The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit confirmed 24 new novel coronavirus cases and one new death since Friday, bringing the local total number of COVID-19 cases to 943, including 39 deaths.
Five of the new COVID-19 cases are related to an institutional outbreak at the Simcoe Manor long-term care home in New Tecumseth, Ont. One person has died due to COVID-19 at the facility.
On Sunday, Simcoe County confirmed a second resident died at the facility, although their coronavirus test results haven’t returned yet.
The new cases reported in Simcoe Muskoka are mostly in New Tecumseth and Barrie.
Three of the new coronavirus cases are in Bradford, while two are in Gravenhust, two are in Wasaga Beach and one is in Innisfil.
Nine of the new cases are a result of close contact with another positive COVID-19 case, while the source of infection for 10 of the cases is still under investigation.
Of all the health unit’s 943 coronavirus cases, 87 per cent — or 823 — have recovered, while none remain in hospital.
Between March and June, about 20 per cent of all Simcoe Muskoka’s COVID-19 cases were related to local institutional outbreaks.
Since July, only five per cent of new coronavirus cases have been related to an outbreak at a long-term care or retirement home.
There have been 26 COVID-19 outbreaks in the region, at 15 long-term care facilities, five retirement homes, five workplaces and one group home.
On Monday, Ontario reported 615 new coronavirus cases, bringing the provincial case count to 54,814, including 2,980 deaths.