The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit reported two deaths and three new hospitalizations related to COVID-19 in the latest update published today (Feb. 17).
The local health unit has reported 71 COVID deaths in January and 29 in February.
There are at least 41 people from the region hospitalized because of COVID.
Testing has captured 150 new COVID cases in the region since Tuesday, Feb. 16. However, provincial testing is limited to certain high-risk groups, and therefore the results are an underestimation of the true number of positive cases in the community.
Since the start of the pandemic, the local health unit has confirmed 34,281 cases of COVID-19, with 32,291 of those cases recovered and 391 cases ending in death.
According to the local health unit, the vast majority of COVID-19 cases in Simcoe-Muskoka are considered resolved.
Eighteen of the past 20 deaths have been in seniors 70 years of age and over.
From July 18, 2021 until Feb. 16 of this year, the rate of COVID-19 hospitalizations among the unvaccinated vaccine-eligible Simcoe-Muskoka population is four times higher than it is for those who have received at least two vaccine doses.
In total, 1,263,970 doses of COVID vaccine have been administered in Simcoe-Muskoka, including doses administered by local pharmacies.
There have been 496,005 individuals living in Simcoe-Muskoka who have received at least one dose of vaccine, which represents 80 per cent of the total population.
The rate of intensive care unit (ICU) admissions for COVID is nine times higher and the rate of deaths is three times higher.
Approximately 85 per cent of Simcoe-Muskoka residents five years of age and older have received at least one dose of vaccine, 81 per cent have received both doses and 47 percent have received a third dose.
There are 32 active outbreaks in Simcoe-Muskoka, including 18 in institutional settings (hospitals, long-term care, retirement homes), four in congregate settings (group homes, shelters), and 10 at child-care centres.
The health unit is no longer reporting case counts associated with individual outbreaks.
