As cases of COVID-19 variants of concern continue to rise in Simcoe Muskoka, the region could soon be moved into a lockdown zone, warned Dr. Charles Gardner, Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit (SMDHU) medical officer of health.
Simcoe Muskoka has had a “very large number of UK-variant cases,” he noted in his weekly COVID briefing today, and that has him concerned. The bulk of those cases are in Simcoe County, but recently two have emerged in Muskoka as the result of people travelling from Barrie for work.
The UK-variant is a more transmissible version of the virus.
“The experience in some of the communities in the United Kingdom, in Ireland and Denmark has been when they’ve seen a rise in this variant within their communities, that then they then had another wave of COVID-19 that they had to manage with a shutdown, a lockdown,” he said. “So I’m watching this very closely and have communicated to the province my concern about where we are headed… we need to be prepared to go into a shutdown again in the near future if in fact we continue to see this.”
To date there have been 171 cases in Simcoe Muskoka that have tested positive for the UK B.1.1.7 variant of concern and an additional 216 cases that have screened positive for a variant and are awaiting confirmatory testing.
Dr. Gardner said he is seriously considering requesting that the province move Simcoe Muskoka back into lockdown. “You are more effective if you act early than if you wait for it to become well entrenched.”
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Will Moore says
Once again Barrie and south Simcoe are having the large numbers that Dr. Gardner ($284,000 base salary for 2020) is concerned about. So he wants to inflict pain and misery on Muskoka; as well.
This is ridiculous.
The Provincial Government must review the Health Units and the high cost of the Regional Medical Officer of Health positions. The core focus should be on value for dollars spent on these extravagant bureaucracies.
What is the Health Unit’s specific plan for Muskoka ? I suggest that there is no specific plan.
Dare I suggest that it is simply a copy of the provincial plan ? Monitor test results and then “panic” and lock everyone up.
Matthew Trebilcock says
This is a joke stop travel. Stay in your own town. Everyone knows this is the government’s fault for not locking down international travel. First through the first strain, now this strain. We need to stop the spread now that they haven’t from the start.
Bernard williams says
Enough! What about our mental well-being? You cannot subject us to being stuck in our homes any longer!
One year!!!!
Enough!
You want to lock us down again? Then shut down big box stores!
We are fed up!
Heather Bayley says
Stop this nonsense. Up and down all the time. You are ruining this province. Take your ego somewhere else. Our immune systems are getting weak.
David Hembruff says
Dr. Charles Gardner and his staff have done an excellent job against incredible odds. He has been a voice of reason when Doug Ford wanted everything open just for financial reasons. People are loosing thier lives and until a vaccine is widely administered he has no other choice.
Blame the Federal Government for the slow vaccine rollout, but not our local Public Health Staff.
Ian Garson says
Ian Garson
Feb 24 2021
I work in a restaurant in Muskoka and we need to get back to work, infact we are working now. When you lift restrictions in one area and not in another, without restricting travel between areas you spread it further. Does that not make sense? I live on a ski hill this past weekend it was packed out for sure many from the GTA, Let me spell it out for you, if you want to work without restrictions either vaccinate everyone or lock down all unnecessary business and suck it up. If I for instance get any of these viruses I Have COPD i will not recover period. So either stay in your own community or stay home please.
Kevin Carpenter says
Ok ok lock down the region with the majority of the cases.
I’m getting a little tired of simcoe being the reason Muskoka has to shut down.
Also if the goverment would step up. We woudn’t be ocked down so much. It makes me wonder why we last place when it comes to vaccinations. The US with 10-15 time the population. Has vaccinated 35% of it population. Canada only has done 3%.
Someone needs to be replaced.
Bruce Stimers says
I agree that we are being unduly linked with Simcoe; the biggest problem area. Time to get back to Mukoka Parry Sound where conditions are similar. It seems to me the government has been playing political games allowing big money box stores to stay open while killing small businesses. All should play by the same rules! The same politics seem to be in play with our classification. Shut down the hot zones and let the rest of us enjoy life wearing our masks and socially distancing here in Muskoka.
Mike Lee says
As a resident of East Parry sound, now, still, and apparently on into the future locked down by virtue of pur association with North Bay, i agree that Muskoka Parry Sound unit needs to be revisited. These authorities, non elected physicians, heads of the PHU bureaucracy, need to be accountable to us in the same way politicians are. Instead they dictate, condescend, chastise us for over a year now.
Lesley Hastie says
Dr Peter Lin, CBC’s resident doctor, makes the point that to slow the numbers of COVID infections we need to focus on vaccinating those most likely to spread the disease and in particular the new variant. That is not the 80+ age group. It is the workers, 40% of whom do not get paid sick leave. Carville meat factory is one of the sources of infection where bonuses were paid to workers who went to work sick or not. Surveys show 25% have gone to work sick. We know that many of the workers live in multigenerational households so spread the disease internally but have no choice as they need the money to feed their families.
Also it is disappointing in the extreme that the website to make vaccine appointments will be ready only on the day vaccinations begin here in Muskoka. We have had a year to organize the vaccine rollout.
Marge Martone says
In my opinion this is rather a simple solution.
Everyone should have to show identification with an address when going into ANY place that the public are allowed. If you are not from that district you are NOT allowed into that business. Very simple solution.
Lorrice .Carruthers says
Separate Muskoka from Simcoe. Why do we in Muskoka have to be ‘locked up”? The main problem is in Simcoe.
Brenda Begg says
If we are separated from Simcoe, we become a desirable location for people to visit who are from regions who are in lockdown status. Is that skillful, at this stage of the pandemic? It’s a dilemma.
Will Moore says
Ms. Begg …
One need only attend one of the grocery stores and look at the vehicles that are parked there to realize that there are already more vehicles from the GTA etc. than locals.
There is also a marked increase in vehicles from North Bay traveling around Huntsville. Not to mention the ongoing U. S. Vehicles in the town.
My comment is but to suggest that, in the vernacular, that horse left the barn a long time ago.
brian tapley says
I fear the horse has indeed left the barn, as one comment noted. Probably it is so far from the barn as to be in the next county by now.
What we all need is vaccination, like yesterday!
So here is an idea that might speed things up.
There are 338 members of our Federal House of Commons I’m told by Google. There are about 330 million Canadians.
So lets invoke a bit of “proportionality” here. Government ministries like this word. So lets just keep things in proportion here.
For every million Canadians who get a vaccination, one of those MP’s also gets a vaccination. When we are all done, so will all the MP’s be done.
I’ll bet you $5 that this would get vaccinations moving faster!
Phil Beacock says
The bottom line is that lock down works! The travel issue does nothing to stop the transmission! FACT. There is a lot of BnB’s that are really busy here in the Port Sydney area. I see more traffic on this road then the middle of summer! FACT. All the rental homes around here are full most of the time! FACT. Lots of out of town license plates! People, for the health of all and i mean, front liner workers to truck drivers to my 92 year old parents, stay home! Safe day to all front line workers and those people out there that are genuinely making an effort, to those that aren’t, your part of the problem!