Ontario reports 321 new COVID-19 cases, 10 additional deaths
Another 321 cases of COVID-19 are being reported across Ontario on Wednesday, as well as 10 additional deaths linked to the disease.
The seven-day average for the number of cases reported in the province stands at 366. This time last week, that number was 406.
Of the cases reported Wednesday, 158 involve individuals who are unvaccinated and 118 involve those who are fully vaccinated. The 45 remaining cases involve people who are either not fully vaccinated or their vaccination status is unknown at this time.
Wednesday’s report marks a jump from the 269 novel coronavirus infections logged a day earlier, which was the lowest single-day case total recorded in months.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, Ontario has seen 598,431 lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 585,591 recoveries and 9,862 deaths—10 of which were reported by the province today. Nine of those deaths occurred in September and one occurred more than one month ago but are only being reported today due to a “data cleaning,” the government said.
Right now, there are 215 people in hospital with COVID-19, including 188 patients who are not fully vaccinated or have an unknown vaccination status and 27 patients who are fully vaccinated. Of the 134 patients in the ICU, 118 are not fully vaccinated or have an unknown vaccination status and 16 are fully vaccinated.
With 30,776 tests processed in the last 24 hours, Ontario's COVID-19 positivity rate stands at 1.4 per cent, according to the Ministry of Health.
Where are the new COVID-19 cases?
Most of the cases reported by the province on Wednesday were found in Toronto (66), York Region (33), Ottawa (27), and Sudbury (27).
Other areas that reported notable COVID-19 case counts include Windsor-Essex (17), Halton Region (17), Peel Region (16), and Middlesex-London (16).
Ninety COVID-19 infections were found in schools across Ontario since Tuesday. Eighty-five of those cases were recorded in students and the remaining five were in staff members.
There are 533 schools with at least one confirmed case and two facilities are currently closed as a result.
In the last 24 hours, labs confirmed seven additional cases of the COVID-19 Delta variant B.1.617.2. The province has confirmed 20,618 cases of the strain so far.
Update on COVID-19 vaccinations
As of Wednesday, nearly 88 per cent of the eligible population has one shot of a COVID-19 vaccine and almost 84.1 per cent have two doses and are considered to be fully vaccinated.
On Tuesday, Premier Doug Ford said the province would hit its target of 90 per cent vaccination coverage in those eligible even without the vaccine approval for children under 12.
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
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Police arrest 3 Indian nationals in killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.
Suter scores late goal, clinches series for Canucks
Pius Suter scored with 1:39 left and the Vancouver Canucks advanced to the second round of the NHL playoffs with a 1-0 victory over the Nashville Predators on Friday night in Game 6.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
Quebec man who threatened Trudeau, Legault online sentenced to 20 months in jail
A Quebec man who pleaded guilty to threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier François Legault has been sentenced to 20 months in jail.
Human remains found in rural Sask. possibly a decade old, RCMP say
RCMP say human remains found in a rural area in central Saskatchewan may have been there for a decade or more.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Drew Carey is never quitting 'The Price Is Right'
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.