The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit is reporting 197 new COVID-19 cases in its latest update published Dec. 22.
This is the largest increase in cases reported by the health unit in a single day, and the last seven days have also brought a record number of cases with 852 new cases reported during the week of Dec. 12, and this week is tracking to exceed that amount. Nineteen per cent of those cases were children under 12 years old.
Because of the local and provincial surge in cases, the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit is limited in its capacity to follow up with cases and close contacts. The health unit confirmed it is collecting less contact tracing data and may not be able to indicate the transmission source.
Dr. Charles Gardner, medical officer of health for the region, is asking people to be responsible if they become a case or become ill by staying home and reaching out to close contacts to inform them if you receive a positive COVID-19 test. For more information, visit the health unit website here.
Gardner said the amount of information reported by the health unit will become diminished over time if case counts continue at this level.
"One thing I would say is that we've had between Dec. 12 and 18, 29 community exposures reporting more than one case," said Gardner.
Those could potentially be COVID-19 outbreaks, but the health unit has not investigated them to the level required to declare an outbreak because of limited resources.
"It's important to realize ... it's possible to get exposed and get infected in many, many locations," said Gardner.
He credited the more transmissible omicron variant as the main reason for the surge, but noted there are still outbreaks with both the delta and omicron strain detected.
"The pattern here is younger people, in a variety of settings, and high vaccine failure rate with two doses," said Gardner.
He noted a booster dose has been shown to provide a better level of protection against infection and hospitalization, though that's not perfect either. Breakthrough cases and hospitalizations in people with three doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been reported in Simcoe-Muskoka region.
The new cases reported today include:
- Collingwood (3)
- Three people between 18 and 34 years old. All cases still under investigation.
- Clearview (1)
- One youth under 18 years old whose case is still under investigation.
- Wasaga Beach (7)
- Three people between 18 and 34 years old, one person between 35 and 44 years old, and three cases between 45 and 64 years old. All cases are still under investigation or the transmission source is listed as undetermined.
- Barrie (62)
- 12 youth under 18 years old, 29 people between 18 and 34 years old, five people between 35 and 44 years old, 14 people between 45 and 64 years old, one person between 65 and 79 years old, and one person over 79 years old. One case is outbreak-related and the rest are still under investigation or are listed with the transmission source as undetermined.
- There is an active outbreak at The Barrieview Retirement Home, declared Dec. 17, and there are 15 resident cases, and fewer than five staff cases reported with the outbreak to date.
- Springwater (15)
- Five youth under 18, four people between 18 and 34 years old, two between 35 and 44 years old, and four people between 45 and 64 years old.
- Innisfil (17)
- Three youth under 18, six between 18 and 34 years old, two people between 35 and 44 years old, five people between 45 and 64 years old, and one person between 65 and 79 years old. One case is listed as community-acquired and the rest are listed as undetermined or under investigation.
- Bradford (14)
- Two youth under 18, three people between 18 and 34 years old, three people between 35 and 44 years old, and five people between 45 and 64 years old, and one person between 65 and 79 years old. All cases are still under investigation.
- Orillia (12)
- Five youth under 18 years old, five people between 18 and 34 years old, one person between 35 and 44 years old, and two people over 79 years old. One case is linked to close contact transmission, one is listed as community-acquired, and the rest are under investigation or undetermined.
- Oro-Medonte (8)
- One youth under 18 years old, two people between 18 and 34 years old, two people between 35 and 44 years old, three people between 45 and 64 years old. All cases are still under investigation or listed as undetermined.
- Severn (3)
- Two cases between 18 and 34 years old and one person over 79 years old. One case is outbreak-related and the other two are still under investigation.
- Ramara (2)
- One youth under 18 years and one person between 18 and 34 years old. Both cases are still under investigation.
- Midland (3)
- Two people between 18 and 34 years old and one person between 35 and 44 years old. All three cases are still under investigation.
- Tiny (4)
- Two youth under 18 years old, one person between 18 and 34 years old and one person between 35 and 44 years old. All four cases are still under investigation.
- Penetanguishene (3)
- Two youth under 18 years old and one person between 18 and 34 years old. All three cases are still under investigation.
- Essa (5)
- Two youth under 18 years old, and three people between 45 and 64 years old. All five cases are still under investigation.
- New Tecumseth (17)
- Three youth under 18 years old, six people between 18 and 34 years old, four people between 35 and 44 years old, three people between 45 and 64 years old, one person between 65 and 79 years old. All cases still under investigation.
- Adjala-Tosorontio (2)
- Two people between 18 and 34 years old. Both cases are still under investigation.
- Muskoka (19): Bracebridge (2), Lake of Bays (1), Gravenhurst (2), Huntsville (12), Muskoka Lakes (1), Georgian Bay Township (1).
Included in the new cases reported today are 43 unvaccinated, nine partially vaccinated, and 145 fully vaccinated people.
There are 1,495 active cases in the region.
Eight people have been hospitalized since Friday's report for a total of 31 Simcoe-Muskoka residents currently hospitalized with COVID-19.
Over the last eight weeks, there have been 75 unvaccinated people hospitalized with COVID-19, 10 partially vaccinated, and 31 fully vaccinated in Simcoe Muskoka. All have been over 12 years old.
Since the start of the pandemic, the local health unit has confirmed 17,931 cases of COVID-19 with 16,150 of those cases recovered and 286 cases ending in death.
About 75 per cent of the entire population of Simcoe-Muskoka has been fully vaccinated. Currently, 84 per cent of the population that is five years of age or older has received at least one dose of a COVID vaccine.
Breakdown by municipality
The health unit does sometimes remove a case or move them based on further investigation of location data. The chart below reflects updated totals for each municipality as reported by the health unit on Dec. 22.
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| Municipality | Total cases** | Recoveries | Deaths | In Hospital | Last case reported | Cumulative incidence rate* | Weekly incidence rate*** | % of 12+ pop. with two doses of vaccine |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adj-Tosorontio | 275 | 263 | 2 | Dec. 21 | 2,320 | 59 | 76.7% | |
| Barrie | 6,176 | 5,492 | 134 | 12 | Dec. 21 | 4,026 | 195 | 85.8% |
| Bradford W-G | 2,525 | 2,377 | 41 | Dec. 21 | 5,784 | 140 | 85.7% | |
| Clearview | 200 | 175 | 5 | 2 | Dec. 21 | 1,330 | 53 | 84.5% |
| Collingwood | 340 | 311 | 4 | Dec. 21 | 1,378 | 45 | 89.5% | |
| Essa | 692 | 637 | 6 | 1 | Dec. 21 | 2,871 | 125 | 75.1% |
| Innisfil | 1,659 | 1,518 | 21 | 1 | Dec. 21 | 4,024 | 187 | 84.8% |
| Midland | 312 | 269 | 6 | 2 | Dec. 21 | 1,704 | 93 | 87.1% |
| New Tecumseth | 1,850 | 1,745 | 19 | 1 | Dec. 21 | 4,369 | 116 | 80.4% |
| Orillia | 613 | 517 | 10 | 1 | Dec. 21 | 1,183 | 154 | 89.5% |
| Oro-Medonte | 390 | 325 | 6 | 3 | Dec. 21 | 1,672 | 129 | 84.1% |
| Penetanguishene | 274 | 253 | 8 | Dec. 21 | 2,843 | 52 | 90.5% | |
| Ramara | 177 | 161 | 1 | 1 | Dec. 21 | 1,693 | 96 | 86.7% |
| Severn | 180 | 146 | 3 | Dec. 21 | 1,200 | 100 | 85.3% | |
| Springwater | 536 | 423 | 3 | 2 | Dec. 21 | 2,501 | 327 | 91.7% |
| Tay | 183 | 160 | 3 | Dec. 20 | 1,632 | 125 | 87.4% | |
| Tiny | 198 | 173 | 2 | 1 | Dec. 21 | 1,475 | 127 | 79.7% |
| Wasaga Beach | 437 | 408 | 5 | 2 | Dec. 21 | 1,843 | 59 | 86.6% |
~Fully vaccinated means an individual whose second dose was 14 or more days before the onset of COVID-19 symptoms.
*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 COVID-19 incidence rate per 100,000 by municipality for week of Dec. 12. N/A indicates fewer than five cases in a week
