A recent COVID-19 outbreak at The Pines Long-Term Care Home in Bracebridge has been declared over. The health event, which was limited to the Oak Home Area of the facility, officially ended on March 30, 2026.
The outbreak was first identified by the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit on March 19, 2026. During the 11-day period, staff recorded a total of 11 confirmed cases of the virus among residents, with eight of those cases having resolved by March 29, 2026.
To manage the spread of the virus, the District Municipality of Muskoka-owned facility implemented several safety measures in the affected unit. These included requiring all people in the Oak Home Area to wear surgical masks, restricting general visitors, and limiting essential caregivers to two at a time. Staff also increased hand hygiene protocols and placed symptomatic residents into immediate isolation.
The facility remains under the general guidance of the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit, which continues to track respiratory virus activity across the region. As of late March, multiple other long-term care homes and child care centres in the region were also managing respiratory outbreaks, including the Spencer House Care Community in Orillia.
Families or community members with specific questions regarding infection prevention at the 160-bed home on Pine Street can reach out to Stephanie Albert, the facility’s infection prevention and control lead, at [email protected] or by calling extension 4752.
