COVID-19 Update for Partners - February 3, 2022
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COVID-19 Update for Partners
February 3, 2022
Local Issues
Simcoe Muskoka COVID-19 Data
Local Media Updates
Provincial, National and Global COVID-19 Data
Provincial, National Updates
SMDHU Resources
Credible Sources of Information
Local Issues
Ontario Gradually Eases Public Health Measures
• As of Monday, Ontario began the process of gradually easing restrictions, while maintaining
protective measures.
• Regulation and guidance documents for businesses and organizations have been updated to reflect
these changes and are posted on our website.
Rescinding the Nov 23 Letter of Instruction
• The Letter of instruction (LOI) from Nov. 23, 2021, has been rescinded because it is outdated and runs
counter to the new Ontario Regulation 364/20.
• Although we will no longer be requiring the instructions listed in the LOI, we are continuing to
recommend them in principle, including:
o Enabling remote work for workers when reasonably possible
o Active screening of employees and patrons
o Physical distancing
o Staff wearing appropriate PPE where required
o Ensuring supplies and facilities for adequate hand hygiene
o Taking appropriate IPAC measures – cleaning, cough etiquette, etc.
• We will continue to monitor our local data and will consider renewing a LOI if circumstances require
additional public health measures to prevent further transmission.
• This section on our business webpage provides information and resources for businesses and
organizations experiencing COVID-19 cases and how to prevent further spread.
Vaccination Update
Booster Shots
• The National Advisory Council on Immunization (NACI) recently announced expanding eligibility of
booster doses to medically high-risk youth aged 12 to 17.
• We will not be providing booster doses to this group until we receive provincial guidance on eligibility
for medically high-risk youth aged 12 to 17.
1• For those who are currently eligible, we strongly recommend getting a COVID-19 booster as soon as
you are able, as it will help to reduce your risk for severe illness and hospitalization if you become
infected with COVID-19.
• Anyone who has not yet received their first or second dose is also strongly encouraged to do so as
soon as possible.
• Options for accessing your COVID-19 first, second or booster dose can be found on our website,
including booking an appointment though the COVID-19 Vaccination Portal or by calling the Provincial
Vaccine Contact Centre at 1-833-943-3900.
• While appointments are encouraged, community clinics will accept walk-ins on a first-come basis if
able to accommodate. Walk-ins are reserved for residents of Simcoe Muskoka for:
o Children aged 5 to 11 years for first and second paediatric Pfizer doses
o Youth aged 12-17 for first and second paediatric Pfizer doses
o Adults 18 years and older for first, second and booster doses of Pfizer or Moderna, with Pfizer
preferentially given to those under 30 years of age.
• The health unit continues to recommend that adults over the age of 30 receive Moderna for their
booster dose, as current evidence indicates that it provides improved protection from COVID-19,
including from the Omicron variant than other vaccine formulations. However, those who wish to
receive the Pfizer vaccine may request it at their appointment.
School Based Clinics
• School-based vaccine clinics at select elementary schools in partnership with local school boards were
held this week.
• The clinics operated during school hours from 1 to 3:30 p.m. for eligible students (children with a
completed parental consent) and staff of the host school, and from 4 to 7 p.m. for walk-ins for all
eligible community members aged 5 years and older for first or second doses. First, second or booster
doses were available to individuals aged 18 years and older.
• As of Wednesday, Feb. 2, a total of 115 people were immunized: 30 during school hours (including 25
paediatric doses) and 85 during community walk-in hours (with 68 of these receiving a paediatric
dose).
5 to 11 Vaccination
• The paediatric vaccine for 5 to 11-year-old children continues to be offered at community clinics
throughout Simcoe Muskoka by appointment or walk-in for first and second doses. Parents and
caregivers are encouraged to book their child’s vaccine appointment at the earliest opportunity.
• Options for accessing vaccinations for 5 to 11 year old children can be found on our website, including
booking an appointment through the COVID-19 Vaccination Portal or by calling the Provincial Vaccine
Contact Centre at 1-833-943-3900.
o I encourage parents and guardians to discuss COVID-19 vaccination with their children before
their appointment. To help support your conversations, we have worked with two local
paediatricians (Dr. Leah Bartlett and Dr. Asif Kazmi) to create a series of videos called “FAQs
about COVID-19 vaccines for kids” which can be found on the health unit’s YouTube Channel.
o The video series addresses common questions about the 5 to 11 vaccine and will be
promoted on our social media accounts next week.
Previous SMDHU MOH media briefings are posted on the SMDHU Facebook page and YouTube
channel.
2Simcoe Muskoka COVID-19 Data (as of February 3, 2022)
Total Active New Cases Total Current Residents 5+
Confirmed Cases Jan 23-29 Deaths Hospitalizations Vaccinated
Cases (% change from (% change from (# change from (# change from with 2 doses
previous week) previous week) previous week) previous week) (Target 90%)
32,324 2,997** 1,306* 358 41 81%
(+6%) (-33%) (-28%) (+25) (-20)
• Of the 41 people with COVID-19 who are currently hospitalized in Simcoe Muskoka, 7 are in
the ICU.
• There have been 584 new cases reported to the health unit for the current week.
• The rate of COVID-19 hospitalizations among the unvaccinated 12+ population is 6 times
higher for hospitalizations, 11 times higher for ICU admissions and 4 times higher for deaths
compared to people 12+ who are fully vaccinated.
• Vaccination rates for children aged 5 to 11 in Simcoe Muskoka are 48% with at least one
dose and 18% with two doses.
• There are currently 52 active COVID-19 outbreaks in Simcoe Muskoka (23 less than a week
ago), with 26 in institutional settings, 6 in congregate settings, and 20 in educational settings
(an increase from 17 outbreaks on the same day last week).
More local data is available at: SMDHU COVID-19 HealthSTATS page and the COVID-19
Monitoring Dashboard.
* As of December 30, 2021, the province changed its testing strategy due to the rapid transmission of the Omicron variant of
concern. Only select groups are now eligible for PCR testing resulting in fewer confirmed cases being captured. Readers are
cautioned that the number of COVID-19 cases reported in HealthSTATS underestimates the true number of cases in the community.
** Large drop in active cases due to data cleaning.
Local Media Updates (Since January 27, 2022)
• 'We’ve had a very large number of deaths': Omicron hitting Simcoe Muskoka’s vulnerable
(article)
• COVID deaths climbing close to record as Omicron spreads through region: Gardner (article)
• COVID outbreak declared in specialized seniors care unit at Barrie hospital (article)
• Town of Gravenhurst updates services on COVID reopening (article)
• Town of Huntsville to start offering services on Feb. 7 (article)
• ‘Frustrated and fed up’: Barrie area Conservative MPs react to trucker convoy protest as
Parliament resumes (article)
• COVID-19 vaccine clinics being held at Bracebridge elementary school (article)
• Simcoe Muskoka hospitals tackle significant surgical backlog (article)
• This Simcoe County family spent a lifetime perfecting self-isolation. They still caught COVID-
19 (article)
• ‘We just need a spark’: Business owners hopeful Monday’s reopening is their last one (article)
• Hop on the bus and get vaxxed: Orillia mayor (article)
• South Simcoe residents can access COVID-19@Home, Heart Failure Remote Management
programs (article)
• 'Freedom Convoy' supporters rally in Orillia Friday (article)
• Rapid test or medical note OK for COVID workplace claims during Omicron: WSIB (article)
3Provincial, National and Global COVID-19 Data
Ontario (as of February 3, 2022)
Total Cases Active* New Cases* Total Current All Eligible
Cases in the last 7 days Deaths Hospitalizations Ontarians
(% change from (% change from (change from (change from
previous week) previous week)
(5+) with 2
previous week) previous week)
doses
(target 90%)
1,043,923 39,656 27,818 11,651 2,797 84%
(-27%) (-28%) (+421) (-848)
• Areas with the highest rate of active cases per 100,000 population are: Northwestern
(552), Thunder Bay District (529), Sudbury and District (503), Algoma (495) and Porcupine
(470).
• In Ontario, unvaccinated individuals are 6 times more likely to be hospitalized and 11 times
more likely to be admitted to intensive care compared with people who are fully vaccinated.
• Of those people currently in hospital with COVID-19, 56% were admitted for COVID-19
related reasons, while 83% of people in ICU with COVID-19 were admitted to ICU for
COVID-related reasons.
For more provincial data, see Ontario COVID-19 case data, Public Health Ontario Data Tool,
daily and weekly epidemiologic summaries.
* As of December 30, 2021 the province changed its testing strategy due to the rapid transmission of the Omicron variant of
concern. Only select groups are now eligible for PCR testing resulting in fewer confirmed cases being captured. Readers are
cautioned that the number of COVID-19 cases reported is an underestimate of the true number of cases in Ontario.
Canada (as of February 3, 2022)
Total Cases Active Cases New Cases Total Deaths Population 5+ with
(includes confirmed (% change from in the last 7 days (change from 2 doses
and probable cases) previous week) (% change from previous week) (as of Jan 22, 2022)
previous week)
3,082,000 199,958* 102,168 34,212 82%
(+3%) (-14%) (-21%) (+1,020)
• Over 100,000 new cases have been reported across Canada in the last week, surpassing
3 million cases cumulatively for the pandemic over the last two years.
• In the last week all provinces and territories reported new cases of COVID-19, however
case numbers across Canada continued to decline in all provinces and territories but
Nunavut.
• In the last 7 days, rates of cases are highest in Northwest Territories (2035), Nunavut
(1025), and PEI (954).
For more national data, see: COVID-19 daily epidemiology update, Canada COVID-19 Weekly
Epidemiology Report (Jan 16-22)
* Due to changes in COVID-19 testing policies in many jurisdictions starting in late December 2021, case counts will
underestimate the total burden of disease.
Global (as of 16:37 CET, February 3, 2022)
New Weekly Cases Total Deaths
Total Confirmed Cases Jan 27-Feb 3 (change from previous week)
(% change from previous week)
383,509,779 23,213,048 5,693,824
(+2%) (+72,959)
4• The record of the most global cases set in the previous week was broken again during the
week of January 24 – 31, 2022, with cases continuing to rise in Europe, South-East Asia,
Eastern Mediterranean, and the Western Pacific.
• In the last week the highest number of cases were reported in: United States, France,
India, Brazil, Germany, and Russia.
For more international data, see: WHO COVID-19 Disease Dashboard and WHO weekly
epidemiological and Operational Updates.
Provincial, National Updates (since January 27, 2022)
Provincial Updates
Ontario Government:
• Ontario Continues to Protect Agri-food Workers: New HEPA filters for congregate living
settings will help keep agri-food workers safe (news release)
• Ontario Doubles Investment in Economic Development Supports for Indigenous Communities
(news release)
The Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table and Modelling Consensus Table
• Released an update on COVID-19 projections (link)
Public Health Ontario recently updated the following:
• Omicron in Ontario: Risk Analysis for Approaching Public Health Measures in Winter
2022 (focus report)
• SARS-CoV-2 Whole Genome Sequencing in Ontario, January 25, 2022 (weekly
epidemiological summary)
• COVID-19 Variant of Concern Omicron (B.1.1.529): Risk Assessment (evidence brief)
• Adverse Events Following Immunization (AEFIs) for COVID-19 in Ontario: December 14,
2020 to January 16, 2022 (enhanced epidemiological summary)
National Updates
Government of Canada:
• Introduced legislation to increase access to rapid testing across the country (news release)
• Hosted a National Summit to strengthen Canada’s supply chain (news release)
• Chief Public Health Officer of Canada, January 28, 2022 (statement, remarks)
• Provided update about Canada’s border measures (news release)
• Released COVID-19 Mortality and Social Inequalities (report)
• Released Generating Knowledge to Inform Public Health System Transformation (report)
National Advisory Committee on Immunization
• Released “Rapid response: Guidance on the use of booster COVID-19 vaccine doses in
adolescents 12-17 years of age” (report)
SMDHU Resources
Recent changes to the SMDHU website:
COVID-19 Main Page (link)
• NEW: COVID-19 fact sheet: Symptoms, testing & isolation requirements (link)
• NEW: I work or live in a high-risk setting (link)
Stop the Spread (link)
• Gatherings, events and celebrations (link)
• Planning your wedding (link)
• Attending a wedding, funeral, or other religious ceremony (link)
5COVID-19 Vaccinations
• Book your vaccination (link)
o Walk-in Schedule (link)
Going to School
• Families (link)
• School administrators and educators (link)
o Guidance documents (link)
o NEW: Absenteeism Reporting (link)
Operating your Business Safely (link) and Partners and Municipalities (link)
• Guidance documents:
o Workplace Safety Plan, Screening and Proof of Vaccination (link)
o Day Camps (link)
o Facilities for Sports and Recreational Fitness Activities (including Recreational Water Facilities)
(link)
o Food Premises (link)
o Organized Public Events and Gatherings (link)
o Outdoor Recreational Amenities (link)
o Retail Businesses and Shopping Malls (link)
o Faith-Based Organizations (link)
• Curling Clubs (link)
• Day camps and recreational camps (link)
• Outdoor Recreational Amenities (link)
• Personal service settings (link)
• Recreational water facilities (link)
• Public Signage (link)
• Class orders and letters of instruction (link)
HealthSTATS:
• SMDHU COVID-19 HealthSTATS page
SMDHU Health Connection:
• PLEASE READ BEFORE YOU CALL: Health Connection is experiencing a very high call
volume, resulting in longer than usual response times, calls being disconnected and a
response to all voicemails and emails in not guaranteed. For the most up-to-date information
see our COVID-19 webpages.
• You can contact health connection by phone (705-721-7520 or 1-877-721-7520) or email
using our online form. Health Connection hours are Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30
p.m. Please only call or submit your inquiry once.
• If you have a health concern, call your health care provider or Telehealth 1-866-797-0000.
Credible Sources of Information
• Ontario Ministry of Health
• Public Health Ontario
• Centre for Effective Practice COVID-19 Resource Centre
• Government of Canada
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• World Health Organization
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