Skip to content

Three Barrie residents die after contracting COVID

Two of the local cases reported today by the health unit are women whose cases were linked to the outbreak at Roberta Place long-term care home in south-end Barrie
2020-07-28 SMDHU offices 3
The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit offices are located on Sperling Drive in north-end Barrie. Raymond Bowe/BarrieToday

The region's health unit has confirmed the deaths of three Barrie residents who died after contracting COVID-19

Other deaths being reported today include one Bradford resident, one Orillia resident, and one Wasaga Beach resident.

The deaths reported today include one woman over 80 and one between 65 and 79 years old, both of whose cases were linked to the outbreak at Roberta Place long-term care home in south-end Barrie. 

One of the women who died was over 80 and her case was linked to the outbreak at Trillium Manor in Orillia. 

Another victim over 80 contracted COVID-19 during the outbreak at Georgian Bay General Hospital. 

Two of the women were considered "sporadic cases," which are not linked to any outbreaks. One of the women was over 80 and one was between 65 and 79 years old. 

The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit has also reported 82 new cases of COVID-19 today (Jan. 13).

The new cases reported today include 27 Barrie residents, 17 Bradford West Gwillimbury residents, 12 Innisfil residents, four Orillia residents, and one man from Midland. 

Since the start of the pandemic, the local health unit has confirmed 4,447 cases of COVID-19 with 3,138 of those cases recovered and 81 cases ending in death. There are approximately 1,200 active, lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the region, with the majority of those in Simcoe County.

There are at least 37 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.

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

  • Collingwood (2): Two men between 18 and 34 years old
  • Wasaga Beach (1): One man between 45 and 64 years old.   
  • Barrie (27): A boy under 18, five women and four men between 18 and 34 years old, two women and a man between 35 and 44, six women and two between 45 and 64, two women and a man between 65 and 79, and two women over 80. Nine cases are outbreak-related, and three cases are linked to close contact. 
  • Springwater (1): A woman between 18 and 34 years old whose case is outbreak-related. 
  • Innisfil (12): Two girls under 18, two men and a woman between 18 and 34 years old, A woman between 35 and 44, five women and two men between 45 and 64 years old. Two cases are outbreak-related and one is linked to close contact. 
  • Bradford West Gwillimbury (17): A girl under 18, a woman and four men between 18 and 34 years old, two women between 35 and 44, four women and two men between 45 and 64, a man and a woman between 65 and 79 years old and a woman over 80. Two cases are linked to close contact. 
  • Orillia (4): Two women and a man between 18 and 34 years old and a woman over 80 years old whose case is outbreak-related. 
  • Oro-Medonte (2): A woman between 18 and 34 years old and a man between 45 and 64. The woman's case is outbreak-related. 
  • Midland (1): A man between 45 and 64 years old.
  • Tiny (3): A girl under 18, a man between 18 and 34 years old, and a woman between 35 and 44.
  • Tay (1): A woman between 18 and 34 years old whose case is linked to close contact.
  • Essa (2): A girl under 18 whose case is linked to close contact, and a woman between 18 and 34 years old. 
  • New Tecumseth (4): Two women between 18 and 34 years old, and a woman and a man between 65 and 79 years old.
  • In Muskoka, there are two new cases in Gravenhurst, and one in Muskoka Lakes.

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

  • Trillium Manor, Orillia, Dec. 14
  • 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 (Long-term care home), 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
  • Waterford Retirement Community (phase 2), Barrie, Jan. 12

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 health unit does sometimes remove a case or move them based on further investigation of location data. The chart below reflects updated totals for each municipality as reported by the health unit on Jan. 13.

Municipality Total cases** Recoveries Deaths In Hospital Last case reported to health unit Incidence rate*
Barrie 1,276 929 20 16 Jan. 12 855
Bradford W-G 739 502 17 7 Jan. 12 1,720
New Tecumseth  641 480 15 2 Jan. 12 1,547
Innisfil 381 285 1 2 Jan. 12 935
Orillia 118 70 5   Jan. 12 353
Collingwood 91 58   1 Jan. 12 379
Wasaga Beach 111 59 2 2 Jan. 12 474
Clearview 59 48 2   Jan. 10 399
Springwater 131 85 1   Jan. 12 624
Midland 108 64 5 2 Jan. 12 602
Oro-Medonte 82 54 3 3 Jan. 12 352
Adjala-Tosorontio 79 56     Jan. 11 678
Essa 204 153 1 1 Jan. 12 853
Ramara 46 35     Jan. 11 443
Tiny 39 28 1   Jan. 12 298
Tay 61 45 1 2 Jan. 11 551
Penetanguishene 72 33 3   Jan. 11 743
Severn 39 26     Jan. 11 261

*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


Reader Feedback

Erika Engel

About the Author: Erika Engel

Erika regularly covers all things news in Collingwood as a reporter and editor. She has 15 years of experience as a local journalist
Read more