Ontario records lowest number of new COVID-19 cases in nearly eight months

TORONTO -

Ontario is reporting the lowest number of new COVID-19 cases in nearly eight months with another drop in cases on Sunday.

Health officials reported 663 new COVID-19 cases, which is the lowest number of infections in a single day since Oct. 18, 2020. 

It is also a drop from the 744 new cases reported on Saturday. 

Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. David Williams said the COVID-19 data from the weekend will help him advise Premier Doug Ford about whether the province can reopen earlier than June 14. 

Williams said during the week that possibility was looking "less promising" after cases increased for two days straight. 

Step 1 allows for Ontario to relax restrictions that mainly involving outdoor activities.

Outdoor gathering limits will increase to 10 people, patios can reopen, and non-essential retail reopens at 15 per cent capacity. 

There are 115 new COVID-19 cases in Toronto, 112 in Peel Region, 59 in Niagara, 47 in York Region and 40 in Ottawa.

Ontario also added 10 additional COVID-19-related deaths in the previous day, bringing the total number of fatalities since the start of the pandemic to 8,854.

Currently in Ontario, 545 people are in the hospital due to the disease, with 510 patients in intensive care units. At least 344 of those in the ICU are breathing with the help of a ventilator.

With 22,635 tests processed in the past 24 hours, the Ministry of Health says the positivity rate remained at 2.8 per cent on Sunday.

A further 1,222 COVID-19 cases were considered resolved on Sunday, bringing the number of active infections down in the province.

Ontario is closing in on 10 million vaccine doses and will likely cross that mark at some point on Sunday.

Since COVID-19 vaccines starting rolling out, 9,992,575 doses have been given to Ontarians.

Over the past 24-hour period, 158,393 doses were administered.

More than one million people are now considered fully vaccinated, with 1,031,520 people who have received both shots.