Ontario reports 573 new cases of COVID-19 and 10 deaths

TORONTO -

Health officials in Ontario are reporting 573 new cases of COVID-19 and 10 more deaths linked to the disease. 

The new infections mark a slight decrease from the 587 cases reported on Thursday. On Wednesday, 476 cases were logged and on Tuesday, there were 429.

The seven-day rolling average now stands at 551, a significant drop from the 597 cases reported last week.

With more than 37,000 tests processed over the last 24 hours, Ontario health officials say the province’s positivity rate is 1.8 per cent.

Of the cases reported on Friday, 381 are in people who are not vaccinated, or have an unknown vaccination status, and 192 are in people who are fully vaccinated, according to the Ministry of Health.

Ontario Health Minister Christine Elliott says 271 patients are being treated for COVID-19 in provincial hospitals, 228 of which are not fully vaccinated or have an unknown vaccination status, and 43 are fully vaccinated.

In the intensive care unit (ICU), 154 patients have COVID-19. Of those in the ICU, 139 are not fully vaccinated or have an unknown vaccination status, and 15 are fully vaccinated.

Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kieran Moore outlined guidelines for gathering on Thanksgiving and Halloween on Thursday.

He said indoor gatherings with people from outside your household are allowed this year, as long as they follow the current provincial gathering limits.

Ontario's gathering limits are currently 100 outdoors and 25 indoors.

"We are able to gather together with friends and family for Thanksgiving this year provided public health rules are followed," Dr. Moore said Thursday. 

For Halloween, Dr. Moore said trick-or-treating is safe to go ahead.

WHERE ARE THE NEW COVID-19 CASES?

The majority of the province’s COVID-19 cases are in the Greater Toronto Area.

In Toronto, there are 104 new COVID-19 cases. Peel logged 80 new infections and York reported 41.

In all other Ontario municipalities, excluding Windsor-Essex (35) and Ottawa (32), there are fewer than 30 new cases of the virus.

According to provincial data, 126 COVID-19 cases were found at schools in Ontario, with 114 of those cases in students. Nine schools are currently closed due to the virus.

In Ontario, nearly 87 per cent of the eligible population is vaccinated with one dose of a vaccine and almost 82 per cent are now fully protected from COVID-19.