COVID-19 outbreak declared in unit at Beeton’s Simcoe Manor

Another COVID-19 outbreak has been declared at Simcoe Manor in Beeton.

The County of Simcoe-run facility had just ended its — the largest such cluster of cases at an institutional facility in the Simcoe-Muskoka region during the pandemic — on Nov. 26.

Now, the Essa unit at the home has been placed under outbreak protocols, after one staff member tested positive during routine swabbing on Nov. 25.

“The staff member was asymptomatic and is believed to have contracted the virus in the community,” a statement on the county website says. “This employee tested negative for COVID-19 the week prior through our mandatory testing. This is disappointing news after declaring the outbreak over last week; however, we are pleased that this case was detected early.”

Between tests, the employee was cohorted to the unit, passed daily screening and was adhering to infection control and personal-protective equipment protocols within the home. The employee was retested on Nov. 28 and results are pending.

While staff have implemented enhanced monitoring, all other care units remain out of quarantine.

The previous outbreak had affected 75 residents and employees at the facility. Ten residents died after testing positive for the virus.

Meanwhile, there are another 38 COVID-19 cases in the Simcoe-Muskoka region today.

The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit reported the number on its website Dec. 1. That brings the total tally of incidents since the start of the pandemic to 2,150, including 267 known active ones.

Of today’s cases, Barrie and Bradford each reported eight. New Tecumseth (six), Orillia (four), Essa (three), Innisfil (two) and Gravenhurst, Oro-Medonte, Ramara, Severn and Wasaga Beach (one each) are also included. Details are pending in two incidents.

Three people 17 years of age or under — one each in Barrie, Bradford and Innisfil — made today’s list. Everyone else is between 18 and 79 years old.

An 18- to 34-year-old Orillia woman is connected to a congregate site outbreak; a 35- to 44-year-old Ramara woman contracted the virus during an institutional outbreak outside the health unit’s jurisdiction. Sources of infection otherwise range from “close contact” and “community-acquired” to “under investigation.”

So far during the pandemic, 1,819 people have successfully recovered. But there are 13 currently in hospital.

And 52 have died, including 34 in long-term-care and retirement facilities.

Simcoe Manor is the only long-term-care or retirement facility in the region with an outbreak right now.

Schools operating under outbreak protocols are Angus’s Nottawasaga Pines Secondary and Barrie’s St. Joan of Arc Catholic High, Willow Landing Elementary and Warnica Public.

This week, there have been 131 new cases recorded. There were 185 during all of last week and a record-setting 200 the week prior.

For more on the local effect of COVID-19, visit