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375 more COVID-19 cases in province today, death toll nears 100

There are 36 outbreaks reported in long-term care homes in Ontario
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The province is reporting 375 more lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 this morning, bringing the provincial total up to 3,630 positive test results.

The death toll reported by the province is nearing 100 now with 94 deaths attributed to COVID-19, although provincial numbers have been below those reported by regional health units.

There are 506 patients in Ontario hospitalized with COVID-19. Of those, 196 are in an intensive care unit and of those 152 are on ventilators. The province is reporting there have been 1,219 recoveries.

In the provincial list of cases 32.8 per cent are 60 years of age or older. Of all the cases 21.3 per cent travelled in the 14 days prior to becoming ill, and 12.5 per cent had close contact with a confirmed case. Approximately 18 per cent of cases had neither travel nor close contact history, and in 48.4 per cent of the cases exposure information is still under investigation.

There are now 36 outbreaks reported in long-term care homes in Ontario.

Yesterday the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit (SMDHU) announced it was investigating two deaths at Spencer House, an Orillia long-term care facility, after an employee tested positive for COVID-19.

According to the health unit the employee was at work while infectious.

The cause of the deaths is not confirmed, but Dr. Charles Gardner, medical officer of health for SMDHU said COVID-19 testing was done and the health unit is awaiting results.

There are also test results pending for another 10 staff and two residents. Eight more staff have been identified as potential cases of COVID-19, but have not been tested.

There are currently 73 lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the Simcoe Muskoka region. There are 11 patients hospitalized for the virus and seven of those are in intensive care units intubated on ventilators. Four people have died from the virus.

The most recent cases include four in Barrie and one in Collingwood and all of them from either close contact or community transmission.

According to Dr. Gardner, modelling done for the region using a University of Toronto program, predicts there could be between 130 and 200 confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 in the region, and 15 to 20 deaths by the end of this month.

Public Health Ontario released its own modelling projections, revealing that under current intervention methods, Ontario could see as many as 80,000 cases of COVID-19 with a projection of 1,600 deaths due to the virus.


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Erika Engel

About the Author: Erika Engel

Erika regularly covers all things news in Collingwood as a reporter and editor. She has 15 years of experience as a local journalist
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