Collingwood, Clearview, Wasaga residents among 70 new COVID cases reported in region

The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit has reported 70 new cases of COVID-19 in the region today.

The health unit has also confirmed one more death today. The person who died was a Barrie woman who was over 80 years old. Her death was linked to a congregate setting outbreak.

Since March, 67 Simcoe County residents and three Muskoka District residents have died after contracting COVID-19. 

Included on the health unit's Jan. 5 list of new COVID-19 cases are 17 Barrie residents, one Collingwood resident, one Wasaga Beach resident, two Clearview residents, 11 Bradford West Gwillimbury residents, five Innisfil residents, six Orillia residents, and three Midland residents

There is a lag in the data presented in the daily updates because of an increase in cases. 

The health unit has also declared COVID outbreaks (all of which are still ongoing) at the following facilities: 

• Georgian Bay General Hospital in Midland, outbreak declared Dec. 4
• Trillium Manor, Orillia, Dec. 14
• Revera Sara Vista, Elmvale, Dec. 25
• Lakeside Retirement, Innisfil, Dec. 26
• Good Samaritan Retirement Lodge, Alliston, Dec. 26 
• Unnamed child care centre, Wasaga Beach, Dec. 27 
• Georgian Manor, Penetanguishene, Dec. 27
• Tiffin Retirement Residence (first floor), Midland, Dec. 27
• Roger's Cove Retirement Residence, Huntsville, Dec. 29
• Woods Park Care Centre Retirement Home, Barrie, Jan. 1
• Villa Retirement Lodge, Midland, Jan 2
• Simcoe Manor, Tosorontio Unit, Beeton, Jan. 3
• Grove Park Home (Aspen), Barrie, Jan. 4

The provincial government requires an outbreak be declared at a retirement or long-term care home where one staff or resident tests positive. There does not have to be evidence of spread within the home for an outbreak to be declared. In most other cases, the health unit does not declare an outbreak unless there is evidence of transmission at the facility. 

The breakdown of cases provided by the health unit is as follows. All case transmissions are under investigation unless otherwise indicated: 

• Collingwood (1): A boy under 18 whose case is linked to close contact
• Wasaga Beach (1): A man between 18 and 34 years old. 
• Clearview (1):  A man between 45 and 64 years old and a woman between 65 and 79 years old.
• Barrie (17): A girl under 18 years old, three women and a man between 18 and 34 years old, a woman and two men between 35 and 44 years old, two women and five men between 45 and 64 years old, and a man and a woman between 65 and 79 years old. One case is attributed to close contact and one to community transmission. 
• Springwater (2): A woman between 35 and 44 years old and a woman between 45 and 64 years old.  
• Innisfil (5): Three women and two men between 18 and 34 years old. One case is attributed to close contact. 
• Bradford West Gwillimbury (11): A boy under 18, a woman between 18 and 34 years old, a woman between 35 and 44 years old, two men between 45 and 64 years old, three women and two men between 65 and 79 years old, and a man over 80. One case is linked to close contact and another to community transmission. 
• Orillia (6): Three women and two men between 18 and 34 years old, and a man between 45 and 64 years old whose case is linked to an institutional outbreak. 
• Ramara (2): A woman between 18 and 34 years old and a woman between 45 and 64 years old.
• Oro-Medonte (2): A man and a woman between 45 and 64 years old. 
• Severn (1): A woman between 65 and 79 years old.
• Midland (3): Two men between 18 and 34 years old and a woman between 35 and 44 years old whose case is linked to an institutional outbreak.
• Penetanguishene (2): A woman between 45 and 64 years old and a woman over 80 whose case is linked to an institutional outbreak. 
• Tay (1): A woman between 18 and 34 years old.
• Tiny (1): A man between 45 and 64 years old. 
• Essa (5): A man between 18 and 34 years old and two men and two women between 45 and 64 years old.
• New Tecumseth (3): A man between 18 and 34 years old, a man between 35 and 44 years old and a woman between 45 and 64 years old.
• In Muskoka District there is one new cases in Bracebridge, two in Gravenhurst, and one in Lake of Bays, 
• There is one case, a man between 18 and 34 years old, with location information and transmission source still pending.

The local health unit has now confirmed 3,896 cases of COVID-19 with 2,529 of those cases recovered and 70 cases ending in death. There are more than 1,200 active, lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the region, with the majority of those in Simcoe County.

There are at least 26 people from Simcoe County hospitalized. There are two people hospitalized with COVID-19 at Collingwood General and Marine Hospital. 

According to the health unit, there have been more than 3,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine administered in Simcoe Muskoka, mainly to health care workers in local hospitals, long-term care and retirement homes.

*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