World News – CA – Ontario Tighten Restrictions, Bring Simcoe Muskoka to Red Zone

Kim Phillips
Barrie. CTVNews. ca producer

@ctvbarrienews
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BARRIE, ONT. – –
Ontario has been tightening restrictions in Simcoe Muskoka in recent weeks amid rising COVID-19 cases in Simcoe County.

The news comes as the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit reports the highest number of weekly cases on Friday.

The health unit listed 37 new infections as of the end of the week, with 15 people in the hospital with the virus. The region currently has 361 active cases.

The restrictions remain in place for at least 28 days. The government then reassesses the impact of public health measures to see if the region remains in the red or moves to a new zone.

While communities across Muskoka have campaigned to move away from the health unit’s geographic limit as cases in the area remain exceptionally low, the province has imposed the new restrictions on both Muskoka and Simcoe Counties. Of the 37 new cases reported on Friday, none were in Muskoka.

In the meantime, the York area has been completely locked in the gray area. « Putting a region on gray lock is not an easy decision, but we must make it to stop the spread of the virus and protect the key services we rely on, » said Christine Elliott, Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State The Health.

Elliott said it was « still critical » that all residents continue to follow public health recommendations to help reduce the spread of COVID-19, especially with the upcoming holidays.

The province reported on Friday 1. 848 new cases of COVID-19 and 45 new deaths from the virus.

Simcoe County, Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit, Barrie, Ontario