COVID-19 case numbers in Ontario remain below 300 for fifth straight day
Ontario is reporting a little over 250 new cases of COVID-19 Friday, marking the fifth consecutive day in which case numbers have remained below the 300 mark.
Health officials logged 256 infections of the novel coronavirus in the last 24 hours which is a slight decrease from Thursday’s total when 296 were added.
A day earlier, the province recorded 255 cases and the lowest single-day case total reported since Sept. 15.
Friday’s report brings Ontario’s COVID-19 case total to 543,571, including 531,571 recoveries and 9,101 deaths—two of which were reported since yesterday.
The Ministry of Health said that labs across the province processed 26,561 tests Thursday, yielding a positivity rate of 1.3 per cent.
The seven-day average for number of cases reported stands at 292. A week ago, that number was 410.
Right now, there are 2,899 active cases of the novel coronavirus in Ontario.
There are currently 275 patients in hospital with COVID-19. Of those patients, 284 are being treated in an intensive care unit and 173 are on a ventilator.
It should be noted that the total number of hospitalizations stated by the province Friday is actually lower than that of ICU admissions, which may be due to a delay in patient reporting.
Where are the new COVID-19 cases?
Of the cases reported by the province on Friday, most were found in Waterloo (39), Peel Region (38), and Toronto (36).
Other areas that recorded case counts in the double digits include Grey Bruce (18), Hamilton (17), and Porcupine Health Unit (11).
On Thursday, the province announced that it would move to Step 2 of its reopening plan two days early while citing declining case numbers and the increased rate of vaccinations across the province.
As of June 30, residents will be allowed to book personal care services, meet with up to 25 people outdoors, and host indoor gatherings of up to five people.
READ MORE: What's allowed when Ontario enters Step 2 of its COVID-19 reopening plan
The province had originally expected to enter Step 2 on July 2.
However, the Region of Waterloo will remain in Step 1 due to current COVID-19 transmission trends and the prevalence of the Delta variant, local health officials said.
Also, Porcupine Health Unit, which has remained under lockdown measures as the rest of the province reopened on June 11, will enter Step 1 today.
Update on COVID-19 variants of concern
Health officials confirmed 139 more instances of COVID-19 variants of concern in the last 24-hour period.
Labs found 110 additional cases of the Alpha variant, B.1.1.7, bringing the case total to 143,035.
Another 24 cases of the Delta variant, B.1.617.2, were also found, pushing its case total to 1,080.
There were five other cases of the Beta variant, B.1.351, reported, which brings the case total for the strain to 1,161.
No new cases of the Gamma variant, P.1, were recorded Thursday and the case total remains unchanged at 4,270.
Record number of vaccinations administered
The province said it administered a record 246,393 doses of COVID-19 vaccine on Thursday.
Throughout Ontario’s seven-month vaccination campaign, 13,569,209 needles have gone into arms, including 3.76 million people who have received both shots and are considered to be fully vaccinated.
On Friday, the government announced that adults in Ontario who received an mRNA vaccine will become eligible to book a second shot next week.
Background
The numbers used in this story are found in the Ontario Ministry of Health's COVID-19 Daily Epidemiologic Summary. The number of cases for any city or region may differ slightly from what is reported by the province, because local units report figures at different times.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Alice Munro, Nobel literature winner revered as short story master, dead at 92
Nobel laureate Alice Munro, the Canadian literary giant who became one of the world's most esteemed contemporary authors and one of history's most honoured short story writers, has died at age 92.
Latest updates on air quality alerts, and when the smoke may reach Ontario and Quebec
Wildfires have led Environment Canada to issue air quality advisories for parts of B.C., Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories, as forecasters warn the smoke could drift farther east.
Are these Canada's best restaurants? Annual top 100 list revealed
The annual list of Canada's top restaurants in the country was just released and here are the places that made the 2024 cut.
Attack on prison van in France kills 2 officers, inmate escapes
Armed assailants killed two French prison officers and seriously wounded three others in an attack on a convoy in Normandy on Tuesday and an inmate escaped, officials said.
Maximum payout for LifeLabs class-action drops from $150 estimate to $7.86
Canadian LifeLabs customers who filed an application for a class-action settlement began receiving their payments this week, though at a much lower amount than initially expected.
Steal a car, lose your driver's licence for 10 years under new Ontario proposal
Repeat car thieves may face lengthy licence bans under proposed changes to Ontario’s Highway Traffic Act.
$1.6B parts plant for Honda electric vehicle batteries coming to Niagara Region
A Japanese company has announced it will build an approximately $1.6-billion plant in Ontario's Niagara Region that will make a key electric vehicle battery component as part of Honda's supply chain in the province.
B.C. brings in law on name changes on day that child killer's new identity revealed
The BC NDP have tabled legislation aimed at stopping people who have committed certain heinous acts from changing their names.
Manitoba premier to visit areas impacted by wildfire
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew will get a close-up look at the devastation from a large wildfire burning in northern Manitoba Tuesday.