Ontario reports 1,563 people in hospital with COVID-19, 24 more deaths
Ontario health officials say there are currently 1,563 people in hospital with COVID-19, including 204 patients in intensive care.
The total number of people in hospital with the disease dropped slightly from 1,662 on Friday to 1,563 on Saturday.
The number of people in intensive care units across the province also dropped slightly on Saturday from 210 the day before to 204.
Officials also reported 24 more deaths due to COVID-19, all of which occurred over the past 30 days.
Since the start of the pandemic, 12,962 have died due to the disease.
The province reported 2,164 new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, but health officials have warned that number is an underestimate due to testing limitations and backlogs.
With 14,521 processed in the past 24 hours, the Ministry of Health says the province's positivity rate is about 13.1 per cent.
In the Greater Toronto Area, officials reported 519 new cases in Toronto, 168 new cases in York Region, 162 new cases in Peel Region, 100 new cases in Durham Region and 66 new cases in Halton Region.
Officials also reported 119 new cases in Hamilton. All other regions reported fewer than 100 new cases on Saturday.
The province deemed 2,820 more cases of the disease to be resolved as of Saturday, bringing Ontario's number of recovered patients up to 1,235,302.
Today's report brings the total number of lab-confirmed cases in Ontario to 1,272,972.
The province reported 106 resident cases and 30 staff cases in long-term care settings across Ontario. Three of the 24 deaths reported on Saturday involved residents in long-term care.
Officials said that at least 203 long-term care homes are currently dealing with an outbreak.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories

'The only choice': Defence Department going with Boeing to replace aging Aurora fleet
The federal government is buying at least 14 Boeing surveillance planes from the United States to replace the aging CP-140 Aurora fleet, cabinet ministers announced Thursday. The deal costs more than $10.3 billion in total, including US$5.9 billion for the jets themselves, and the planes are expected to be delivered in 2026 and 2027.
Blasted by Bloc, Conservative MP apologizes for asking minister to speak English
Conservative MP Rachael Thomas has apologized after drawing criticism from other members of Parliament for asking Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge to answer questions in English at a committee meeting.
Jaw-dropping video shows collapse at Coquitlam, B.C., construction site
Emergency work is underway after a collapse at a Coquitlam, B.C., construction site that was caught on camera this week.
NHL veteran Perry apologizes for 'inappropriate' behaviour, says he is seeking help
Corey Perry says he has started seeking help for his struggles with alcohol following his release from the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks.
Filmmakers in Bruce Peninsula 'accidentally' discover 128-year-old shipwreck
Yvonne Drebert and Zach Melnick were looking for invasive mussels when they found something no one has laid eyes on for 128 years.
Israeli military confirms release of 8 more Israeli hostages from captivity in Gaza Strip
Hamas freed eight Israeli hostages Thursday in exchange for Israel's release of more Palestinian prisoners under a last-minute deal to extend their ceasefire in Gaza by another day.
On 1st day, UN climate conference sets up fund for countries hit by disasters like flood and drought
Nearly all the world's nations on Thursday finalized the creation of a fund to help compensate countries struggling to cope with loss and damage caused by climate change, seen as a major first-day breakthrough at this year's UN climate conference
B.C. man tries to appeal driving ban by claiming his designated driver crashed his Mercedes, fled the scene
B.C.'s Supreme Court has upheld a 90-day driving ban for a man who refused to give a breath sample after crashing his Mercedes into a ditch – rejecting his claim that an "unnamed designated driver" was behind the wheel and fled the scene.
Suspect arrested in Morocco could be behind Ontario bomb threats, OPP says
Investigators have 'strong reason' to believe that a suspect taken into custody in Morocco could be behind numerous bomb threats across Ontario in early November, police say.