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Health unit reports 29 new COVID cases in Simcoe County today – OrilliaMatters

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The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit is reporting 30 new COVID-19 cases in the region today, at least 29 of which are Simcoe County residents. 

Almost half of the new cases reported today are Barrie residents with 14 new cases in the city. 

Of those 14 cases, nine are between the ages of 18 and 34 (one female and eight males). The transmission source is reported as close contact for five of those cases, one community-acquired, and one travel. The rest are still under investigation.

The remaining five Barrie cases include a woman between 35 and 44 years old, and two women and two men between 45 and 64 years old. The transmission sources for those cases include three community-acquired, one close contact, and one under investigation. 

The health unit is also tracking a community setting outbreak in Barrie involving a hockey team. There are at least eight positive cases linked to the outbreak. 

There are three new cases in Bradford West Gwillimbury, all linked to close contact. The cases include two men between 45 and 64 years old and a woman over the age of 80. 

Among the new cases is a Collingwood man aged 65 to 79 years old. His case transmission is still under investigation. This is the fifth local case since Nov. 20, and the other four cases have been linked to close contact or community transmission. 

There is also one new case in Innisfil today, a woman between 65 and 79 years old, and it remains under investigation. 

There are two new cases in Springwater, including a boy under 18 and a man between 35 and 44 years old. The boy’s case is linked to close contact and the man’s case is linked to an educational setting outbreak. 

There are six new cases in New Tecumseth, including one woman and two men between 18 and 34 years old, a man between 35 and 44 years old, and a woman and a man between 45 and 64 years old. The case transmission sources include two close contact, one community-acquired, and one linked to an educational setting outbreak out of the region. The remaining cases are under investigation. 

The health unit has confirmed one new case in Tiny, a man between 18 and 34 years old, which is reported as community-acquired. 

There is one new case in Essa today, a man between 18 and 34 years old, which is reported as community-acquired. 

Lastly, the health unit has reported one case, a man between 35 and 44, whose transmission source and location information is still pending. 

The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit has reported a total of 1,983 cases of COVID-19, with 1,891 of those in Simcoe County. There are 1,717 cases listed as recovered in the region. Thirteen people are currently hospitalized, all are Simcoe County residents. The health unit has confirmed 52 deaths since March.

The incidence rate for Simcoe County is 358 cases per 100,000 people. With a seven-day average of 29.2 cases per 100,000 people in a week. The region’s reproductive rate shows every person who contracts COVID-19 transmits it to 1.1 other people, and testing data shows 2.1 per cent of people who are tested in the region test positive for COVID-19. 

Case breakdown from Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit by municipality for Simcoe County as of Nov. 26.

Municipality Total cases** Recoveries Deaths In Hospital Last case reported Incidence rate*
Barrie  591 504 15 10 Nov. 26 396
Bradford W-G  347 300 12 1 Nov. 26 808
New Tecumseth  337 289 12 1 Nov. 26 813
Innisfil 179 162 1 1 Nov. 26 439
Orillia 34 27 3   Nov. 23 102
Collingwood 26 21     Nov. 26 104
Wasaga Beach 35 31 1   Nov. 23 152
Clearview 34 32 1   Nov. 23 230
Springwater 40 23 1   Nov. 26 190
Midland 16 16     Nov. 19 89
Oro-Medonte 23 20 2   Nov. 12 99
Adjala-Tosorontio 37 34     Nov. 25 318
Essa 96 88 1 1 Nov. 26 401
Ramara 18 16     Nov. 18 173
Tiny 19 16     Nov. 23 137
Tay 27 23 1   Nov. 23 235
Penetanguishene 19 17 1   Nov. 19 196
Severn 13 12     Nov. 20 87
Georgian Bay 9 8     Nov. 24 319

 *Incidence rate is number of cases per 100,000 people in the local population.

**Total cases includes the number of cases currently recovering at home as well as any that have recovered, died, or are in hospital

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B.C. mayors seek ‘immediate action’ from federal government on mental health crisis

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VANCOUVER – Mayors and other leaders from several British Columbia communities say the provincial and federal governments need to take “immediate action” to tackle mental health and public safety issues that have reached crisis levels.

Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim says it’s become “abundantly clear” that mental health and addiction issues and public safety have caused crises that are “gripping” Vancouver, and he and other politicians, First Nations leaders and law enforcement officials are pleading for federal and provincial help.

In a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier David Eby, mayors say there are “three critical fronts” that require action including “mandatory care” for people with severe mental health and addiction issues.

The letter says senior governments also need to bring in “meaningful bail reform” for repeat offenders, and the federal government must improve policing at Metro Vancouver ports to stop illicit drugs from coming in and stolen vehicles from being exported.

Sim says the “current system” has failed British Columbians, and the number of people dealing with severe mental health and addiction issues due to lack of proper care has “reached a critical point.”

Vancouver Police Chief Adam Palmer says repeat violent offenders are too often released on bail due to a “revolving door of justice,” and a new approach is needed to deal with mentally ill people who “pose a serious and immediate danger to themselves and others.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 16, 2024

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Canada to donate up to 200,000 vaccine doses to combat mpox outbreaks in Africa

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The Canadian government says it will donate up to 200,000 vaccine doses to fight the mpox outbreak in Congo and other African countries.

It says the donated doses of Imvamune will come from Canada’s existing supply and will not affect the country’s preparedness for mpox cases in this country.

Minister of Health Mark Holland says the donation “will help to protect those in the most affected regions of Africa and will help prevent further spread of the virus.”

Dr. Madhukar Pai, Canada research chair in epidemiology and global health, says although the donation is welcome, it is a very small portion of the estimated 10 million vaccine doses needed to control the outbreak.

Vaccine donations from wealthier countries have only recently started arriving in Africa, almost a month after the World Health Organization declared the mpox outbreak a public health emergency of international concern.

A few days after the declaration in August, Global Affairs Canada announced a contribution of $1 million for mpox surveillance, diagnostic tools, research and community awareness in Africa.

On Thursday, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said mpox is still on the rise and that testing rates are “insufficient” across the continent.

Jason Kindrachuk, Canada research chair in emerging viruses at the University of Manitoba, said donating vaccines, in addition to supporting surveillance and diagnostic tests, is “massively important.”

But Kindrachuk, who has worked on the ground in Congo during the epidemic, also said that the international response to the mpox outbreak is “better late than never (but) better never late.”

“It would have been fantastic for us globally to not be in this position by having provided doses a much, much longer time prior than when we are,” he said, noting that the outbreak of clade I mpox in Congo started in early 2023.

Clade II mpox, endemic in regions of West Africa, came to the world’s attention even earlier — in 2022 — as that strain of virus spread to other countries, including Canada.

Two doses are recommended for mpox vaccination, so the donation may only benefit 100,000 people, Pai said.

Pai questioned whether Canada is contributing enough, as the federal government hasn’t said what percentage of its mpox vaccine stockpile it is donating.

“Small donations are simply not going to help end this crisis. We need to show greater solidarity and support,” he said in an email.

“That is the biggest lesson from the COVID-19 pandemic — our collective safety is tied with that of other nations.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.

Canadian Press health coverage receives support through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. CP is solely responsible for this content.

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How many Nova Scotians are on the doctor wait-list? Number hit 160,000 in June

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HALIFAX – The Nova Scotia government says it could be months before it reveals how many people are on the wait-list for a family doctor.

The head of the province’s health authority told reporters Wednesday that the government won’t release updated data until the 160,000 people who were on the wait-list in June are contacted to verify whether they still need primary care.

Karen Oldfield said Nova Scotia Health is working on validating the primary care wait-list data before posting new numbers, and that work may take a matter of months. The most recent public wait-list figures are from June 1, when 160,234 people, or about 16 per cent of the population, were on it.

“It’s going to take time to make 160,000 calls,” Oldfield said. “We are not talking weeks, we are talking months.”

The interim CEO and president of Nova Scotia Health said people on the list are being asked where they live, whether they still need a family doctor, and to give an update on their health.

A spokesperson with the province’s Health Department says the government and its health authority are “working hard” to turn the wait-list registry into a useful tool, adding that the data will be shared once it is validated.

Nova Scotia’s NDP are calling on Premier Tim Houston to immediately release statistics on how many people are looking for a family doctor. On Tuesday, the NDP introduced a bill that would require the health minister to make the number public every month.

“It is unacceptable for the list to be more than three months out of date,” NDP Leader Claudia Chender said Tuesday.

Chender said releasing this data regularly is vital so Nova Scotians can track the government’s progress on its main 2021 campaign promise: fixing health care.

The number of people in need of a family doctor has more than doubled between the 2021 summer election campaign and June 2024. Since September 2021 about 300 doctors have been added to the provincial health system, the Health Department said.

“We’ll know if Tim Houston is keeping his 2021 election promise to fix health care when Nova Scotians are attached to primary care,” Chender said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2024.

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