Ontario logs fewer than 500 new COVID-19 cases for first time in 8 months
Ontario’s daily COVID-19 case count has dipped below the 500 mark for the first time in just over eight months.
Health officials logged 469 new infections on Tuesday, as well as 18 deaths related to the novel coronavirus.
The last time the case count was this low was on Sept. 26, 2020, when 435 COVID-19 cases were reported.
Tuesday also marks the ninth day in a row in which Ontario’s daily case count has been below 1,000.
The seven-day rolling average of daily reported COVID-19 cases continues to decline and now stands at about 679, down from 1,029 a week ago.
There are 621 people being treated for the novel coronavirus in Ontario hospitals. At least 481 of those patients are in intensive care.
With 17,579 tests processed in the last 24-hour period, the Ministry of Health says the province’s positivity rate now stands at 2.7 per cent.
The decline in COVID-19 cases over the past week resulted in an earlier reopening for Ontario, with the government announcing Monday that the province would move into Step 1 three days earlier.
On Friday, outdoor gatherings of up to 10 people will be allowed and patios will be able to open their doors. Non-essential retail will also be allowed to reopen with strict capacity limits.
The total number of lab-confirmed positive cases of COVID-9 in Ontario now stands 537,076, including deaths and recoveries.
WHERE ARE THE COVID-19 CASES?
The majority of cases are found in Toronto (182) and Peel Region (76).
The province is reporting zero cases in York Region, but says that the case counts appear to be the result of data cleaning and updating previously reported cases.
Aside from York Region, there are eight public health units with no new COVID-19 cases, while all other municipalities are reporting fewer than 50 infections.
According to the province’s epidemiology report, 1,010 cases of the B.1.1.7. variant were identified in lab-positive tests in the previous 24-hours. These new cases bring the total number of B.1.1.7. variants in Ontario to 133,706.
The province also identified an additional 30 cases of the P.1. variant.
Ontario is not publicly reporting cases of the B.1.617 variant originally found in India.
MORE THAN 1.1 MILLION PEOPLE FULLY VACCINATED
The province administered just over 158,200 vaccine doses in the last 24-hour period.
In total, more than 10.3 million vaccine doses have made it into the arms of Ontarians. Just over 1.1 million people have received two shots and are considered 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
Here's where Canadians are living abroad: report
A recent report sheds light on Canadians living abroad--estimated at around four million people in 2016—and the public policies that impact them.
What is a 'halal mortgage'? Does it make housing more accessible?
The 2024 federal budget announced on April 16 included plans to introduce “halal mortgages” as a way to increase access to home ownership.
'We are declaring our readiness': No decision made yet as Poland declares it's ready to host nuclear weapons
Polish President Andrzej Duda says while no decision has been made around whether Poland will host nuclear weapons as part of an expansion of the NATO alliance’s nuclear sharing program, his country is willing and prepared to do so.
Deadly six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 sparked by road rage incident
One person was killed in a six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 in Innisfil Friday evening.
Invasive and toxic hammerhead worms make themselves at home in Ontario
Ontario is now home to an invasive and toxic worm species that can grow up to three feet long and can be dangerous to small animals and pets.
Harvey Weinstein hospitalized after return to New York from upstate prison
Harvey Weinstein’s lawyer said Saturday that the onetime movie mogul has been hospitalized for a battery of tests after his return to New York City following an appeals court ruling nullifying his 2020 rape conviction.
Opinion I just don't get Taylor Swift
It's one thing to say you like Taylor Swift and her music, but don't blame CNN's AJ Willingham's when she says she just 'doesn't get' the global phenomenon.
Central Alberta queer groups react to request from Red Deer-South to reinstate Jennifer Johnson to UCP caucus
A number of LGBQT+2s groups in Central Alberta are pushing back against a request from the Red Deer South UCP constituency to reinstate MLA Jennifer Johnson into the UCP caucus.
Mookie Betts leads Dodgers past Blue Jays 4-2; Toronto drops fifth consecutive game
Mookie Betts went 3 for 5, including a triple and an RBI single, as the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Toronto Blue Jays 4-2 on Saturday.