Today, the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit (SMDHU) reported two new COVID-19 cases in Huntsville. A man, aged 45-64, whose case is associated with a congregate care setting outbreak, and a woman aged 18-34 whose case is under investigation. The health unit has also now attributed two other cases to the congregate care setting outbreak, in addition to one that was already reported, to bring the total to four.
In the case of congregate care settings, the health unit doesn’t specify the location; these settings include shelters, group homes, and homes for people with developmental disabilities.
(Note that as of Jan. 7, 2021, daily case counts reported by the health unit are based on data received by 11:59 p.m. the previous day. Case counts may also fluctuate from day to day if cases leave the area for hospital treatment, or to recover elsewhere.)
Of the 49 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Huntsville to date, 11 are active. Two people have died from the disease in Huntsville, as well as a third person in Muskoka Lakes. More than half of Huntsville’s cases (29) have occurred in the past three months. In Lake of Bays, there have been six cases in total, two of which are currently active.
There have been a total of 159 cases reported in Muskoka to date (40 of them currently active) and 3,915 in Simcoe County. (For a full list of Huntsville and Lake of Bays cases to date, and other COVID-19 updates for the area, visit our COVID-19 page.)
Premier Ford announced on December 21 that there will be a province-wide shutdown as of Dec. 26. Health unit regions in Southern Ontario, of which Simcoe Muskoka is part, will be required to follow shutdown measure for 28 days.
[Related: Here’s what the province’s shutdown means for Muskoka]
For more COVID-19 information from the health unit, visit simcoemuskokahealth.org.
Nadya Tarasoff says
An elderly friend at Roger’s Cove was told to stay in her room because there was an outbreak at the residence.