Ontario COVID-19 hospitalizations drop to 4,026 while ICU admissions reach 600
Ontario health officials are reporting a drop in the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations on Saturday as ICU admissions linked to the virus climb.
The 4,026 patients currently in hospital represent a decrease over the 4,114 patients reported a day earlier. Meanwhile, ICU admissions rose from 590 to 600.
Of those 4,026 patients, 56 per cent were admitted to the hospital for COVID-19 and 44 per cent were admitted for other reasons but have since tested positive for the virus, according to Health Minister Christine Elliott.
Most of the patients in hospital are fully vaccinated at 2,079, while 783 are unvaccinated, and 194 are partially vaccinated. No vaccination information was provided for the remaining 970 hospitalized patients.
In the ICU, 81 per cent of patients were admitted for COVID-19 and 19 per cent were admitted for other reasons but tested positive for COVID-19 after their admission.
Data released by the government shows that 227 patients in the ICU are fully vaccinated, 216 are unvaccinated, and 17 are partially vaccinated. The vaccination status of the remaining 140 patients is unknown, according to the government.
Another 6,473 cases of COVID-19 were reported across Ontario since yesterday, though officials have said that number is likely an underestimate due to limited testing availability.
With 36,396 tests processed in the last 24 hours, Ontario’s COVID-19 positivity rate is 15.9 per cent.
The Ministry of Health says that 47 deaths linked to COVID-19 were reported on Saturday, though they say that number only includes deaths that have occurred in the last month.
At least one of the deaths reported today involved a person under the age of 19, although the age of that individual and the public health unit reporting their death was not disclosed.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, Ontario has seen 990,832 lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 10,912 deaths and 908,533 recoveries.
On Thursday, the province announced that public health measures introduced earlier this month aimed at slowing the Omicron-fuelled spread of COVID-19, including the closure of indoor dining and the suspension of operations at gyms, will begin to lift on Jan. 31.
Each step of the province’s three-step plan to gradually lift COVID-19 restrictions will be separated by 21 days in order for the province to monitor public health trends.
WHERE ARE THE NEW COVID-19 CASES?
Most of the cases reported by the province on Saturday were found in Toronto (1,118), Peel Region (820), Ottawa (469), and York Region (452).
Other areas with relatively high COVID-19 case counts reported today include Halton Region (304), Windsor-Essex (303), Durham Region (290), and Waterloo (261).
UPDATE ON COVID-19 VACCINATIONS
According to Elliott, 91.6 per cent of Ontarians over the age 12 have one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 88.9 per cent have two doses and are considered to be fully vaccinated.
Premier Doug Ford said Thursday that the province is not currently considering updating its proof of vaccination requirement, which is currently required to enter non-essential businesses like restaurants and gyms, from two doses to three.
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.
Health experts have said the number of COVID-19 infections identified in fully vaccinated individuals will naturally increase as more people get both of their shots.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'The world is too messy for bureaucratic hurdles': Canada still bars Afghanistan aid
Ottawa has plans to finally stop blocking Canadian development aid to Afghanistan this year.
Student anti-war protesters dig in as faculties condemn university leadership over calling police
Students protesting the Israel-Hamas war at at universities across U.S., some of whom have clashed with police in riot gear, dug in Saturday and vowed to keep their demonstrations going, while several school faculties condemned university presidents who have called in law enforcement to remove protesters.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Hamas is reviewing an Israeli proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza, as possible Rafah offensive looms
Hamas said Saturday it was reviewing a new Israeli proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza, as Egypt intensified efforts to broker a deal to end the months-long war and stave off a possible Israeli ground offensive into the southern Gaza city of Rafah.
Cisco reveals security breach, warns of state-sponsored spy campaign
State-sponsored actors targeted security devices used by governments around the world, according to technology firm Cisco Systems, which said the network devices are coveted intrusion points by spies.
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 'oesn't get' the global phenomenom.
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Russia renews attacks on the Ukrainian energy sector as Kyiv launches drones at southern Russia
Russia launched a barrage of missiles against Ukraine overnight, in attacks that appeared to target the country's energy infrastructure. Meanwhile, Russia said its air defense systems had intercepted more than 60 Ukrainian drones over the southern Krasnodar region.
Sean 'Diddy' Combs files motion to dismiss some claims in a sexual assault lawsuit
Lawyers for Sean "Diddy" Combs pushed back against a woman's lawsuit that accused him of sexual assault, filing a motion on Friday to dismiss some claims that were not under law when the alleged incident occurred.