TORONTO

Ontario records fewer than 200 new cases of COVID-19 for third straight day

Phil Tsekouras CTVNewsToronto.ca Journalist

Published Tuesday, June 16, 2020 10:26AM EDT Last Updated Tuesday, June 16, 2020 2:01PM EDT

Employees work at the Canadian Hospital Specialities (CHS) helping take dual COVID-19 testing swab kits and separating them into two units to help with swab capacity during the COVID-19 pandemic in Oakville, Ont., on Monday, June 8, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

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TORONTO -- Ontario health officials reported 184 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday morning, the third day in a row in which the province has recorded fewer than 200 cases.

The new cases represent a very minor increase (0.6 per cent) over the day earlier, when 181 lab-confirmed cases were reported.

As well, the number of resolved cases reported in recent days continues to outpace the number of new cases with 218 cases resolved in the last 24 hour period.

"With 218 more resolved, there are 34 fewer active cases in the province," Ontario's Health Minister Christine Elliott said in a tweet published Tuesday. "Since Tuesday of last week, there are 1,245 fewer active cases."

For the third day in a row, Ontario is reporting fewer than 200 cases, with 184 new cases of #COVID19 today or a 0.6% increase. With 218 more resolved, there are 34 fewer active cases in the province. Since Tuesday of last week, there are 1,245 fewer active cases.
— Christine Elliott (@celliottability) June 16, 2020

This brings the total number of cases in Ontario to 32,554, including 27,431 resolved cases and 2,538 deaths, 11 of which occurred since yesterday.

Testing numbers remain high with 21,724 tests completed over Monday. So far, the province has conducted 1,047,224 tests for COVID-19 since late-January. There are 17,920 tests that are currently investigation.

Yesterday, Ontario's Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. David Williams noted that while the number of tests completed daily is high, the number of new cases reported and case positivity is trending downwards. In fact, Williams said that at one point in recent days, Ontario’s case positivity rate was as low as one per cent.

Hospitalizations for COVID-19 in Ontario also continue to decline with 413 patients currently being treated for the virus, down from the 419 reported on Monday. Of those patients, 98 are currently in an intensive care unit, 70 of which are breathing with the assistance of a ventilator.

Where in Ontario are the new cases?

On Monday, Premier Doug Ford announced that more regions of Ontario would be moving to the next phase of reopening, while Toronto, Windsor and Peel Region remain largely locked down due to the number of new COVID-19 cases being reported daily in those regions.

Of the 184 cases reported today, 79 new infections were confirmed in Toronto, 23 were confirmed in Peel Region and 16 in Windsor-Essex.

Many public health units across the province recorded very few cases or no cases at all.

However, Simcoe Muskoka District Health did report 12 new cases. That region was permitted to enter the second stage of the provincial reopening last Friday. York Region Public Health recorded 18 new cases and is expected to reopen on Friday, as per the government’s latest announcement.

Quick facts on all COVID-19 patients in Ontario: