Ontario reports 486 new COVID-19 cases and 5 more deaths
Ontario is reporting 486 new COVID-19 cases, marking the sixth day in a row in which the daily case count was below 500.
The majority of the new cases are in those who are not fully vaccinated or who have an unknown vaccination status.
The province said that only 157 of the cases reported Saturday were in people who have received both shots.
Saturday’s case count is a slight decrease from the 496 infections reported on Friday, but an increase from the 417 cases reported Thursday and 306 confirmed Wednesday.
The seven-day average of daily COVID-19 cases now stands at about 441, down from 537 the previous week.
With just over 32,600 tests processed in the last 24-hour period, the Ministry of Health says that the province’s positivity rate is about 1.7 per cent.
Five additional deaths were reported on Saturday, bringing Ontario’s death tally since the beginning of the pandemic to 9,814.
There are at least 242 people being treated for COVID-19 in Ontario hospitals, with 164 of those patients in intensive care.
Of those in the ICU, 146 are either not fully vaccinated or have an unknown vaccination status.
The new cases come as Ontario moves to further reopen the economy.
A week ago, the province lifted all capacity restrictions at select large indoor and outdoor venues used for sport games, concerts and events. Premier Doug Ford also confirmed Friday that officials will be releasing a strategy to exit Step 3 of Ontario’s reopening plan sometime next week.
“The work began months ago and we're finalizing the plan now, including where and when we may need to reapply measures should they be required to stop a surge in transmission,” Ford told reporters on Friday.
Meanwhile, Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kieran Moore said he wants to wait until a few weeks after Thanksgiving before moving forward to ensure there isn’t a spike in cases.
Since the beginning of the pandemic Ontario has logged 594,419 lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19, including deaths and recoveries.
WHERE ARE THE NEW COVID-19 CASES?
Sixteen public health units in Ontario are reporting more than 10 new COVID-19 cases, according to the province’s epidemiology report.
Those reporting more than 30 infections include Toronto (88), Peel Region (60), Windsor-Essex (40) and York Region (35).
Of Saturday’s infections, 138 were in people under the age of 20.
There were 151 infections reported in people between the ages of 20 and 39, and 126 infections in people between the ages of 40 and 59.
Ontario reported 66 COVID-19 cases in people over the age of 60.
Officials also logged an additional 54 cases of the Delta variant in lab-confirmed COVID-19 tests, bringing the total to 19,645.
More than 10.8 million people have received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine and are considered fully vaccinated.
A little more than 30,300 doses were administered in Ontario in the last 24-hour period.
Ontario is slowly approaching its goal of vaccinating 90 per cent of the eligible population. As of Saturday, nearly 84 per cent of individuals aged 12 and up are fully vaccinated with two doses.
About 87.4 per cent of eligible Ontarians have received at least one dose.
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
BREAKING King Charles' cancer treatment progressing well, says Buckingham Palace
King Charles III’s doctors are 'sufficiently pleased' with his cancer treatment and he is expected to return to public-facing duties, Buckingham Palace announced on Friday.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
AFN chief says Air Canada offered a 15% discount after her headdress was mishandled
After the Assembly of First Nations' national chief complained to Air Canada about how staffers treated her and her ceremonial headdress on a flight this week, she says the airline responded by offering a 15 per cent discount on her next flight.
Regina police officer injured after being accidentally shot by fellow officer's gun
An investigation is underway after a Regina police officer was accidentally shot by a fellow officer’s gun during the search of a house early Friday morning.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
DEVELOPING Bird flu outbreaks: WHO weighs in on public health risk
The current overall public health risk posed by the H5N1 bird flu virus is low, the World Health Organization said on Friday, but urged countries to stay alert for cases of animal-to-human transmission.
Taylor Swift dons Montreal designer's dress in 'Fortnight' video
A pair of Montreal designers' work has now been viewed over 41 million times. Taylor Swift dons a Victorian throwback black gown in her latest music video, 'Fortnight', designed by UNTTLD due Simon Belanger and Jose Manuel Saint-Jacques.
From faulty kids' cribs to flammable kids' bathrobes, here are the recalls of the week
Health Canada issued recalls for various items this week, including kids’ bathrobes, cribs and henna cones.
Island near Mull of Kintyre for sale for US$3.1 million
An idyllic 453-acre private island is up for sale off the west coast of Scotland and it comes with sandy beaches, puffins galore, seven houses, a pub, a helipad and a flock of black-faced sheep.