The region's medical officer of health Dr. Charles Gardner flagged Collingwood in his weekly briefing today because local case rates reached an all-time high last week.
There have been 33 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Collingwood residents since March 27, all of them individuals under 80 years old. The most common transmission source is close contact.
The incidence rate for the week of March 21 in Collingwood was 29 cases per 100,000 people (or 2.9 per 10,000 people), which jumped to 121 cases per 100,000 people (or 12 cases per 10,000 people) the week of March 28.
Based on data published by the health unit, Collingwood's incidence rate for the week of March 28 was the third highest in the region behind Bradford and New Tecumseth. Barrie had an incidence rate of 87 cases per 10,000 last week.
Gardner said the trends in transmission region-wide is an "interplay between household gatherings and workplace settings."
In other words, people are gathering in homes with individuals outside of their household, and they are transmitting the virus further when they go to work.
The health unit reported a total of 27 cases in March 2021 in Collingwood and there have been 19 reported in April so far.
To date, there have been 187 COVID cases confirmed in Collingwood residents. One person is currently hospitalized and two people have died. Another 28 people have not yet recovered from the virus.
The breakdown of all Collingwood cases by age is as follows:
- 13 youth under 18 years old
- 72 people between 18 and 34 years old
- 14 people between 35 and 44 years old
- 35 people between 45 and 64 years old
- 41 people between 65 and 79 years old
- 12 people aged 80 or above
Nearby, the Town of The Blue Mountains has also seen an increase in local cases with 12 active cases in the municipality as of yesterday.
Collingwood and the rest of Ontario will be under a stay-at-home order starting tomorrow. For more on the latest order by Premier Doug Ford, click here.
