NORTH BAY, Ont. — Public health authorities say a person has died after being infected with a COVID-19 variant in an outbreak at a North Bay, Ont., apartment building.
The North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit declared the outbreak at the building last week and has since reported 31 COVID-19 cases linked to it.
The health unit says 20 of those cases have been identified as a variant of COVID-19.
One of the cases has been identified as the variant first detected in South Africa while further testing is underway to determine the strain involved in the others.
The region's top doctor, Dr. Jim Chirico, says public health authorities are working to curb the spread of variants to prevent future deaths.
COVID-19 variants are believed to be more contagious and experts have raised concerns about their spread in the province.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 17, 2021.
This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Facebook and Canadian Press News Fellowship.
The Canadian Press
