Ontario records lowest number of new COVID-19 cases in nearly eight months
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.
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.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
A 'tragedy that can't be measured': North Bay's forever chemical problem is also the rest of Canada's
For decades, North Bay, Ontario's water supply has harboured chemicals associated with liver and developmental issues, cancer and complications with pregnancy. It's far from the only city with that problem.
opinion How to use your credit card as a powerful wealth-building tool
Irresponsibly using a credit card can land you in financial trouble, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew says when used properly, it can be a powerful wealth-building tool that can help grow your credit profile and create new opportunities.
Questlove was not happy with Drake and Kendrick Lamar's beef: 'Nobody won the war'
While some may have been excited and/or amused by the diss-track feud between Drake and Kendrick Lamar, the man many consider to be an elder statesman of hip-hop appears less than enthused about it.
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Bouchard lifts Edmonton Oilers to 4-3 overtime win over Canucks in Game 2
Evan Bouchard scored 5:38 into overtime and the Edmonton Oilers bounced back for a 4-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs on Friday.
A renewed Russian offensive on Kharkiv in northeast Ukraine forces some 1,700 civilians to flee
Russian forces began a renewed ground assault in Ukraine's northeast, killing and injuring several people and forcing more than 1,700 civilians to evacuate from the Kharkiv region, officials said Saturday.
Israel orders new evacuations in the southern Gaza city of Rafah as it prepares to expand operations
Israel ordered new evacuations in Gaza's southern city of Rafah on Saturday, forcing tens of thousands more people to move as it prepares to expand its operation and adding that it is also moving into an area in northern Gaza where Hamas has regrouped.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.