The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit confirmed seven new coronavirus cases on Friday, bringing the local total number of cases to 406, including 32 deaths.
The new cases are in Barrie, Collingwood, Orillia and Penetanguishene, Ont., in people ranging in age from their 30s to their 90s.
Three of the new cases are outbreak-related at the Collingwood Nursing Home, while one new case is community-acquired. The source of infection for the rest of the new cases has been labelled as “undetermined” or “under investigation.”
Of the local health unit’s 406 total COVID-19 cases, 263 have recovered, while nine are currently hospitalized and 72 are related to institutional outbreaks.
There are currently coronavirus outbreaks at three long-term care facilities and two retirement homes in the region, including the aforementioned Collingwood nursing home, Bradford Valley Care Community in Bradford, Ont., Owen Hill Care Community in Barrie, Ont., Bayview Retirement Home in Waubaushene, Ont., as well as Muskoka Traditions in Huntsville, Ont.
Whispering Pines Retirement Residence in Barrie was experiencing a COVID-19 outbreak, but it was declared over on Thursday.
Most of the Simcoe Muskoka health unit’s coronavirus cases have been community-acquired, while 87 were a result of close contact with another positive COVID-19 case.
Fifty-five of the cases are travel-related, while the source of infection for the remainder has been labelled as “undetermined” or “under investigation.”
The local health unit has reported 387 coronavirus cases in Simcoe County, with 137 in Barrie, 88 in Bradford, 33 in New Tecumseth and 29 in Innisfil.
Meanwhile, there have been 19 COVID-19 cases in the District of Muskoka, with seven in Huntsville, six in Gravenhurst and three in Muskoka Lakes.
On Friday, Ontario’s health minister said the province is reporting the highest single-day number of coronavirus cases in a week due to a glitch that led to the under-reporting of multiple cases on Thursday.
Health minister Christine Elliott said the actual number of cases on Thursday should have been 345, instead of the 258 that was previously reported.
Friday’s true number would then be 341 new cases, however, the official report says there are 428 new cases.
— With files from Global News’ Gabby Rodrigues