Ontario's daily COVID-19 cases hit highest mark in months with 793 new infections, 4 deaths
Ontario health officials are reporting 793 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday — the highest daily case count since mid-September.
Officials also recorded four new deaths, pushing the total number of COVID-19-related fatalities in the province to 9,959.
Today’s case count comes after officials logged 711 new cases on Thursday, 512 new cases on Wednesday and 481 new cases on Tuesday
Ontario’s rolling seven-day average now stands at 625, up from 537 at this point last week.
With 30,515 tests processed in the past 24 hours, the Ministry of Health says the positivity rate in the province stands at about 2.6 per cent.
Of the new infections reported Friday, 385 cases involved people who are unvaccinated, 22 were in those partially vaccinated and 63 were in individuals whose vaccination status is unknown. The remaining 323 infections involved people who are fully vaccinated.
Health experts have noted the number of COVID-19 infections identified in fully vaccinated individuals will naturally increase as more people get both of their shots. Vaccination helps reduce the risk of severe symptoms related to COVID-19 as well as hospitalization.
The province stated at least 269 people are in hospital due to COVID-19. Of those hospitalized, 172 were admitted in the last 24 hours — 95 of which were unvaccinated, 13 were partially vaccinated and 64 were fully vaccinated.
The province says 128 patients are in intensive care due to COVID-19.
The province deemed 567 more cases of the disease to be resolved as of Friday, bringing Ontario’s number of recovered patients up to 595,169.
Today’s report brings the total number of lab-confirmed cases in Ontario to 610,222 including deaths and recoveries.
WHERE ARE THE NEW COVID-19 CASES?
In the Greater Toronto Area, officials reported 115 new cases in Toronto, 54 new cases in Peel Region, 60 new cases in York Region and 25 new cases in Durham Region.
Outside of the GTA, regions that reported more than 30 new infections include Hamilton (41), Ottawa (31), Simcoe-Muskoka (71), Southwestern (37), Sudbury (37) and Windsor-Essex (51).
All other regions reported fewer than 30 new cases of the virus.
According to the province’s epidemiology report, of the 793 new infections reported on Friday, 194 cases were identified in children under the age of 12.
The province also recorded 45 cases in youth between the ages of 12 and 19 and another 215 cases in people between the ages of 20 and 39.
On Friday, 109 COVID-19 infections were found in schools across Ontario. Of the infections found in schools, 101 were recorded in students, seven were in staff and one was in an unidentified individual.
There are 599 schools with at least one confirmed case and seven facilities are currently closed as a result.
OVER 11.1M PEOPLE FULLY VACCINATED IN ONTARIO
The province reports that 11,187,346 people in Ontario have received both doses of a COVID-19 vaccine and are now considered fully vaccinated against the virus.
In the last 24-hour period, officials said 13,897 doses of the vaccine were administered to Ontario residents.
Just over 22.7 million vaccine doses have been administered in the province since the rollout began last year.
On Friday, Health Canada authorized the first COVID-19 vaccine for children, giving the regulatory green light to Pfizer-BioNTech’s two-dose vaccine for kids aged five to 11-years-old.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Serial sexual offender linked to unsolved 1970s homicides of four Calgary girls, women
An investigation into unsolved historical homicides from the 1970s has linked the deaths of two girls and two young women in and around Calgary to a now-deceased serial offender.
Woman with liver failure rejected for a transplant after medical review highlights alcohol use
For nearly three months, Amanda Huska has been in an Ontario hospital, part of it on life support, because of severe liver failure. Her history of alcohol use is getting in the way of her only potential treatment: a liver transplant.
BREAKING Craig Berube named as next head coach of Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs have named Craig Berube as their new head coach.
A look back on Alberta's record-breaking wildfire season: Preparing for potential challenges in 2024
By the end of the 2023 wildfire season in Alberta, 1,088 wildfires had burned more than 2.2 million hectares of land, and this year, the wildfire season is already in full swing.
Person charged in random assault on actor Steve Buscemi in New York
A person wanted in connection with the random assault on actor Steve Buscemi on a New York City street earlier this month was taken into custody Friday, police said.
B.C. man 'attacked suddenly' by adult grizzly near Alberta boundary: RCMP
A B.C. man is recovering from multiple injuries after he was "attacked suddenly" by an adult grizzly bear near Elkford Thursday afternoon.
Australia's richest woman seeks removal of her portrait from exhibition
Art is subjective. And while many artists long to share their work with the world, there's no guarantee that the audience will understand it, or even like it.
Video appears to show Sean 'Diddy' Combs beating singer Cassie in hotel hallway in 2016
Security video aired by CNN appears to show Sean 'Diddy' Combs physically assaulting singer Cassie in a Los Angeles hotel hallway in 2016.
Anglers reel in 3.5-metre-long tiger shark off coast of Florida: 'She found my bait'
A group of fishers said it took roughly 20 minutes to reel in this 3.5-metre-long tiger shark off the coast of Florida.