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The coroner has confirmed that a 77-year-old Barrie, Ont. man died as a result of COVID-19, Ontario’s health minister’s office told Global News Thursday evening.

The case of the 77-year-old man is Ontario’s first death related to the novel coronavirus. The province’s second COVID-19-related death was reported on Thursday — a man in his 50s from Milton, Ont.

The 77-year-old Barrie man who died on March 11 tested positive for the virus after coming in close contact with another positive case.

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On Tuesday, Ontario’s health minister Christine Elliott told Global News that COVID-19 was detected in the person’s system post-death.

As of Thursday evening, there are 251 active cases of the novel coronavirus in Ontario. There have been 736 confirmed cases in Canada.

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