Coronavirus: Simcoe Muskoka health unit confirms 108 total cases

The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit has confirmed 108 total cases of the novel coronavirus disease in the region on Wednesday.

Sixteen of the local COVID-19 cases are in a Bradford, Ont., nursing home — 14 residents have been affected in addition to two staff members.

“We have no cases that are related to travel among the new cases,” Dr. Charles Gardner, the Simcoe Muskoka health unit’s medical officer of health, told reporters Wednesday.

“With the combination of community-acquired cases and an upward swing in cases, I emphasize, once again, the importance of people taking their precautions.”

That includes physical distancing, thinking twice about whether you need to go out, keeping a two-metre distance from others, avoiding crowds and frequent handwashing, Gardner added.

If people develop symptoms, they must self-isolate for 14 days, he said.

Of the total number of local cases, 40 people have recovered, while 14 have been hospitalized and five have died.

In Ontario, there have been a total of 5,276 cases of the novel coronavirus, including 174 deaths.