BARRIE, ONT. -- The health unit posted 17 new COVID-19 cases in Simcoe County on Tuesday, with no new Muskoka cases.

The overall number of positive tests is lower compared to this time last week; still, the region's top doc says the worst may not be behind us yet.

"We don't know yet whether we've reached the peak or not," says Dr. Charles Gardner.

Gardner says tracing the path of the virus proves to be a challenge.

Simcoe Muskoka's death toll sits at 47, mostly seniors, including 30 residents of homes in Barrie, Bradford and most recently, Simcoe Manor in Beeton, where seven residents have died with COVID-19. The long-term care facility is dealing with an outbreak that has infected nearly 70 residents and staff members.

The numbers released by the health unit in the past 24 hours also indicate three children under 17 tested positive in Bradford West Gwillimbury and New Tecumseth.

Simcoe County currently has eight schools with confirmed cases, including St. Peter's Catholic Secondary School in Barrie and Tecumseth Beeton Elementary School.

For a complete list of confirmed COVID-19 cases in schools across the region, click here.

Frontline workers at the Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre's COVID-19 assessment centre on Sperling Drive in Barrie say they are testing about 285 per day on average.

To find a testing centre near you, click here.

Meanwhile, Ontario logged a rise in the number of daily COVID cases with 821 and three new virus-related deaths.

The province says it has a backlog of 24,129 tests and has conducted 24,049 tests since the last daily report.

With files from The Canadian Press