Ontario adds 121 deaths to its COVID-19 tally as one epidemiologist warns of 'tough winter' ahead
Ontario added another 121 deaths to its COVID-19 tally over the last week, as at least one infectious disease specialist warned of a “tough winter” ahead.
It is the highest number of deaths reported over a one-week period since the spring and comes on the heels of the Ministry of Health adding 109 fatalities to its COVID-19 death toll last week.
- Download our app to get local alerts to your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
Meanwhile, the number of people testing positive for COVID-19 in Ontario hospitals rose more than 15 per cent week-over-week and now stands at 1,921.
That is the highest that number has been since early February.
“We know we are in for a tough winter, we know that, we have been talking about this for weeks and weeks and of course we still see a lot of pressure on the health-care system. We have these viral illnesses, COVID, flu will start to become increasingly common and other viruses, like RSV, will make things challenging,” Dr. Isaac Bogoch told CP24 on Thursday morning.
“I know there is a lot of effort to alleviate the burden at the hospital level but we are still going to be in for a challenging fall and winter season in the health-care sector.”
The latest data from the Ministry of Health suggests that there were 11,300 new cases of COVID-19 detected through PCR testing over the last seven days, up from 9,047 the previous week.
The seven-day positivity rate also continued to inch up, going from 15.7 to 16.7 per cent.
Wastewater surveillance has been showing a general upward trajectory in viral levels since about the second week of September.
Speaking with CP24, Bogoch said that the resurgence in viral activity should be a reminder to people about the importance of taking steps to reduce your risk of becoming infected with COVID-19 or another respiratory illness in the coming weeks and months.
“We have a few tools at our disposal that certainly alleviate significant illness. One, we have COVID-19 vaccines that are widely available; two, we have flu vaccines that are available increasingly and thirdly, we know masks, they are not perfect, but they can reduce one’s risk of getting infected and if someone is infected it can reduce their risk of transmitting it to other people,” he said. “They are simple tools, we have had them for a while and we should be utilizing them.”
While the total number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 increased week-over-week, the proportion of people receiving treatment in intensive care decreased (going from 158 to 148).
Outbreaks in the handful of settings with widespread access to PCR testing did continue to rise, however.
There are 197 active outbreaks in long-term care homes, compared to 190 at this time last week and 179 two weeks. The total number of active outbreaks in hospitals rose from 121 one week ago to 129 as of Wednesday.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.