The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit confirmed 121 new COVID-19 cases and one additional death since Friday, bringing the local total number of cases up to 6,737, including 190 deaths.
Local public health also confirmed eight new cases of 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 coronavirus strains, and 39 additional cases of a “variant of concern.”
Testing is still underway to determine the exact strain of the variant of concern.
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This brings the total number of B.1.1.7 cases up to 225 and the total number of variant of concern cases up to 430.
Forty-six of Monday’s new COVID-19 cases are in Barrie, while 14 are in New Tecumseth, 13 are in Bradford and 11 are in Huntsville.
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The rest of the new cases are in Adjala-Tosorontio, Essa, Gravenhurst, Innisfil, Midland, Orillia, Penetanguishene, Severn, Springwater, Tay Township and Wasaga Beach.
Fifty-four of the new cases are a result of close contact with another positive COVID-19 case, while nine are community-acquired, eight are outbreak-related and the rest are all under investigation.
On Sunday, 714 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine were administered in Simcoe Muskoka, bringing the total number of doses given in the region up to 50,068.
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Of the region’s 6,737 COVID-19 cases, 89 per cent — or 6,018 — have recovered, while 18 people are in hospital.
There are also currently 21 coronavirus outbreaks in the region — at nine workplaces, six institutional settings, four educational settings and two community settings.
On Monday, Ontario reported 1,631 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the provincial total up to 309,927, including 7,077 deaths.
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