into Grey / Lockdown (on Monday) is that we are experiencing a surge in cases of the B1.1.7 (the UK) variant of COVID-19 in Barrie, throughout Simcoe County and in the District of Muskoka. We have the largest number of UK variant cases in the province. To date 184 local cases have been tested positive for the COVID-19 variant of concern UK B.1.1.7 and another 290 cases have screened positive and are awaiting confirmatory testing. More than 600 of our COVID cases have been associated with variant outbreaks. The variants are more contagious than the original COVID-19 strain, and result in more severe disease.
http://ow.ly/ShWQ50DLMY6
– We are seeing large increases of cases and outbreaks of the B1.1.7 (the UK) variant of COVID-19 (a variant of concern) in Simcoe and Muskoka in workplaces, long term care facilities, a child care centre and an apartment building, and have the highest number of variant of concern cases in Ontario. Countries that have experienced high numbers of cases of variants of concern have had a third wave because of it. It’s important to act early to prevent that from happening here.
http://ow.ly/WOQk50DLN4x
– Our high presence of the UK variant caries a substantial risk of a third wave for COVID-19 happening here. Moving into the Grey / Lockdown zone is an “emergency brake” to help stop this from happening, or to limit its severity. Cases for our most recent week of reporting (February 14-20) were 30% higher than the previous week – a cause for concern.
– An “emergency brake” is a short-term measure meant to helping to stop the spread of the COVID-19 and to protect public health and health system capacity in the regions. We need to act to prevent a third wave, which has been the experience in other countries that experienced high numbers of cases of the UK variant.
– We need to work together as a community to overcome the spread of the UK variant. COVID-19 and the variants of concern (including the UK variant) are a real and significant threat to the health of our residents and we must put on the brakes to interrupt transmission. The urgent actions of everyone over the coming weeks will be critical to slowing the spread of the UK variant.
Do the boneheads that run this health district not realize that Barrie and Bradford are now effectively part of York Region? Separate Simcoe from Muskoka. They are drastically different. Of course, their inflated government salaries are guaranteed; what do they care who they run out of business!