Six local residents among 130 new COVID-19 cases in region today

The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit has reported 130 new COVID-19 cases in the region today, and 19 deaths. 

The deaths include 18 Barrie residents and one Essa resident. Eighteen of the deaths reported were cases linked to Roberta Place, and the other death reported today was a woman between 65 and 79 years old who was at Royal Victoria Regional Hospital. 

The health unit reporting has been lagging behind Roberta Place reporting. The long-term care home in Barrie has reported 40 deaths since the outbreak, which has been confirmed as the COVID-19 UK variant, began on Jan. 8.

The new cases reported today include two Midland residents, two Penetanguishene residents, one each from Tay and Tiny Townships, 49 Barrie residents, three Collingwood residents, one Wasaga Beach resident, 17 Bradford West Gwillimbury residents, 20 Innisfil residents and three Orillia residents.

Since the start of the pandemic, the local health unit has confirmed 5,180 cases of COVID-19 with 3,794 of those cases recovered and 127 cases ending in death. There are 1,229 active, lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the region, with the majority of those in Simcoe County. 

There are 39 people from Simcoe County hospitalized, which includes nine new hospitalizations reported today.

There have been 15,012 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, as well as to all eligible long-term care home residents.

The new cases reported in Simcoe County and Muskoka District today include:

• Midland (2): A man between 18 and 34 years old, and a man between 35 and 44 years old. 
• Penetanguishene (2): A woman between 35 and 44 years old and a man over 80, both cases are outbreak-related.
• Tay (1): A man between 65 and 79 years old whose case is linked to close contact. 
• Tiny (1): A man between 18 and 34 years old. 
• Collingwood (3): A woman between 18 and 34 years old, a man between 45 and 64 years old, and a man between 35 and 44 years old. 
• Wasaga beach (1): A woman between 18 and 34 years old. 
• Barrie (49):  Two girls and one boy under 18, nine women and 12 men between 18 and 34 years old, six women and a man between 35 and 44 years old, seven women and seven men between 45 and 64 years old, three women and a man between 65 and 79 years old. Thirteen cases are outbreak-related, two were community-acquired, and 14 are linked to close contact. 
• Springwater (3): A woman between 65 and 79 years old, a boy under 18, and a woman between 45 and 64 years old whose case is linked to close contact. 
• Innisfil (20):  A boy and a girl under 18, four men and a woman between 18 and 34 years old, three women and two men between 35 and 44 years old, a man and three women between 45 and 64 years old, a man between 65 and 79 years old, and two women and a man over 80 years old. Seven cases are linked to close contact, two were community-acquired, and three is outbreak-related. 
• Bradford West Gwillimbury (17): A girl and three boys under 18, two men between 18 and 34 tears old, a man between 35 and 44 years old, two men and four women between 45 and 64 years old, and three men and a woman between 65 and 79 years old. Three cases are outbreak-related,  one was community-acquired, and five are linked to close contact. 
• Orillia (3): A man between 45 and 64 years old, a man between 18 and 34 years old, and a woman over 80 whose case is outbreak-related.
• Oro-Medonte (4): A woman between 35 and 44 years old, a man between 45 and 64 years old, a man between 35 and 44 years old and a woman between 45 and 64 years old whose case is linked to close contact. 
• Adjala-Tosorontio (1): A boy under 18, whose case is linked to close contact. 
• Essa (1): A woman between 18 and 34 years old whose case is outbreak-related.
• New Tecumseth (19): A woman (all else unidentified), two girls and two boys under 18, two men and three women between 18 and 34 years old, two men between 35 and 44 years old, a man and three women between 45 and 64 years old, a man and a woman between 65 and 79 years old. 
• There are two new cases in Muskoka (Gravenhurst) and one case with the location information pending. 

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

• Trillium Manor, Orillia, Dec. 14
• Grove Park Home (Aspen), Barrie, Jan. 4
• Roberta Place (Long-term care home), Barrie, Jan. 8
• Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre (two units), Barrie, Jan. 9
• Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care (Awenda A&B), Penetanguishene, Jan. 9
• Bradford Valley Care Community (facility-wide), Bradford, Jan. 14
• IOOF (Baldwin Lane), Barrie, Jan. 15
• The Pines Long Term Care Residence, Bracebridge, Jan. 20 
• Kingsmere Retirement Living, Alliston, Jan. 20
• Muskoka Shores Care Community, Gravenhurst, Jan. 22

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. 

For more on the local trajectory of COVID-19 from the health unit, click here.

*Incidence rate is number of cases per 100,000 people for the week of Jan. 10.

**Total cases includes the number of cases currently recovering at home as well as any that have recovered, died, or are in hospital