Another resident with COVID-19 at the Bradford Valley long-term care home has died.
The latest victim is a man in his 80s whose case was reported by the health unit on April 7. The man is the fourth resident to die at Bradford Valley and the 12th COVID-19 patient to die in the Simcoe Muskoka region.
An elderly Orillia couple and an Oro-Medonte man in his 70s are among those who have succumbed to the deadly virus.
The health unit is also reporting another nine lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19, seven of which are Barrie residents.
The Barrie cases include a woman in her 70s, a woman in her 30s, a girl under ten, and a man in his 40s, all of whom are self-isolating. The health unit has determined the cause of transmission in all those cases was close contact with another known case.
There are two community-acquired cases also being reported in Barrie - one in a woman in her 40s and one in a woman in her 50s. The woman in her 50s is listed as recovered and the woman in her 40s is self-isolating. One more case was discovered in a Barrie woman in her 30s, but the transmission cause is still under investigation. She is self-isolating.
The other two new cases reported today include a woman in her 40s from Bradford and a woman in her 60s from Bracebridge. The Bradford case transmission is still under investigation and the Bracebridge case has a travel history. Both are self-isolating.
There are now 174 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Simcoe Muskoka region residents, including 77 recoveries, 55 self-isolating, 19 isolated at Bradford Valley, 10 hospitalized patients and 12 deaths.
The case breakdown for towns and cities in Simcoe County is as follows: Bradford W-G (44), Barrie (44), New Tecumseth (18), Orillia (10), Collingwood (7), Innisfil (5), Springwater (5), Midland (4), Wasaga Beach (4), Oro-Medonte (4), Adjala-Tosorontio (3), Clearview (2), Essa (3), Ramara (2), Tiny (2), Penetanguishene (2) for a total of 151 cases in Simcoe County.
There are also 15 cases confirmed in the Muskoka Region.
Dr. Charles Gardner, medical officer of health for Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit, said yesterday the local stats have made him cautiously optimistic.
“If you look at the epidemiological curve … it’s starting to look hopeful,” said Gardner, adding a note of caution. “If it’s levelling out, it’s because of the good work we’re all doing … staying home, physical distancing … breaking the chain of transmission.”
The doctor said he believes voluntary and mandatory control measures in place are making an impact, but that doesn’t mean it's time to ease those measures.
“We can’t be complacent about this,” said Gardner. “If we’re succeeding it’s because of what we’re doing, stop what you’re doing and it will all come back ... It’s like stopping the floodwaters … if you remove the dike the floodwaters return.”
Gardner also said he could be wrong and a surge could still happen.
The health unit website shows an epidemiological curve based on the onset of symptoms. If you discount the most recent two weeks of data because illnesses that began in the last two weeks might not yet be reported, the overall shape appears to peak on March 22 and decrease after that. So far, data reported in the last two weeks shows another climb to March 22 levels. You can see the graph here.
Today, Ontario expanded its priority COVID-19 testing to include essential workers, residents and staff of homeless shelters and group homes, and people living with health-care workers.
Yesterday, Dr. Gardner recommended anyone - including those not already included in the provincial priority groups - experiencing even one symptom should call and assessment centre and try to get tested. Contact information for local assessment centres is available here.
