COVID-19 cases in Ontario jump past 200 for first time in three weeks
Ontario health officials are reporting a jump in COVID-19 cases Thursday with more than 200 new infections recorded.
The 218 cases mark the first time in three weeks in which the province has logged more than 200 new cases.
Thursday's report brings the total number of lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases across Ontario to 549,952, including 539,200 recoveries and 9,328 deaths related to the disease.
Right now, the seven-day average for number of cases reported sits at 165. That's up from the 155 reported a week earlier.
With 19,425 tests processed in the last 24 hours, the province’s COVID-19 positivity rate is 1.3 per cent, according to the Ministry of Health.
There are currently 121 patients in intensive care with COVID-19. Of those patients, 79 are breathing with the assistance of a ventilator.
Where are the new COVID-19 cases?
Most of the cases reported by the province Thursday were found in Toronto (38), Peel Region (38), and Waterloo (19).
Other health units that reported case numbers in the double digits include Hamilton (25), Grey Bruce (13), Halton Region (12), Middlesex-London (10), and York Region (10).
At least 16 of the province's 34 public health units recorded fewer than 10 new cases of the novel coronavirus and several others recorded no new cases.
Update on COVID-19 variants of concern
Another 377 cases of the COVID-19 Delta variant B.1.617.2 were confirmed in the last 24 hours. This brings the case total for the strain to 4,421.
Thirty-four cases of the Alpha variant B.1.1.7 were also found, bringing the case total to 145,508.
Labs logged two additional cases of the Gamma variant P.1. There are 5,161 such infections confirmed in Ontario.
No new cases of the Beta variant B.1.351 were recorded since yesterday. The case total remains at 1,492.
More than 19 million doses of vaccine administered
Since the beginning of the province’s COVID-19 vaccination campaign, Ontario has administered 19,293,701 doses of vaccine.
That includes 89,000 shots that went into arms yesterday and more than 8 million residents that have received both doses and are considered to be fully vaccinated.
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
Hamas says latest ceasefire talks have ended. Israel vows military operation in 'very near future'
The latest round of Gaza cease-fire talks ended in Cairo after "in-depth and serious discussions,"{ the Hamas militant group said Sunday, reiterating key demands that Israel again rejected.
Montreal man on the hook for thousands of dollars after a feature on his Tesla caused an accident
A Montreal man is warning Tesla drivers about using the Smart Summon feature after his vehicle hit another in a parking lot.
B.C. man wants homes for thousands of books he soon won't be able to read
In the 10 years since John William started to lose his vision, he's been finding new ways to enjoy his vast personal library.
‘Love has no boundaries’: Sask. couple in their 90s and 80s get married
Eighty-two-year-old Susan Neufeldt and 90-year-old Ulrich Richter are no spring chickens, but their love blossomed over the weekend with their wedding at Pine View Manor just outside of Rosthern.
Trudeau 'absolutely' best person to lead the Liberals in next election: LeBlanc insists
Cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc insists he's not planning a leadership campaign to head the Liberal party, should current leader and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau resign, seemingly quashing rumours he's planning to make a move for his boss' job.
Bombarded with spam texts? Stats show the problem is getting worse in Canada
In particular, messages that involve phishing — an attack where a scammer tries to trick the recipient into clicking a malicious link, downloading malware or sharing sensitive information — are on the rise.
One dead after potential wrong way crash on Highway 401 in Milton: OPP
One person is dead and another is in life-threatening condition after a driver was travelling in the wrong direction on Highway 401 in Milton Sunday, according to police.
opinion You don't need to be an influencer to earn income from social media
How legitimate are claims by some content creators that the average person can earn passive income from social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram? Personal finance columnist Christopher Liew says it's quite possible, if you're willing to put in the initial time and effort.
William Shatner says he would consider 'Star Trek' return: 'Here comes Captain Kirk!'
The Montreal-born actor, famed for his portrayal of Captain Kirk in "Star Trek," says he is open to reprising the iconic role in the sci-fi franchise as long as the storytelling is stellar.