The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit (SMDHU) is reporting nine new COVID-19 cases confirmed in the region today, the largest single-day jump since the pandemic began.
There are now 66 confirmed cases in the region with five more reported earlier today that are pending.
“We are expecting the rise in cases and the surge in cases due to community transmission,” said Dr. Charles Gardner, the medical officer of health for SMDHU. “This is the point at which we definitely need to be exercising our precautions around transmission. Our objective is to flatten that curve as much as possible.”
The health unit is also reporting its first recovery in a hospitalized patient. A man in his 40s in Barrie who acquired the virus through community transmission was in hospital earlier this month. His case was reported on March 24, and he has now recovered.
Of the 15 area cases that have been hospitalized, one has now recovered, four have died, and ten remain in hospital.
Among the new cases listed today are two Orillia residents, a male and female, both in their 20s and both self-isolating. The health unit has ruled they are both cases of community-acquired transmission.
There is also a community acquired case confirmed in Barrie in a male in his 20s who is self-isolating at home.
There are 10 patients in the region who have been hospitalized for the virus, and four others have died as a result of COVID-19.
The health unit is now reporting 17 of patients in the region confirmed with COVID-19 have recovered, including the man in his 40s from Barrie who was the region’s first confirmed case of the virus.
A woman in her 30s from Springwater who travelled to Italy has also recovered.
The health unit also reports the woman in her 50s from Bradford whose case was linked to travel in Ecuador has recovered, as has the man who got the virus through close contact with her. A Bradford woman in her 50s who acquired the virus through community transmission, and whose case was reported by the health unit on March 27 has now recovered.
Collingwood’s only case – a man in his 50s – has recovered.
Two cases out of Clearview, a man and a woman in their 50s, both with travel history to Austria, have now recovered. Another man in his 60s who also travelled to Austria, but is from Orillia, is also listed as recovered.
The total confirmed COVID-19 cases by community are as follows:
Collingwood (1), Barrie (14), Orillia (9), Springwater (3), Clearview (2), New Tecumseth (7), Adjala-Tosorontio (2), Bradford West Gwillimbury (7), Essa (2), Innisfil (2), Wasaga Beach (1) Midland (2), Oro-Medonte (2), Tiny (2), Ramara (2), Gravenhurst (3), Muskoka Lakes (1), and Huntsville (4). The remaining five cases are still under investigation with information pending.
