New COVID-19 cases in Ontario drop below 500 as vaccine certificate takes effect
Ontario is reporting fewer than 500 new cases of COVID-19 for the first time in weeks as the province’s vaccine certificate takes effect.
The 463 infections logged Wednesday mark the lowest single-day case total reported since Aug. 17 when 348 were found.
Of the cases reported today, 332 are in individuals who are not fully vaccinated or have an unknown vaccination status and 131 are in fully vaccinated individuals.
Right now, there are 299 people in hospitalized with the disease. Those hospitalizations include 271 patients who are not fully vaccinated or have an unknown vaccination status and 28 who are fully vaccinated.
There are 187 people in an ICU with COVID-19 and 178 are not fully vaccinated or have an unknown vaccination status. At least nine are fully vaccinated.
Wednesday’s report brings Ontario’s seven-day average for the number of cases reported to 691. A week ago, that number was 722.
Labs across the province processed 39,092 tests in the last 24 hours which the Ministry of Health said generated a positivity rate of 1.8. Health officials last reported a positivity rate that low on Aug. 7.
The province has logged 581,231 lab-confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus throughout the course of the pandemic. That number includes 565,710 recoveries and 9,670 deaths—seven of which were reported in the last 24 hours.
Starting today, people will need to show proof of vaccination to enter most non-essential businesses, including indoor restaurants, movie theatres, and gyms in Ontario.
READ MORE: This is where you need and don't need proof of vaccination in Ontario
Where are the new COVID-19 cases?
The province reported high case numbers in Toronto (93), Ottawa (54), and Windsor-Essex (48).
Other regions with case counts in the double digits include Peel Region (41), York Region (30), and Hamilton (27).
Schools across Ontario reported 179 COVID-19 infections Wednesday, including 153 among students, 19 among staff members, and seven unidentified cases.
At least 660 schools have a confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus and one school is closed.
Another 650 cases of Delta variant confirmed
In the previous day, labs confirmed 650 additional cases of the COVID-19 Delta variant B.1.617.2.
This brings the total case count for the strain to 17,594.
No new cases of the Alpha, Beta, or Gamma variant were confirmed in the last 24 hours.
Update on vaccinations
As of today, 85.3 per cent of the eligible population has received at least one shot of a COVID-19 vaccine and nearly 79.4 per cent have received two doses, according to Health Minister Christine Elliott.
Some 40,000 needles went into arms on Tuesday alone, bringing the total number of shots administered to 21,475,030.
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
India's foreign minister reacts to murder charges, claims Canada welcomes criminals
India's Foreign Affairs Minister accused Canada of welcoming criminals from his country in response to the RCMP's recent arrests in a homicide that has roiled tensions between the two countries.
15-year-old boy stabbed in Ottawa on Thursday dies
A 15-year old boy who was critically injured after a stabbing in Nepean on Thursday has died of his injuries, Ottawa's English public school board said Sunday.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
Actor Bernard Hill, of 'Titanic' and 'Lord of the Rings,' has died at 79
Actor Bernard Hill, who delivered a rousing cry before leading his people into battle in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' and went down with the ship as the captain in 'Titanic,' has died.
'A tiny city:' Pro-Palestinian campus protesters organize for another week
Pro-Palestinian activists have set up tents at universities in Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver and Montreal, following a wave of similar protests at campuses in the United States linked to the Israel-Hamas war.
Lawsuit against Meta asks if Facebook users have right to control their feeds using external tools
Do social media users have the right to control what they see — or don't see — on their feeds?
A Holocaust survivor will mark that history differently after the horrors of Oct. 7
This year's Holocaust Remembrance Day, which begins on Sunday evening in Israel, carries a heavier weight than usual for many Jews around the world.
Princess Anne lays wreath at Battle of Atlantic ceremony; honours late Queen
Princess Anne saluted Canadian veterans and current forces members and honoured her late mother during separate ceremonies Sunday in Victoria as she wrapped up a three-day British Columbia West Coast royal visit.
El Nino weakening doesn't mean cooler temperatures this summer, forecasters say
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.