Ontario records slight dip in COVID-19 cases but deaths spike

TORONTO -- Ontario has reported a slight dip in the number of new COVID-19 cases but a spike in the number of deaths.

Health officials confirmed 790 new infections on Wednesday, which is a slight decrease from the 821 cases reported on Tuesday.

The majority of cases were found in Ontario's four COVID-19 hotspots, which are currently in a modified Stage 2. There are 321 new cases in Toronto, 127 in Peel Region, 76 in York Region and 57 in Ottawa.

Ontario also reported a spike in the number of deaths on Wednesday, logging nine new COVID-19-related fatalities. On Tuesday, the province added three deaths. 

The nine deaths bring Ontario's total number of fatalities to 3,062. The total number of lab-confirmed infections in the province is now 66,686, including deaths and recoveries.

There were 719 more cases considered to be resolved by officials on Wednesday. The province now has a total of 57,325 recovered patients. 

The record number of COVID-19 cases in Ontario reported in a single day was on Oct. 9 when 939 new infections were added.

Other regions of in province reporting more than 10 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday include Durham Region (43), Simcoe Muskoka (13), Hamilton (34), Halton (24), Niagara (19) and Waterloo (15).

The majority of the new cases (348) were found in people in the 20 to 39 age category. There were also 217 new infections in the 39 to 60 age category, 94 in the under 19 age group and 133 in people over the age of 60.

There are now 260 people being treated for COVID-19 in Ontario hospitals, down slightly from Tuesday. Of those patients, 71 are in the intensive care unit and 49 are breathing with the assistance of a ventilator. 

Testing numbers in Ontario also increased on Wednesday after they crumbled on Tuesday to the lowest in weeks.

There were more than 32,000 tests completed in the previous 24-hour period, which gives Ontario a positivity rate 2.4 per cent.  

Ontario is reporting 790 cases of #COVID19 as over 32,600 tests were completed. Locally, there are 321 new cases in Toronto, 157 in Peel, 76 in York Region and 57 in Ottawa. There are 719 more resolved cases.

— Christine Elliott (@celliottability) October 21, 2020

Meanwhile, Premier Doug Ford is expected to make an announcement on Wednesday afternoon at Queen's Park.

Ford will be joined by Minister of Health Christine Elliott, Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Michael Tibollo and Associate Minister of Children and Women's Issues.

CTVNewsToronto.ca will stream the announcement live at 1 p.m.