Ontario reports 496 new COVID-19 cases and two deaths
Ontario health officials are reporting 496 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday and two more deaths linked to the disease.
Friday’s case count marks an increase from the 417 cases logged on Thursday, along with the 306 new infections on Wednesday, which was the lowest daily case count since the beginning of August.
Ontario’s rolling seven-day average now stands at 465, down from the 573 cases recorded a week ago.
With 35,905 tests processed in the past 24 hours, the Ministry of Health says the positivity rate in Ontario stands at 1.4 cent.
Today’s case count comes just a day after the province reached its lowest positivity rate since the beginning of August.
The province reported two more deaths linked to COVID-19 on Friday, bringing the total death tally in the province to 9,809.
Of Friday’s cases, 334 are in people who are not fully vaccinated or have an unknown vaccination status. The remaining 162 cases are in people who are fully vaccinated.
According to the province, 265 people are in hospital due to COVID-19, including 228 who are either not fully vaccinated or have an unknown vaccination status and 37 who are fully vaccinated .
In the intensive care unit, 163 individuals have COVID-19; 148 are not fully vaccinated or have an unknown vaccination status and 15 are fully vaccinated.
Ontario’s total number of lab-confirmed cases has reached 593,933, including deaths and recoveries.
WHERE ARE THE NEW COVID-19 CASES IN ONTARIO?
The majority of the province’s new COVID-19 cases are in the Greater Toronto Area. In Toronto, officials reported 74 new infections, 60 in Peel Region, 28 in York Region and 15 in Durham Region.
Apart from Windsor-Essex, where there are 40 new cases, all other regions reported fewer than 30 new cases on Friday.
According to the province, there are 80 new COVID-19 infections in Ontario schools, including 69 in students and eight involving staff. The remaining three cases were not identified.
Of the 4,844 schools in the province, health officials reported 677 have at least one reported case of COVID-19.
Three schools are closed in the province due to COVID-19.
In Ontario, 87.3 per cent of those eligible in the province have at least one dose of a vaccine and nearly 82.8 per cent are fully vaccinated.
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
Robert Pickton to remain in medically induced coma until later this week: police
Serial killer Robert Pickton will remain in a medically induced coma for at least the next few days following an attack in a Quebec prison Sunday, according to police spokesperson Hugues Beaulieu.
Charlie Colin, founding member of the pop-rock band Train, dies at 58
Charlie Colin, bassist and founding member of the American pop-rock band Train, best known for their early-aughts hits like 'Drops of Jupiter' and 'Meet Virginia,' has died. He was 58.
'Five feet nothing': Pickton's safety likely behind Quebec transfer, says ex-prison judge
When serial killer Robert Pickton was transferred from British Columbia's Kent Institution to a maximum security prison in Quebec about six years ago, correctional authorities gave no public explanation or confirmation at the time, citing privacy.
'I feel betrayed': Ottawa-area customers out thousands of dollars warn of bad faith contractor
A group of people from eastern Ontario and western Quebec is issuing a warning about Dennis Walker and his company Vue Windows.
Fancy pigeon outfitted in custom diaper has free rein in B.C. family home
When Chrissy Chin volunteered to take in a fancy pigeon abandoned on a park bench, she never imagined she would one day be ordering custom-made diapers for the bird – who lives in her house and has become a member of the family.
'We'll need all hands on deck': Details emerge after deadly boat crash near Kingston
Police say they have wrapped up their on-scene investigation into a deadly boat crash in eastern Ontario as details of the incident begin to emerge.
WestJet planning new fare category for travellers willing to forgo carry-on bag
WestJet Airlines plans to launch a new cheaper fare category that would be available to travellers willing to fly without a carry-on bag.
5 dead and at least 35 hurt in Iowa tornado: officials
Five people died and at least 35 were hurt as powerful tornadoes ripped through Iowa Tuesday, with one carving a path of destruction through the town of Greenfield, officials said.
Woman found dead in Lake Ontario in 2017 matches identity of missing person in Switzerland
Genetic genealogy has helped Toronto police identify a woman who was found dead in Lake Ontario in 2017.