The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit says another 99 people who have tested positive for COVID-19 likely have one of the virus’ variants, not the original strain.
The unit says the majority of the cases are connected to an outbreak at Roberta Place, a long-term care home in Barrie where 46 people have died from the virus and more than 200 have been infected.
Two cases don’t have a known link and one of them is part of a small outbreak at a local hospital.
The information came from Public Health Ontario and the organization is doing an on-going study where they’re screening all positive COVID-19 test results from January 20 for three different strains of COVID-19.
The active case count has gone down in Muskoka.
The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit (SMDHU) reported no new cases locally Wednesday and with five more recoveries, it lowers the active caseload in Muskoka to 24.
The vaccine roll-out continues in SMDHU’s medical region with 394 administered in the last 24 hours. A total of 15,759 shots have been given since the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was made available locally.
There has been a total of 185 cases of the coronavirus in Muskoka with 158 recovering and three dying.
SMDHU has reported 40 new cases of the virus in Simcoe. That brings the total in the region to 5,056 with 3,767 recoveries and 131 people dying.
TORONTO Public health officials continue to investigate whether a COVID-19 outbreak at a Bradford West Gwillimbury long-term care home is connected to a variant of the virus detected in the United Kingdom. The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit confirmed on Sunday that an individual who tested positive for the U.K. variant had close contact with someone connected to the outbreak at Bradford Valley Care Community. According to the health unit, six of 230 residents and three of 260 staff members have tested positive for the virus. “It is worrisome,” said Sandy Kerr, who’s 84-year-old mother Barbara Dawson is one of the six residents who tested positive for COVID-19.
Zalan: We need a Northern Bubble now and a ring around Barrie
Sudbury doctor says a the province should follow the lead of New Zealand, which put a ring of police around the capital Auckland, to contain the new coronavirus variant to Barrie and prevent it from coming north
Jan 26, 2021 2:00 PM By: Dr. Peter Zalan
Updated
“This progressed so rapidly.” Dr Gardner, the medical officer of health for the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit, was commenting on the extraordinary speed at which the new variant has spread.
He confirmed that testing of residents and staff in the Roberta Place Long Term Care Home in Barrie, has identified the B.1.1.7 variant, the so-called UK coronavirus variant. The outbreak has spread to all but two of its 127 residents. Eighty-four staff members have also tested positive. Thirty-two people have died (as of publication).
99 additional people in Simcoe Muskoka likely have COVID-19 U.K. variant
by News Staff and the Canadian Press
Posted Jan 26, 2021 4:27 pm EDT
Last Updated Jan 26, 2021 at 5:02 pm EDT
Public health officials say 99 more people who have tested positive for COVID-19 in the Simcoe-Muskoka region likely have the U.K. variant of the virus which is more contagious and transmissible.
The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit (SMDHU) says most of the cases are linked to a deadly outbreak at Roberta Place Long-Term Care home in Barrie, that has killed 46 people and infected more than 200. The U.K. variant has already been identified in some of those infected in that outbreak.