39 new coronavirus cases confirmed in Simcoe Muskoka, local total reaches 1,837

The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit confirmed 39 new novel coronavirus cases on Friday, bringing the local total up to 1,837, including 52 deaths.

Nine of the new cases are in New Tecumseth, Ont., while nine are in Bradford and eight are in Barrie. The rest are in Innisfil, Essa, Lake of Bays, Orillia, Severn, Springwater, Tay Township and Wasaga Beach.

Eleven of the new cases are a result of close contact with another positive COVID-19 case, while five are community-acquired. One is a result of an educational outbreak, while another is a result of an institutional outbreak.

The rest of the new cases are all under investigation.

This week, the health unit has reported 203 new cases, the highest number of cases reported in a single week since the start of the pandemic.

Of the region’s 1,837 cases, 84.5 per cent — or 1,553 — have recovered, while 10 people remain in hospital.

There are currently 11 COVID-19 outbreaks in the region — at two long-term care facilities, three workplaces, two educational settings, two retirement homes and two congregate settings.

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There are two outbreaks at schools in Angus — at Nottawasaga Pines Secondary School and Our Lady of Grace Catholic School.

There have been 56 novel coronavirus outbreaks in the region in total — at 20 long-term care facilities, 14 workplaces, 10 retirement homes, six congregate settings, five educational settings and one community setting.

According to the province of Ontario, 11 schools under the public Simcoe County school board and the Catholic Simcoe Muskoka school board are reporting at least one case of COVID-19.

The affected schools are:

• Bear Creek Secondary School in Barrie
• Warnica Public School in Barrie
• Monsignor Clair Separate School in Barrie
• St. Joseph’s Separate School in Barrie
• Bradford District High School
• Fieldcrest Elementary School in Bradford
• St. Teresa of Calcutta Catholic School in Bradford
• Nottawasaga Pines Secondary School in Essa
• Our Lady of Grace School in Essa
• Boyne River Public School in New Tecumseth
• St. Paul’s Catholic School in New Tecumseth

On Friday, the Ontario government announced the Simcoe Muskoka region will move into the province’s orange restrict level on Monday.

That same day, the province reported 1,418 new coronavirus cases, bringing the provincial case count up to 100,790, including 3,451 deaths.

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