COVID-19 cases in Ontario remain below 400 for sixth straight day
Ontario is reporting fewer than 400 new cases of COVID-19 for the sixth consecutive day.
The 318 infections logged Sunday mark a decrease from Saturday’s report when 355 were added.
Health officials recorded 345 cases on Friday, 370 on Thursday, 384 on Wednesday and a months-long low of 296 on Tuesday.
Labs across Ontario processed 21,063 COVID-19 tests in the last 24 hours, yielding a positivity rate of 1.7 per cent, according to the Ministry of Health.
The province’s case total now sits at 542,198, including 529,506 recoveries and 9,019 deaths, 12 of which were reported in the previous day.
Sunday’s report brings the seven-day average for the number of cases reported to 359. A week ago, that number was 514.
There are currently 333 patients in intensive care with COVID-19, according to data presented by the province. Of those patients, 208 are on a ventilator.
It should be noted that the total number of hospitalizations stated by the province Sunday is actually lower than that of ICU admissions at 266, which may be due to a delay in patient reporting over the weekend.
Where are the new COVID-19 cases?
Most of the cases reported today were found in Waterloo (51), Peel Region (49), and Toronto (45).
Case numbers in the double digits were also reported in Niagara Region, York Region, Durham Region, Ottawa, and Porcupine Health Unit.
Ontario is currently in Step 1 of its reopening plan, which allows for outdoor gatherings of up to 10 people, patio dining at restaurants, and limited indoor non-essential shopping.
The province is expected to enter Step 2 of its reopening schedule on July 2 at the earliest. At that time, outdoor gatherings of up to 25 people, indoor gatherings of up to 5 people, and personal care services where face coverings can be worn will be permitted.
Update on COVID-19 variants
Another 148 cases of COVID-19 variants were confirmed in Ontario since yesterday.
Of those cases, 127 are the Alpha variant B.1.1.7, first discovered in the U.K., which brings the case total to 142,113.
No new cases of the Beta variant B.1.351, first discovered in South Africa, were recorded. The case total remains at 1,154.
One additional cases of the Gamma variant P.1, first discovered in Brazil, was confirmed, bringing its case total to 4,230.
At least 20 cases of the Delta variant B.1.617.2, discovered in India, were added. There are 751 confirmed infections of the variant in Ontario.
Vaccinations in Ontario
The province said it administered 184,251 doses of COVID-19 vaccine on Saturday.
More than 12,551,000 residents have received a first dose since the vaccination campaign began in December.
That number includes 2,874,280 people who have received both a first and second dose 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
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
Police tangle with students in Texas and California as wave of campus protest against Gaza war grows
Police tangled with student demonstrators in Texas and California while new encampments sprouted Wednesday at Harvard and other colleges as school leaders sought ways to defuse a growing wave of pro-Palestinian protests.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Pilot reported fire onboard plane carrying fuel, attempted to return to Fairbanks just before crash
One of the two pilots aboard an airplane carrying fuel reported there was a fire on the airplane shortly before it crashed and burned outside Fairbanks, killing both people on board, a federal aviation official said Wednesday.