The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit confirmed 43 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, bringing the local total to 11,793, including 245 deaths.
Local public health also reported 46 new cases of a coronavirus variant on Thursday, bringing that total to 4,493 — 420 of which are active.
Twenty of the new cases are in Barrie, while eight are in Innisfil and five are in Bradford.
The rest of the new cases are in Adjala-Tosorontio, Huntsville, New Tecumseth, Orillia, Ramara, Springwater, Tay Township and Tiny Township.
Nineteen of the new cases are a result of close contact with another positive COVID-19 case, while 12 are community-acquired, one is outbreak-related and one is travel-related. The rest of the new cases are under investigation or undetermined.
Meanwhile, 49.2 per cent of the region’s population has received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, while 5.5 per cent has received both necessary doses.
Of the region’s total 11,793 coronavirus cases, 89 per cent — or 10,476 — have recovered, while 22 people are currently in hospital.
On Thursday, Ontario reported 1,135 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the provincial total up to 527,180, including 8,697 deaths.