The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit has reported 30 new COVID-19 cases and no new deaths in today's update.
There are 373 active, lab-confirmed cases in the region, most of which are in Simcoe County.
The health unit has reported 682 cases have screened positive and/or been confirmed with sequencing as variant cases, which is up by 28 cases since yesterday's update. There are 133 active cases screened or confirmed as variant cases.
Sequencing tests have confirmed 225 cases of the B.1.1.7 variant strain that originated in the UK in Simcoe Muskoka. There have also been two cases of the P.1 variant that first originated in Brazil in the region. One case is a close contact of another known case, and the other is connected to a workplace outbreak outside of the region.
According to the medical officer of health, Dr. Charles Gardner, approximately 68 to 79 per cent of the variant cases confirmed most recently were "sporadic" cases not linked to any outbreaks.
"Basically what we're seeing is the variant cases taking over and dominating," said Gardner.
Since the start of the pandemic, the local health unit has confirmed 6,764 cases of COVID-19 with 6,143 of those cases recovered and 190 cases ending in death.
There are 18 people from Simcoe County hospitalized with COVID-19, which includes three new hospitalizations since yesterday. Six of those hospitalized are in intensive care units.
The health unit has administered more than 51,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine 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):
- Barrie (17): Seven youth under 18 years old, four men between 18 and 34 years old, two women between 35 and 44 years old, a man and a woman between 45 and 64 years old, and a man and a woman between 65 and 79 years old. Six cases are linked to close contact and one was attributed to community transmission.
- Bradford West Gwillimbury (6): Two youth under 18, a man between 18 and 34 years old, and three men between 45 and 64 years old. Two cases were community-acquired and one is linked to close contact.
- Innisfil (2): Two youth under 18 whose cases are linked to close contact.
- Penetanguishene (1): A man between 18 and 34 years old whose case is outbreak-related.
- Ramara (1): A man between 65 and 79 years old whose case is linked to close contact.
- Essa (2): A man between 18 and 34 years old whose case is linked to close contact and a man between 35 and 44 years old whose case is outbreak-related.
- There is one new case in Huntsville.
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.
| Municipality | Total cases** | Recoveries | Deaths | In Hospital | Last case reported | Weekly incidence rate*** | Cumulative incidence rate* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barrie | 2,359 | 2,080 | 99 | 4 | Mar. 8 | 64 | 1,580 |
| Bradford W-G | 1,036 | 957 | 28 | 10 | Mar. 8 | 42 | 2,411 |
| New Tecumseth | 824 | 784 | 15 | 2 | Mar. 7 | 41 | 1,988 |
| Innisfil | 571 | 533 | 5 | 1 | Mar. 7 | 22 | 1,410 |
| Orillia | 167 | 145 | 7 | Mar. 7 | 18 | 499 | |
| Collingwood | 143 | 136 | 2 | Mar. 2 | 596 | ||
| Wasaga Beach | 141 | 131 | 3 | Mar. 7 | 613 | ||
| Clearview | 76 | 71 | 3 | Mar. 4 | 514 | ||
| Springwater | 179 | 170 | 1 | Mar. 6 | 29 | 852 | |
| Midland | 131 | 120 | 6 | Mar. 7 | 730 | ||
| Oro-Medonte | 129 | 121 | 4 | Feb. 28 | 554 | ||
| Adj-Tosorontio | 106 | 105 | Mar. 6 | 910 | |||
| Essa | 280 | 265 | 2 | Mar. 8 | 46 | 1,171 | |
| Ramara | 53 | 50 | Mar. 8 | 511 | |||
| Tiny | 60 | 57 | 1 | Mar. 3 | 61 | 458 | |
| Tay | 87 | 80 | 2 | Mar. 7 | 63 | 786 | |
| Penetanguishene | 132 | 83 | 7 | 1 | Mar. 6 | 72 | 1,362 |
| Severn | 48 | 40 | 2 | Mar. 7 | 40 | 321 |
*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 Feb. 28. Where municipalities have had low or no weekly increase, no rate is included