Simcoe Muskoka health unit confirms 2 new local cases of COVID-19, 1 of which has been hospitalized

The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit says there are two new local cases of COVID-19 in the region, one of which is being treated at a Barrie, Ont., hospital.

The individual who’s been hospitalized is a man in his 70s who on Wednesday went to the Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre (RVH), where he’s currently being treated.

Simcoe Muskoka health officials say they’re investigating after the man in his 70s was in close contact with another RVH patient who died on Wednesday.

“RVH has tracked the movement of the patient throughout the health centre and have notified staff and physicians who may have been exposed to the patient,” health officials say.

According to the Simcoe Muskoka health unit, the man stayed at the Hampton Inn in Barrie, Ont., between March 5 and 11. Health officials are asking people who stayed or worked at the hotel during that time to self-monitor for symptoms for 14 days from March 11.

The second case is a woman in her 40s who went to Southlake Regional Health Centre on Friday. The woman’s case is travel-related, and officials say she’s self-isolating and recovering at home.

“Our infectious and communicable diseases team is working diligently to identify and follow up with known contacts of these new cases who may have potentially been exposed to the virus,” Charles Gardner, the Simcoe Muskoka health unit’s medical officer of health, said in a statement.

“The focus of the team is to ensure that we reach out and determine who should be directed to self-isolate.”

There are now three confirmed cases of COVID-19 within the Simcoe Muskoka Health Unit’s jurisdiction. The first case was confirmed on Thursday.

As of Sunday, there have been 142 novel coronavirus cases in Ontario.

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