Health unit confirms 71 new COVID cases in region today

The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit has reported 71 new COVID-19 cases and one death (a Barrie resident) in today's update (March 16). 

There are 421 active, lab-confirmed cases in the region, most of which are in Simcoe County.

The health unit has reported 850 cases have screened positive and/or been confirmed with sequencing as variant cases, which is up by 21 cases since yesterday's update. Of those, 171 are still active cases. Screening and sequencing tests can take several days, and sometimes results are not returned until after the individual has recovered. 

Sequencing tests have confirmed 252 cases of the B.1.1.7 (variant strain that originated in the UK) in Simcoe Muskoka. There have also been seven cases of the P.1 variant that first originated in Brazil in the region and one case of the B.1.351 strain that originated in South Africa.

Since the start of the pandemic, the local health unit has confirmed 7,070 cases of COVID-19 with 6,381 of those cases recovered and 193 cases ending in death. 

There are 23 people from Simcoe County hospitalized with COVID-19, which includes four new hospitalizations since Friday. 

The health unit has administered 57,073 doses of vaccines against COVID-19 in Simcoe Muskoka.  

The new cases reported in Simcoe County and Muskoka District today include (case transmission is under investigation unless otherwise specified): 

• Clearview (3): A youth under 18 years old, a woman between 18 and 34 years old and a woman over 79 years old. 
• Barrie (35): Four youth under 18 years old, three women and a man between 18 and 34 years old, five women and two men between 35 and 44 years old, 13 women and five men between 45 and 64 years old, a man between 65 and 79 years old, and a woman over 79 years old. One case is linked to close contact and the rest are still under investigation. 
• Springwater (3): A youth under 18 years old, a man between 18 and 34 years old, and a woman between 45 and 64 years old. 
• Bradford West Gwillimbury (5): A man between 18 and 34 years old, a woman and two men between 35 and 44 years old, and a man between 45 and 64 years old. One case is linked to close contact. 
• Innisfil (11): A youth under 18 years old, two women and a man between 18 and 34 years old, a man and a woman between 35 and 44 years old, and four women and a man between 45 and 64 years old. One case is outbreak-related.
• Tay (2): A man between 18 and 34 years old whose case is linked to close contact and a woman between 45 and 64 years old whose case is outbreak-related.
• Penetanguishene (1): A man between 18 and 34 years old whose case is outbreak-related. 
• Severn (3): Two men between 18 and 34 years old and a woman between 65 and 79 years old. 
• Essa (3): A woman and a man between 18 and 34 years old, and a woman between 45 and 64 years old. One case is outbreak-related and one is attributed to community transmission. 
• New Tecumseth (5): Two women and two between 18 and 34 years old, and a man between 35 and 44 years old. One case is outbreak-related and one is linked to close contact.

For a list of ongoing outbreaks at institutions, long-term care and retirement homes and hospitals in the region, click here.

For more on the local trajectory of COVID-19 from the health unit, click here.

*Cumulative incidence rate is the number of cases per 100,000 people reported to date

**Total cases include the number of cases currently recovering at home as well as any that have recovered, died, or are in hospital

***Weekly incidence rate is the number of cases per 100,000 people reported for the week of Mar. 7. Where municipalities have had low or no weekly increase, no rate is included