Ontario reports week-over-week uptick in COVID hospitalizations for first time since May
Ontario is reporting a week-over week uptick in COVID-19 hospitalizations for the first time since May.
The latest data from the Ministry of Health suggests that there are now 585 people in Ontario hospitals testing positive for the virus, up from 486 at this time last week.
It is just one of several public health indicators that appear to be headed in the wrong direction after a sustained decline in viral activity through most of the spring.
The positivity rate on PCR tests was also up over the last week, with the seven-day average going from 7.64 on June 23 to 9.82 as of today.
Meanwhile, the seven-day average for new cases detected through PCR testing was up 34 per cent week-over-week to 916.
Experts, however, caution that the true number of infections is likely up to 10 times the PCR number due to limited eligibility for testing.
Speaking with CP24.com on Thursday, the head of Ontario’s science table Dr. Fahad Razak said that we are starting to see “see some signals that there is a rise in transmission” taking place but he said it is “not a strong signal, yet.”
The new data release on Thursday comes as the more infectious BA.5 subvariant continues to make up an increasingly large proportion of cases, with some suggesting it will account for nearly 70 per cent of cases by Canada Day.
The National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) is also calling for a wider rollout of booster doses in the fall in anticipation of another wave, something that Premier Doug Ford seemed to indicate a willingness to consider during a press conference on Thursday.
“We were talking to (Chief Medical Officer of Health) Dr. Moore about that yesterday and you will hear further about our rollout in the next little while,” he said.
There were another 43 deaths added to the province’s COVID-19 tally over the last week. The total now stands at 13,421.
Intensive care occupancy for COVID patients remains mostly unchanged from one week ago, declining by one to 95.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.
What a urologist wants you to know about male infertility
When opposite sex couples are trying and failing to get pregnant, the attention often focuses on the woman. That’s not always the case.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Made-in-Newfoundland vodka claims top prize at worldwide competition
A Newfoundland-made vodka has been named one of the world’s best by judges at this year’s World Vodka Awards.