The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit confirmed 40 additional COVID-19 cases on Friday, bringing the local total number of cases up to 12,762, including 256 deaths.
Local public health also reported 18 new cases of a COVID-19 variant on Friday, bringing that total to 5,292, including 77 cases that are active.
Eleven of the new cases are in New Tecumseth, while eight are in Barrie, seven are in Innisfil, five are in Essa and three are in Orillia.
The rest of the cases are in Bradford, Clearview, Tay Township and Wasaga Beach.
Fourteen of the new cases are a result of close contact with another positive COVID-19 case, while three are community-acquired, two are outbreak-related, two are travel-related and the rest are under investigation.
Of the new cases, three are fully vaccinated, five are partially vaccinated and 32 are unimmunized.
Meanwhile, 71.4 per cent of the region’s population has received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, while 64.8 per cent has received both necessary doses.
Of the region’s total 12,762 COVID-19 cases, 97 per cent — or 12,324 — have recovered, while eight people are currently in hospital.
On Friday, Ontario reported 781 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the provincial total up to 562,756, including 9,489 deaths.