99 people in Simcoe-Muskoka likely have COVID-19 variant as top doctor warns of community spread
Posted January 26, 2021 4:09 pm.
Last Updated January 26, 2021 4:28 pm.
Public health officials say 99 more people who have tested positive for COVID-19 in the Simcoe-Muskoka region likely have a variant of the virus that first originated in the UK.
The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit says most of the cases are linked to a deadly outbreak at a Barrie, Ont., long-term care home that has killed 46 people and infected more than 200.
“Our investigation into these preliminary results is early, but it appears that two persons have no known link to those individuals we recently identified as positive for the United Kingdom (UK) variant,” said Dr. Charles Gardner, medical officer of health for the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit (SMDHU).
“This certainly makes us concerned that the variant may be more widespread, and that in turn means that we need to really take public health measures that prevent spread of the virus much more to heart.”
The data came from an ongoing study by Public Health Ontario that’s screening all positive COVID-19 tests from Jan. 20 for three new variants of the virus.
Local health officials say they are still waiting for results that will identify which variant of the virus has infected the 99 people but note that they expect it to be a variant first identified in the UK.
The UK variant has already been identified in some of those infected in the Barrie long-term care home outbreak.
Gardner says if the variant isn’t already spreading in the community, it likely will be soon.
“I’m sharing this information because this variant is on the move in our community and the only way it can move is through people,” said Gardner.
“We need to absolutely follow the stay-at-home order so that we can protect ourselves, those who are more vulnerable, and our health care system. We need to assume that a variant of this virus is everywhere and do everything we can to drive it out.”
The variant – officially designated as B.1.1.7 of SARS-CoV-2 – which was first discovered in September and is now dominant in the UK and other countries, is thought to be more easily transmitted than other variants are.
In the City, Toronto Public Health (TPH) has asked all of its facilities to reinforce infection prevention and control measures with the COVID-19 variant spreading.
“The most important thing to do is to act in ways to protect yourself and everyone around you. COVID-19 is a dangerous virus in any form. We never know if infection will lead to mild illness or to worse,” Toronto’s top doctor, Eileen de Villa, said Monday.
Meantime, York Region’s public health department said its officials are “very concerned” that 15 cases of the more contagious version of the virus have been identified in Markham, Vaughan, Richmond Hill, Newmarket, King, and Georgina.
With files from The Canadian Press
