COVID-19 hospitalizations in Ontario reach two-month high as indicators point to fall resurgence
The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 has reached a two-month high in Ontario, as most public health indicators now point to a fall resurgence of the virus.
The latest data released by the Ministry of Health suggests there were 1,465 people testing positive for COVID-19 in Ontario hospitals as of Wednesday afternoon, up from 1,265 the previous week and 1,141 on Sept. 22.
It is the highest number of people in hospital with COVID-19 since Aug. 4 and is approaching the peak of the summer wave on July 28 when 1,492 people were hospitalized.
Meanwhile, wastewater surveillance conducted by Public Health Ontario continues to point to a gradual uptick in viral activity levels in most parts of the province.
The rise began showing up in the province-wide data around the second week of September but has only recently been apparent in GTA-specific data.
- Tracking COVID-19 hospitalizations across Canada
Epidemiologists and public health experts have long warned of a fall wave and in recent weeks have raised concerns about two new subvariants of Omicron, which have made up an increasing share of cases in some European countries but are not yet circulating widely in Ontario.
“We know what is going to happen,” infectious disease specialist Dr. Isaac Bogoch told CP24 this week while discussing a likely fall wave. “We were having this conversation in the spring. We knew then that we had to prepare for the fall and winter because there would be a predictable rise in cases so it comes to no one’s surprise that we will see an uptick in COVID-19 cases in the community. If you look at European settings, they're already starting to have an upward tick in hospitalizations.”
The latest data released by the ministry revealed that there were 8,627 new cases of COVID-19 detected through PCR testing over the last seven days, marking the fourth consecutive week in which that number has rose.
Positivity rates also continue to rise. Over the last seven days the average positivity rate on PCR tests was 13.57 per cent, up from 12.42 per cent one week ago.
The number of active outbreaks in the handful of settings with widespread access to PCR testing also appear to be increasing.
According to the latest data, there were 159 active outbreaks in long-term care homes, 144 active outbreaks in retirement homes and 86 active outbreaks in hospitals as of Wednesday.
Those numbers are all up between 13 and 28 per cent week-over-week.
Ontario also added 76 net new deaths to its COVID-19 tally this week. The total death toll since the onset of the pandemic in March 2020 now stands at 14,427.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'He didn't want to die': Family of Calgary man killed in standoff speaks out
Family of a Calgary man killed after a 30-hour standoff with police last week are speaking out, sharing details of the tense and heart-wrenching experience.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.
Ohio mom who left toddler alone 10 days when she went on vacation pleads guilty to aggravated murder
An Ohio mother whose 16-month-old daughter died after being left home alone in a playpen for 10 days last summer while she went on vacation was sentenced Monday to life in prison with no chance of parole.
Retired teacher pleads guilty to paying for sex with 15-year-old in Collingwood, Ont.
In a Barrie courtroom on Monday, a retired high school teacher from the Niagara Region pleaded guilty to sexual touching and obtaining sexual services from a 15-year-old boy in Collingwood in 2021.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
5 charged in Calgary kidnappings that targeted women
Calgary police have charged five men in a pair of kidnappings last year that targeted innocent victims.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Canadian commander of volunteer fighter group dies in Ukraine
A Canadian-born commander of the so-called Norman Brigade, a volunteer fighting group in Ukraine, has died.
Woman, 18, killed by co-worker's vehicle on Highway 1 in Moose Jaw
Moose Jaw police say an 18-year-old woman who was at work has died from injuries she sustained in a collision with a vehicle being driven by her co-worker last Thursday.