Health unit confirms 68 new COVID cases in region today

The region's health unit has reported 68 new cases of COVID-19 today. 

The health unit reported two deaths, three new hospitalizations, and 124 new recoveries in today's update. 

Since the start of the pandemic, the local health unit has now confirmed 4,370 cases of COVID-19 with 3,066 of those cases recovered and 75 cases ending in death. There are 1,206 active, lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the region, with the majority of those in Simcoe County.

There are at least 33 people from Simcoe County hospitalized. 

According to the health unit, there have been more than 8,100 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine administered in Simcoe Muskoka to health care workers in local hospitals, long-term care and retirement homes.

Dr. Charles Gardner, medical officer of health for Simcoe Muskoka, said the region's COVID vaccination clinic is the second busiest in Ontario. 

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

• Trillium Manor, Orillia, Dec. 14
• Revera Sara Vista, Elmvale, Dec. 25
• Lakeside Retirement, Innisfil, Dec. 26 
• Unnamed child care centre, Wasaga Beach, Dec. 27 
• Georgian Manor, Penetanguishene, Dec. 27
• 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 Pines Long Term Care Residence (Cedar), Bracebridge, Jan. 5
• Roberta Place (Home Area 5), Barrie, Jan. 8
• Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre (Integrated Stroke/Rehab Unit), Barrie, Jan. 9
• Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care (Awenda A&B), Penetanguishene, Jan. 9

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. 

An outbreak declared at Midland's Georgian Bay General Hospital at the beginning of December has now been declared over.

The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit has changed the way it reports new cases, opting to add the cases according to the date the health unit received the positive result. The new cases added to the list today include:

• Orillia (1): A woman between 35 and 44 years old. 
• Oro-Medonte (2): A woman between 18 and 34 years old, and a man between 65 and 79 years old. The man's case is linked to close contact. 
• Ramara (3): Two men between 45 and 64 years old, and a woman between 65 and 79 years old. One case is linked to close contact and one is community-acquired. 
• Midland (1): A girl under 18 years old.
• Penetanguishene (2): A man between 18 and 34 years old and a man between 45 and 64 years old. Both cases are outbreak-related.
• Barrie (17): One boy under 18, one woman between 18 and 34 years old, two women and two men between 65 and 79 years old, and four women and a man over 80. Two cases are linked to close contact, and ten are outbreak-related. 
• Springwater (2): A girl under 18, and a woman between 45 and 64 years old. 
• Collingwood (1): One man between 65 and 79 years old
• Wasaga Beach (4):A woman between 18 and 34 years old, two men between 45 and 64 years old, and a woman between 65 and 79 years old. One case is linked to close contact.  
• Innisfil (3): A woman between 65 and 79 years old, a man between 35 and 44 years old, and a man between 45 and 64 years old. One case is linked to close contact. 
• Bradford West Gwillimbury (17): Two boys under 18, three women and three men between 18 and 34 years old, four men and a woman between 35 and 44 years old, a man and a woman between 45 and 64 years old, and two men between 65 and 79 years old. Two cases are community-acquired, one is linked to close contact, and one is outbreak-related.
• Essa (1): A man between 45 and 64 years old.
• New Tecumseth (9): A girl under 18, one man and three women between 18 and 34 years old, and three woman and one man between 45 and 64 years old. Two cases are linked to close contact.
• Adjala Tosorontio (1): A man over 80 years old. 
• In Muskoka, there is one new case in Bracebridge. 
• There are three cases listed with location information still pending.

*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