Two Wasaga residents among 37 new COVID cases in Simcoe County today

The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit has confirmed 39 new cases in the region today, 37 of which are Simcoe County residents. 

There are currently 14 people from the region hospitalized with COVID-19. One patient is in intensive care at Mackenzie Health (Richmond Hill), two people are hospitalized at South Lake Health Centre in Newmarket, one person is hospitalized at Georgian Bay General Hospital (Midland), and ten people are hospitalized at Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre (RVH) in Barrie. Of the ten people at RVH, eight are individuals who contracted COVID-19 in a congregate setting outbreak in Barrie. Their cases were reported yesterday.

Among the new cases reported today are two Wasaga Beach residents: one man between 35 and 44 years old whose case was community-acquired, and one woman between 65 and 79 years old whose case is linked to close contact. These are the first cases reported in Wasaga Beach since Nov. 9. 

There are eight new COVID cases in Barrie including one woman and one man between 45 and 64 years old whose cases are linked to close contact. The remaining six cases include a girl and a boy under 18, three women between 18 and 34 years old, and a man between 45 and 64 years old. The transmission source for all six cases remains under investigation. 

There are two new cases in Springwater, both community-acquired. They include a boy under 18 and a man between 35 and 44 years old. 

In Innisfil there are three new cases including a boy under 18 years old and a man between 18 and 34 years old – both close contact transmission – and a man between 45 and 64 years old whose case was community-acquired. 

In Essa there is one case involving a woman between 18 and 34 years old. The transmission source is still under investigation. 

In Bradford there are nine new cases including two men between 18 and 34 years old, two women between 35 and 44 years old, two women and two men and two women between 45 and 64 years old, and a man between 65 and 79 years old. Three of the cases are under investigation and the other six are linked to close contact transmission.

There is one new case in Orillia today; a woman between 45 and 54 years old. The transmission source for the case is under investigation. 

There is also one new case in Severn today, which involves a woman between 45 and 64 years old. Her case is also under investigation. 

There is one new community-acquired case in Tay Township involving a man between 35 and 44 years old.

Finally, there are nine new cases in New Tecumseth today. One case, a woman between 35 and 44 years old, is linked to an institutional outbreak outside of the Simcoe-Muskoka region. The other eight cases are under investigation and include a girl under 18, a woman and a man between 18 and 34, three women and one man between 35 and 44 years old, and two men between 45 and 64 years old. 

The other two cases reported by the health unit today include a man between 18 and 34 from Lake of Bays whose case is linked to an educational setting outbreak. The other case is a man between 65 and 79 years old, but his location information is listed as pending. His case is under investigation.

There are two active outbreaks at congregate settings in the region with nine cases at one setting and one case at the other

Yesterday, the health unit reported eight cases linked to a single congregate setting in Barrie (all seniors). The health unit also reported one death linked to the outbreak, a woman over the age of 80. She is the ninth case linked to the Barrie congregate setting outbreak. The other eight individuals have been hospitalized at RVH.

The health unit is not identifying what type of congregate setting is in outbreak. The general definition of congregate setting is a place where groups of people reside permanently or temporarily, such as a group home, supportive housing, or a shelter. 

There have been a total of six congregate setting outbreaks within Simcoe-Muskoka region since the start of the pandemic. Four are declared over and the woman whose death was reported yesterday is the first death linked to a congregate setting outbreak. 

There have been 17 cases confirmed to date as part of those congregate setting outbreaks. There have also been 14 Simcoe-Muskoka regions residents who have contracted COVID-19 as a result of a congregate setting outbreak outside of the region.

The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit has reported a total of 1,837 cases of COVID-19, with 1,747 of those in Simcoe County. There are 1,553 cases listed as recovered in the region. Fourteen 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 331 cases per 100,000 people.

 *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