The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit has reported 123 new novel coronavirus cases and six additional deaths since Friday, bringing the local total case count up to 5,872, including 179 deaths.
Fifty-two of the new cases are in Barrie, while 17 are in Bradford and 17 are in New Tecumseth.
The rest of the new cases are in Adjala-Tosorontio, Bracebridge, Clearview, Collingwood, Essa, Gravenhurst, Huntsville, Innisfil, Midland, Orillia, Penetanguishene, Severn, Springwater and Tay Township.
Thirty-five of the new cases are a result of close contact with another positive COVID-19 case, while 21 are community-acquired and 11 are outbreak-related. One new case is travel-related, while the rest are all still under investigation.
To date, 153 people in the region have tested positive for the COVID-19 B.1.1.7 variant, which was first discovered in the U.K. and is believed to be up to 70 per cent more contagious than earlier novel coronavirus strains.
An additional 131 people have screened positive for a COVID-19 “variant of concern.” Testing is still underway to determine the exact variant strain.
More than 28,000 doses of the COVID-19 Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine have been administered in Simcoe Muskoka, mainly to health-care workers at local hospitals, long-term care and retirement homes. This includes more than 12,000 people who have received both necessary vaccine doses.
According to the health unit, 92 per cent of long-term care residents and 69 per cent of retirement home residents have received their first dose of the coronavirus vaccine.
On Tuesday, Simcoe Muskoka returned to Ontario’s red-control zone of its COVID-19 response framework, which was first introduced in November.
Under the revised framework, businesses — including indoor dining, gyms, hairdressers and salons — will be permitted to open with restrictions.
Despite the phased reopening of the economy, the region’s top doctor, Dr. Charles Gardner, has said residents should continue to stay home and go out for essential reasons only.
On Tuesday, Ontario reported 904 new coronavirus cases and 964 new cases on Family Day Monday, bringing the provincial total up to 287,736, including 6,719 deaths.
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