COVID-19

PLEASE NOTE: This page is updated Monday to Friday by 12:00 pm ET.

HealthMAPS Case Explorer by Municipality

Estimating Local COVID-19 Transmission
Tables of Case Counts by Age, Status & Transmission
Epidemic Curve by Date of Symptom Onset
List of Confirmed COVID-19 Cases in Simcoe Muskoka

The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit currently has 259 confirmed cases of COVID-19 including 137 recovered, 8 hospitalizations and 15 deaths.

Changes from the previous reporting day (April 24) include 24 new cases. There were 13 previously reported cases that have now recovered. There are outbreaks in 4 long-term care facility in our area, see the list of current institutional outbreaks for more details. There is also an outbreak of COVID-19 in a group home in our area.

Each of us can help stop the spread of COVID-19 in our communities and across the region. There are everyday actions we should all use to protect ourselves and others. These actions are very important because:

• We are seeing cases caused by community transmission of COVID-19, which means the virus is spreading in the community from person to person and is not linked to travel or a previously known case.
• Our local cases are increasing and will continue to over the next days and weeks.
• This is not just a disease affecting the elderly, most of our cases are among adults between 35 and 64 years of age.

Everyday actions to protect yourself and others

1. Stay home as much as possible (this applies to people who have NOT travelled outside of the country or who are NOT self-isolating with symptoms of COVID-19 and MUST stay at home.
2. Practise physical distancing by keeping 2 metres or 6 feet between you and another person, unless they are members of your household.
3. Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 15 seconds or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

If you think you have COVID-19 symptoms or have been in close contact with someone who has it, use the self-assessment tool to help determine how to seek further care.

If you need immediate medical attention you should call 911 and tell them your symptoms and if you have travelled.

Tables and chart last updated: April 27, 2020 at 9:30 a.m. ET

Estimating Local COVID-19 Transmission

The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit used a simulation model developed by the University of Toronto to help us understand the possible impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in our area. Please see the linked presentation for more details.

In summary, the results suggest:

• Intense physical distancing*, or moderate physical distancing with increased case finding and isolation, is the best way to reduce the number of COVID-19 cases
  • Without physical distancing being applied for at least 12 of the next 24 months, it is projected that Ontario would not have enough hospital ICU beds
• Applying physical distancing in a repeated way could prevent the health care system from being overwhelmed and allow mental health and economic breaks for everyone
  • A repeated cycle of physical distancing would lift physical distancing rules to allow people to return to a more ‘normal’ life and then restore physical distancing rules as cases start to re-appear.

Tables of Case Counts by Age, Status & Transmission

Table 1: Confirmed COVID-19 Cases in Simcoe Muskoka by Age Group​

Table 2: Confirmed COVID-19 Cases in Simcoe Muskoka by Status

Table 3: Confirmed COVID-19 Cases in Simcoe Muskoka by Source of Infection

Most cases of staff and residents/patients of institutionalized outbreaks are captured under outbreak-related (for residents/patients) and undetermined (staff). Health care workers linked to an outbreak with no acquisition outside of exposure to the facility are classified as undetermined as it is unclear if they got it from the institution or the community. Individuals whose acquisition is unclear upon completion of the case investigation are also classified as 'undetermined,'

Detailed information on confirmed cases, numbers of probable cases and number of individuals awaiting test results are NOT reported due to the rapidly evolving situation and changing case definitions.

Epidemic Curve by Date of Symptom Onset

List of Confirmed COVID-19 Cases in Simcoe Muskoka

As of April 22, 2020, the list of confirmed cases is now available via SMDHU’s new tool:  the COVID-19 Case Explorer.​

Please note the COVID-19 Case Explorer is not mobile friendly. If you are using a cell phone click here for an updated list of cases.

Technical Notes

Cases are assigned to the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit based on the residential address of the patient when the health unit conducts their investigation, not the location of the hospital the patient was seen at. For cases that reside outside of Ontario, cases are assigned to the health unit that is actively following up with the patient. Two confirmed cases reside out of province/country, but were investigated by the health unit while staying in Simcoe County, and are reported as such.

Further reading

For more information about COVID-19, see:

• SMDHU COVID-19
• The Ontario Ministry of Health updates the status of cases in Ontario
• The Public Health Agency of Canada COVID-19 page

Page Last Modified: April 27, 2020