Area man succumbs to COVID-19, health unit confirms

A man from New Tecumseth has died after being hospitalized with the coronavirus. 

The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit confirmed the death today, and report he was a man over 80 who had been hospitalized at Southlake Regional Health Centre in Newmarket. His case was reported by the health unit on Sept. 8.

This is the 38th COVID-related death reported in the region since March. The last death in the region involved a Penetanguishene woman on Aug. 4.

The region's health unit also confirmed 13 more cases of COVID-19 in Simcoe and Muskoka today. 

Eleven of today's cases are in Simcoe County, with six new Barrie cases, two new Bradford West Gwillimbury cases, one in Innisfil, one in Orillia, and one in New Tecumseth. There are also two new cases in Muskoka. 

The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit has reported a "worrisome spike" in cases. It reported 13 new cases both today and on Monday, with the lowest daily case increase this week on Wednesday with eight new cases. 

There have been 55 confirmed cases of COVID-19 (as of Thursday) in Simcoe Muskoka for the week of Sept. 13. This is the second-highest number of new cases reported in a single week in the region during the entire pandemic.

Among the new Barrie cases today are two men between 35 and 44 years old, a man and two women between 45 and 64 years old, and a man between 18 and 34 years old. 

The Orillia case is a woman between 18 and 34. 

The two Bradford cases include a boy under 18 years old and a man between 18 and 34 years old. 

The new Innisfil case is a man between 18 and 34 years old and the new case in New Tecumseth is a woman between 35 and 44 years old. 

The new Muskoka cases include a Huntsville man between 35 and 44 and a Gravenhurst woman between 18 and 34.

The transmission source for all but two of the new cases reported today is listed as under investigation. The Bradford bo and one of the Barrie men (aged 35-44) are listed as close contact cases. 

There is currently one active outbreak at Leacock Retirement Lodge in Orillia. Read our story about there here.

Previous outbreaks declared at The Pines Long-Term Care Residence (Bracebridge) and at Roberta Place (Barrie) have been declared over. In those outbreaks, there was a single staff member at each facility who was infected with the coronavirus and one resident at The Pines tested positive for COVID-19. 

The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit has reported a total of 803 cases of COVID-19, with 685 of those now listed as recovered. There are two people hospitalized in Simcoe County with COVID-19 (one from Barrie and one from Bradford).

The health unit indicates there are 73 unrecovered cases in Simcoe County, including 51 in Barrie, nine in Bradford, two in New Tecumseth, three in Innisfil, three in Orillia, one in Collingwood, one in Wasaga Beach, one in Springwater, and one in Oro-Medonte.

There are two people hospitalized, one Bradford resident and one New Tecumseth resident.

*Incidence rate is number of cases per 100,000 people in the local population.

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