BARRIE, ONT. -- Simcoe Muskoka's health unit reports the number of COVID-19 variant cases has nearly doubled Wednesday, increasing to 90 diagnoses, with an additional 57 possible cases.
Health officials noted the variant requires two tests to detect - those 57 people have so far screened positive and are waiting on results from a second test to confirm.
The new coronavirus strain has been identified at a Barrie, Ont., long-term care home devastated by an outbreak that has claimed 66 lives. More than 230 residents and staff at Roberta Place have been diagnosed since the outbreak was declared on Jan. 8.
On Tuesday, the Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care in Penetanguishene, Ont., said that one individual "was positive for a particular mutation indicating a high probability that this individual has a variant strain of concern of COVID-19."
The health unit confirmed on Wednesday one staff member at Waypoint has the U.K. variant, and two residents are probable cases. Five patients have died since an outbreak was declared at the centre's Horizon Program for Geriatric Psychiatry, and 20 others tested positive for COVID-19.
Meanwhile, the health unit has logged fewer COVID-19 cases week over week since the spike in positive tests following the holidays.
There were 45 new COVID-19 cases listed across Simcoe Muskoka Wednesday. The region's COVID-19 death toll has hit 159.
The local health unit said the month of January had been the deadliest since the pandemic began, with 84 residents dying with the virus.
The race to immunize those most at risk is on across the region. On Wednesday, the health unit said more than 17,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine had been given to mainly health care workers and long-term care and retirement home residents.
