Sixty-one residents at the Roberta Place long-term care home in south-end Barrie have now died after contracting COVID-19, which is an increase of eight people since Friday.
An essential caregiver associated with the Essa Road home has also died, making the catastrophic death toll 62 people since the outbreak was declared Jan. 8 by the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit.
The first death at the 137-bed facility happened one day after the outbreak was declared.
In an email to BarrieToday, Roberta Place community relations co-ordinator Stephanie Barber said total active staff/team member positive cases stand at 67, a decrease from Friday’s 84 as people recover from the virus.
On Jan. 23, public health officials identified the B.1.1.7. variant as the source of the local outbreak. Known as the UK variant, this strain of the virus is more contagious and more easily transmissible.
It was also reported on Sunday that a family of a Roberta Place resident has launched a class-action lawsuit seeking $50 million in damages against Barrie Long Term Care Centre Inc, Jarlette Holdings Inc., Jarlette Limited, and Roberta Place Retirement Lodge Inc.
