The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit confirmed 12 new novel coronavirus cases in the region on Thursday, bringing the local total number of cases to 589, including 36 deaths.
Five of the new cases are in Barrie, while three are in Bradford, Ont. The remainder are in Muskoka Lakes, Innisfil and New Tecumseth, Ont.
The Barrie cases are among people in their 20s to their 40s. Three of those cases are community-acquired, while one is travel-related and another is still under investigation.
The Bradford cases are among people in their 20s and 50s. One of those cases is community-acquired, while two are a result of close contact with another positive COVID-19 case.
The other cases involve people ranging in age from their 40s to their 70s. One of those cases is workplace-related, while another is a result of close contact with a positive COVID-19 case.
Two cases in Muskoka Lakes are still under investigation.
Of the Simcoe Muskoka health unit’s total cases, 471 people have recovered, while about 20 per cent have been related to local institutional outbreaks. Five people remain in hospital.
There have been COVID-19 outbreaks in nine long-term care facilities, three retirement homes and one group home, as well as at three workplaces across the region.
According to the health unit, most of its coronavirus cases are from the Barrie and South Simcoe areas.
On Thursday, Ontario reported 189 new coronavirus cases, bringing the provincial total to 34,205, including 2,641 deaths.