Ontario reports 16 new COVID-19 deaths

Ontario health officials reported 16 new COVID-19 deaths on Tuesday.

A total of 12,272 have died after contracting the disease since the start of the pandemic. The province recently removed deaths from the total count that were not related to COVID-19 – a shift in their daily reporting method.

Thirteen of the deaths reported Tuesday occurred in the last month while three took place more than a month ago.

Health officials said 688 people in hospital have tested positive for COVID-19 – an increase of 86 since Monday.

There are 220 COVID-19 patients in intensive care – eight fewer than on Monday.

The province also reported that of those hospitalized, 50 per cent are seeking care due to COVID-19, while the remaining patients were admitted to the hospital for unrelated reasons and tested positive for the virus.

In intensive care, 77 per cent of patients were admitted due to COVID-19.

Meanwhile, Ontario is reporting 1,076 new COVID-19 cases, but health officials have warned that number is an underestimate due to restricted testing.

With 9,698 tests processed in the last 24-hours, Ontario is reporting a test positivity rate of 13 per cent.

The majority of infections were identified in the Greater Toronto Area. Officials are reporting 235 new cases in Toronto, 90 new cases in Peel Region, 64 new cases in York Region and 80 new cases in Durham Region.

Officials reported 51 new cases in Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington. The remaining municipalities in Ontario reported under 50 new cases.

The province is recording 30 residents in long-term care homes have COVID-19 along with four staff members. According to provincial data, four deaths were reported on Tuesday among long-term care residents.