The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit confirmed 132 new COVID-19 cases and one additional death on Thursday, bringing the local total number of cases up to 9,059, including 215 deaths.
Local public health also confirmed 148 new variant cases, bringing the total up to 2,081, 443 of which are active.
Thirty-six of Thursday’s new cases are in Bradford, while 31 are in Barrie, 19 are in New Tecumseth and seven are in Innisfil.
The rest of the new cases are in Bracebridge, Clearview, Essa, Gravenhurst, Huntsville, Midland, Muskoka Lakes, Orillia, Oro-Medonte, Penetanguishene, Ramara, Severn, Springwater, Tay Township, Tiny Township and Wasaga Beach.
Twenty-six of the cases are a result of close contact with another positive COVID-19 case, while 11 are community-acquired and three are outbreak-related. The rest are all still under investigation.
So far, about 20 per cent of the region’s population has been immunized with their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, although only 3.1 per cent of the population has been inoculated with both doses.
Of the region’s 9,059 COVID-19 cases, 84 per cent — or 7,60 — have recovered, while 40 people are currently in hospital.
There are also 22 coronavirus outbreaks in the region at eight educational settings, six workplaces, five institutional settings, two community settings and one congregate setting.
On Thursday, Ontario reported 4,736 new COVID-19 cases, a new daily record that brought the provincial total up to 403,571, including 7,639 deaths.