New outbreak reported at Central North Correctional Centre

The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit has reported 99 new COVID-19 cases and no new deaths in it's first update since Friday. 

There are currently 512 active, lab-confirmed cases in the region, most of which are in Simcoe County.

According to the health unit, 190 local cases have tested positive for the B.1.1.7 variant that originated in the UK, which is up by six cases since last report.

There are also 309 cases that have screened positive as variants (awaiting confirmatory testing to determine which variant), which is up by 26 cases since Friday.

Since the start of the pandemic, the local health unit has confirmed 6,493 cases of COVID-19 with 5,743 of those cases recovered and 189 cases ending in death. 

There are 19 people from Simcoe County hospitalized with COVID-19. Two additional hospitalizations have been reported since Friday's update.

The health unit has administered 47,791 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine against COVID-19 in Simcoe Muskoka.  

There are 11 ongoing outbreaks at institutions in Simcoe County including Grove Park long-term care home in Barrie, Bradford Valley care Community, Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care (Penetanguishene), Bayshore Transitional Care Unit (Barrie), Sara Vista long-term care home in Springwater, Leacock Care Centre in Orillia, the Barrieview Retirement Community, Central North Correctional Centre in Penetanguishene (Unit 3 East), and Woods Park Care Centre (Unit 3B) in Barrie. 

Tudhope Manor Retirement Residence in Orillia is under observation for a "suspected outbreak" because an external service provider tested positive for COVID-19.  

The new cases reported in Simcoe County and Muskoka District today include (case transmission is under investigation unless otherwise specified): 

• Penetanguishene (18): Eleven men between 18 and 34 years old, four men between 35 and 44 years old, and three men between 45 and 64 years old. One case is attributed to community transmission, and 15 cases are outbreak related. 
• Collingwood (1): A man between 18 and 34 years old whose case is linked to close contact.
• Wasaga Beach (1): A woman between 35 and 44 years old whose case is outbreak-related.
• Clearview (3): A woman between 18 and 34 years old whose case is outbreak-related, a man between 35 and 44 years old, and a man between 45 and 64 years old. 
• Barrie (40): Three youth under 18 years old, 20 people between 18 and 34 years old, two people between 35 and 44 years old, 13 people between 45 and 64 years old, and two people between 65 and 79 years old. Ten cases are attributed to community transmission, five are linked to close contact, and four are outbreak-related. 
• Springwater (1): A woman between 35 and 44 years old. 
• Innisfil (8): Three youth under 18 years old, a man and a woman between 18 and 34 years old, a man between 35 and 44, a woman between 45 and 64 years old, and a man between 65 and 79 years old. Four cases are linked to close contact and one was attributed to community transmission. 
• Bradford West Gwillimbury (5): Two youth under 18, A woman between 35 and 44 years old, a woman between 45 and 64 years old, and a woman over 80. Three cases are linked to close contact and one was community-acquired.
• Orillia (1): A man between 18 and 34 years old whose case is outbreak-related. 
• Oro-Medonte (4): One man between 18 and 34 years old, a woman between 35 and 44 years old, and a man and a woman between 65 and 79 years old. Three are linked to close contact. 
• Ramara (1): A woman between 18 and 34 years old whose case was community-acquired.
• Tay (1): A youth under 18 years old. 
• Adjala-Tosorontio (1): A woman between 18 and 34 years old whose case is outbreak-related.
• New Tecumseth (9):  Three youth under 18, two woman and a man between 35 and 44 years old, a woman between 45 and 64, a man between 65 and 79 years old, and a woman over 80. All cases are linked to close contact. 
• There are five new cases in Muskoka including two in Huntsville, two in Bracebridge, and one in Gravenhurst.

For a list of ongoing outbreaks at long-term care and retirement homes and hospitals in the region, click here.

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

*Cumulative incidence rate is the number of cases per 100,000 people reported to date

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

***Weekly incidence rate is the number of cases per 100,000 people reported for the week of Feb. 21. Where municipalities have had low or no weekly increase, no rate is included