Ontario logs lowest daily infection count since Sept. 2020 as province reaches new vaccine milestone

TORONTO -

Ontario has logged just over 500 new COVID-19 cases—the lowest daily infection count since the end of September 2020—as the province reached a new vaccine milestone.

Health officials recorded 525 cases of the novel coronavirus on Monday, as well as 15 more deaths related to the disease.

The new infections represent a significant decrease from the 663 cases reported on Sunday and the 744 logged on Saturday.

The seven-day rolling average of daily cases in Ontario now stands at about 735, down from 1,029 the previous week. The province’s positivity rate now stands at about 3.6 per cent, according to the Ministry of Health, with 15,177 tests processed in the last 24-hour period.

The last time the case count was this low was on Sept. 27, 2020, when 491 COVID-19 cases were reported.

According to the province’s epidemiology report, all but three public health units are reporting fewer than 50 new COVID-19 cases. Eleven public health units are reporting no new infections.

The three municipalities with more than 50 COVID-19 cases include Toronto (114), Peel (96), and Waterloo (51).

The number of COVID-19 patients in intensive care has also dipped below the 500 threshold for the first time in two months. As of Monday, there are 547 people hospitalized with the novel coronavirus. Of those patients, 497 patients are in the ICU.

The total number of COVID-19 cases in Ontario now stands at 536,607, including 8,869 deaths and 519,801 recoveries.

The province’s downward trend has encouraged Ontario officials to commit to an earlier reopening. On Monday, the Ontario government said it would move into Step 1 on June 11, instead of waiting until June 14 as planned.

In Step 1 of the province’s reopening plan, patios and non-essential retail are allowed to open to in-person service. Outdoor gatherings will also be allowed with an increased 10-person cap.

MORE THAN 10 MILLION VACCINE DOSES ADMINISTERED

According to the province’s minister of health, Ontario has administered more than 10 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine.

Christine Elliott made the announcement on social media Monday morning, saying that there is now a “strong level of protection” in the province.

One million doses were administered in the last seven days alone, Elliott said.

“With over one million Ontarians fully immunized, we’re accelerating eligibility to book second dose appointments sooner. Do your part, get the shot,” she said on Twitter.

On Monday, anyone aged 70 and older, as well as people who received their first dose of Pfizer and Moderna on or before April 18, are eligible to book a second dose appointment at a mass immunization clinic using the provincial system.

The province says they will continue to accelerate second doses for all Ontarians "based on when they received their first dose, as well as on the availability of vaccines."

As of Sunday, more than one million people were considered fully vaccinated, with 1,031,520 individuals having received both shots.

The government has previously said they hope to fully vaccinate the majority of Ontarians by the end of the summer.