Ontario marks lowest COVID-19 daily case count in months
Ontario health officials logged 306 new COVID-19 infections on Wednesday, marking the lowest daily case count since the beginning of August.
The new cases represent a significant decrease from the 390 infections reported on Tuesday and the 458 cases logged on the holiday Monday.
The last time Ontario logged a daily case count this low was on Aug. 5, when health officials reported 213 infections.
Ontario’s seven-day rolling average of daily infections continues to decline as a result, now standing at about 500, down from 565 the previous week.
With just over 23,200 COVID-19 tests processed in the last 24 hours, the Ministry of Health says the province’s positivity rate is about 1.7 per cent.
On Wednesday, Ontario officials also confirmed 12 additional deaths related to COVID-19, bringing the total death tally since the beginning of the pandemic to 9,804.
There are 242 people being treated for COVID-19 in Ontario hospitals, officials say. Of those patients, 153 are in intensive care.
Provincial officials say that 139 of the 153 people in intensive care are either not fully vaccinated or have an unknown vaccination status.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, Ontario has reported 593,020 lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19, including deaths and recoveries.
WHERE ARE THE NEW COVID-19 CASES?
The majority of cases continue to be reported in the Greater Toronto Area.
According to the province’s epidemiology report, there are 68 infections in Toronto, 29 in York Region and 18 in Peel Region.
Windsor-Essex is reporting 32 infections while Ottawa has logged 20 new COVID-19 cases.
Seven other public health units are reporting more than 10 cases.
Of the 306 new cases reported Wednesday, the province says 105 are in people aged 19 and under. There were 87 COVID-19 cases in people between the ages of 20 and 39, while 72 cases were logged in individuals between the ages of 40 and 59.
Forty-two cases were logged in people over the age of 60.
According to provincial data, there are 269 new school-related COVID-19 cases identified on Wednesday. Of those cases, 249 were in students.
The Ministry of Health confirmed that this number includes data over the last four days due to the holiday.
Five schools are closed as a result of COVID-19.
The province is reporting an additional 30 cases of the Delta variant in lab-confirmed COVID-19 tests, bringing the total number to 19,448.
MORE THAN 10.7 MILLION PEOPLE FULLY VACCINATED
There are now more than 10.7 million people in Ontario who have received both doses of a vaccine.
In the last 24 hours, 29,857 doses were administered in the province.
According to the province, 87.1 per cent of eligible Ontarians aged 12 and up have received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine while 82.5 per cent 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
NEW She developed a passion for genealogy while finding her roots. Now she helps others find their own
Lauren Robilliard always knew she was adopted. As the B.C. native grew older, she developed a passion for genealogy, tracing her roots and paving the way for a career to help others find their own.
Papua New Guinea says landslide buried more than 2,000 people
A Papua New Guinea government official has told the United Nations more than 2,000 people were believed to have been buried alive by Friday's landslide and has formally asked for international help.
NEW A cross-country look at beer and wine in convenience stores
By Labour Day weekend, Ontarians of legal drinking age could snag a six-pack at their local convenience store on the way to the cottage. But what are alcohol sales like across the country? Here's what we know.
The dreams of a 60-year-old beauty contestant come to an abrupt end in Argentina
A 60-year-old woman saw her dreams of becoming the oldest Miss Universe contestant in history melt away in a haze of sequins and selfies Saturday at Argentina’s annual beauty pageant.
Are you a loud snorer? You could have sleep apnea
You'll have a lot more energy throughout the day if you get a good night's sleep, but not everyone does due to a medical condition.
'We were vetted': Sex-ed organization 'disappointed' over Higgs' comments
The head of a Quebec-based sexual and reproductive health organization says she's disappointed New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs has deemed presentations she did in the province last week inappropriate.
Cyclone floods coastal villages, blows away thatched roofs and cuts power in Bangladesh and India
A cyclone flooded coastal villages, blew away thatched roofs and left hundreds of thousands of people without power Monday in southern Bangladesh and eastern India. At least seven deaths were reported.
This type of screen time has the worst effect on kids: experts
According to some experts, there is one type of screen time that is continuously excessive, and it's having a severe effect on our children.
DEVELOPING Indigo Books & Music shareholders to vote on privatization sale
Indigo Books & Music Inc. shareholders are expected to vote this morning on whether the retailer should accept a sweetened offer from a holding company that plans to take the bookstore chain private.