There are 74 new COVID cases in region today, including 19 in Barrie

The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit has reported 74 new cases of COVID-19 in the region today.

The health unit has also confirmed two more deaths today, bringing the total number of deaths reported to 63 for Simcoe County and three for Muskoka. The health unit has not provided information on those who have died except to indicate one person was from Orillia and one was from Muskoka.

Included on the health unit's Dec. 31 list of new COVID-19 cases are 19 Barrie residents, 15 Bradford West Gwillimbury residents, seven Innisfil residents, two Wasaga Beach residents, and one each from Collingwood, Clearview Township, Orillia, and Midland.

There is a lag in the data presented in the daily updates because of an increase in cases. 

An outbreak declared at the Central North Correctional Centre in Penetanguishene, on Dec. 14 has been declared over as of today.

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

• Georgian Bay General Hospital in Midland, outbreak declared Dec. 4
• Trillium Manor, Orillia, Dec. 14
• Revera Sara Vista, Elmvale, Dec. 25
• Lakeside Retirement, Innisfil, Dec. 26
• Good Samaritan Retirement Lodge, Alliston, Dec. 26 
• Unnamed child care centre, Wasaga Beach, Dec. 27 
• Georgian Manor, Penetanguishene, Dec. 27
• Tiffin Retirement Residence (first floor), Midland, Dec. 27
• Roger's Cove Retirement Residence, Huntsville, Dec. 29

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. 

The breakdown of cases provided by the health unit is as follows. All case transmissions are under investigation unless otherwise indicated: 

• Collingwood (1): A man between 18 and 34 years old whose case is reported as community-acquired.
• Wasaga Beach (2): Two men between 65 and 79 years old. One case is linked to an institutional outbreak outside of the region. 
• Clearview (1):  A woman between 18 and 34 years old.
• Barrie (19): Two girls and a boy under 18, four women and three men between 18 and 34 years old, a woman and two men between 35 and 44 years old, a woman and four men between 45 and 64 years old and a man between 65 and 79 years old. Three cases are linked to close contact and one is connected to an institutional outbreak outside of the region. 
• Springwater (5): A girl and two boys under 18, a woman between 18 and 34, and a woman between 35 and 44 years old. Two cases are related to close contact and two were community-acquired.
• Innisfil (7): A man between 18 and 34 years old, a woman and two men between 35 and 44, a woman and a man between 45 and 64, and a man between 65 and 79. One case is linked to close contact. 
• Bradford West Gwillimbury (15): Two boys under 18, two women and three men between 18 and3 4, a woman and two men between 35 and 44 years old, a woman and four men between 45 and 64 years old. One youth case is reported as community-acquired. 
• Orillia (1): A woman over the age of 80 whose case is linked to an institutional outbreak. 
• Ramara (1): A boy under 18 whose case is linked to close contact.
• Midland (1): A man between 45 and 64 years old whose case is linked to an institutional outbreak.
• Penetanguishene (1): A woman between 45 and 64 years old.
• Tay (1): A woman between 35 and 44 years old.
• Georgian Bay (1): A woman between 45 and 64 years old. This is the first case in the township reported since Oct. 22.
• Essa (1): A man between 35 and 44 years old whose case is linked to close contact.
• New Tecumseth (6): Two girls under 18, two women and a man between 18 and 34 years old, and a woman between 35 and 44 years old. 
• In Muskoka District there are three new cases in Gravenhurst and one in Huntsville.
• There are seven cases with location information and transmission source pending. They include a man and a woman between 18 and 34 years old, a woman between 35 and 44 years old, two women and a man between 45 and 64 years old and a man between 56 and 79 years old. 

The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit has reported 392 new cases of COVID-19 since Dec. 24.

The local health unit has now confirmed 3,589 cases of COVID-19 with 2,507 of those cases recovered and 66 cases ending in death. There are more than 950 active, lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the region, with the majority of those in Simcoe County.

There are at least 32 people from Simcoe County hospitalized.

Approximately half of all new infections reported by the health unit in December were linked to close contact with another case. About 20 per cent were reported as community-acquired, which means there is no known source of infection.

The health unit will not be posting local case updates on Jan. 1 or through the weekend and will resume weekday updates on Jan. 4.

*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