8 more Simcoe-Muskoka residents hospitalized for COVID-19

The latest COVID update from the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit, published April 13, includes zero deaths and eight new hospitalizations.

The health unit reported 54 deaths in February, 23 in March, and six so far in April.

There are 29 people from the region currently hospitalized because of COVID-19. This number does not include people who were hospitalized for other reasons and also test positive for COVID-19.

Testing has captured 423 new COVID cases in the region since the last update on April 11. Because testing is not available to everyone, case counts are underestimated. 

Today's update will be the last until April 20, as the health unit will not be posting COVID situation updates over the Easter long weekend.

Since the start of the pandemic, the local health unit has confirmed 40,902 cases of COVID-19 with 38,638 of those cases recovered and 448 cases ending in death. 

Of the deaths reported by the health unit since March 2020, 390 were COVID-related, 47 deaths were not related to COVID-19 but the person tested positive, and for 11 of them, the cause of death is unknown or pending. 

COVID infections are on the rise in the region with 2,105 cases already confirmed through limited testing in April.

In both March and February, the health unit confirmed about 2,890 COVID cases, which was a dramatic decrease from the 10,539 cases reported in January in the region. 

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 49 active outbreaks in Simcoe-Muskoka, up from 45 outbreaks on April 6. The current active outbreaks include 22 in institutional settings (hospitals, long-term care, retirement homes), 16 in congregate settings (group homes, shelters), and 11 at child-care centres.

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 72 per cent of the region's ICU beds are full and about 26 per cent of the ventilator beds are occupied. Acute care occupancy is highest with 92 per cent of the beds in the region currently full. 

Here's a look at the Ontario COVID update for April 13.

The Collingwood General and Marine Hospital is reporting as of April 13, there are 10 COVID-positive inpatients at the hospital, up from four reported on April 8. This can include people admitted because of COVID and those hospitalized for other reasons who also test positive for COVID.

An outbreak was declared at the Collingwood hospital in the medical unit with four patients confirmed as COVID-positive.