TORONTO -- Ontario is reporting fewer than 100 new cases of COVID-19 for the fourth consecutive day.

Health officials logged 95 new lab-confirmed infections of the novel coronavirus on Thursday.

With some exceptions, the number of new COVID-19 cases in Ontario has been generally trending downward in recent weeks, a pattern which Health Minister Christine Elliott described as a “persistent decline,” in a tweet published Thursday morning.

The 95 new infections announced Thursday brings the province's total of lab-confirmed cases to 39,809– a 0.2 per cent increase over Wednesday’s total when 86 cases were added.

As well, the number of resolved COVID-19 cases in Ontario continues to outpace active cases. With 159 more recoveries added on Thursday, more than 90 per cent (35,906) of the province's total coronavirus infections are considered to be resolved by the ministry of health.

Ontario health officials also recorded one death in the last 24-hour period as a result of COVID-19.

The number of hospitalizations for COVID-19 has remained generally low in recent weeks. There are currently 71 patients in hospital with the virus. Of those patients, 29 are being treated in an intensive care unit, 13 of which are breathing with the assistance of a ventilator. 

Where are the new COVID-19 cases?

Of the province's 34 public health units, most reported fewer than five new cases on Thursday morning. In fact, 15 public health units recorded no new cases at all.

The majority of the new infections were reported in Toronto (30), Ottawa (19),Chatham-Kent (10) and Peel Region (7), all areas currently operating in Stage 3 of the province's regional reopening plan.

Windsor-Essex is the only region in Ontario excluded from Stage 3, though only five new cases of the virus were reported in that area in the last 24-hour period. 

Of all the new cases of COVID-19 reported on Thursday, most are between the ages of 20 and 59.

COVID-19 testing in Ontario

Since yesterday, the province completed 26,181 tests for the novel coronavirus. That number is up significantly from the roughly 17,000 tests recorded a day earlier.

Ontario has processed more than 2.3 million tests for COVID-19 since the beginning of the outbreak in late January. 

Meanwhile, 19,292 tests remain under investigation.