Ontario reports 928 new cases of COVID-19 as positivity rate climbs
Health officials in Ontario are reporting 928 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday as the province's positivity rate for the disease reaches a level unseen in months.
Of the cases logged today, 424 were found in unvaccinated individuals, 401 were found in fully vaccinated individuals, and 26 were reported in those who are partially vaccinated. The vaccination status of the remaining 77 cases was not released.
With 26,136 tests processed since Monday, Ontario’s COVID-19 positivity rate stands at 3.8 per cent, the highest level reported since May 31 when it reached 4.3 per cent.
Hospitalizations for COVID-19 total 340, including 122 patients who are unvaccinated, 75 who are fully vaccinated, and 10 who are partially vaccinated. No vaccination information was provided for the remaining 133 cases.
At least 165 patients are in the ICU with a COVID-19-related illness. Of those patients, 70 are unvaccinated, 19 are fully vaccinated, and three are partially vaccinated.
Tuesday’s report brings Ontario’s seven-day average for the number of cases reported to 975. A week ago, that number was 794 and two weeks ago it was 675.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, the province has seen 625,312 lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19. That number includes 606,797 recoveries and 10,036 deaths, nine of which were reported in the last 24 hours.
WHERE ARE THE NEW COVID-19 CASES?
Most of the cases reported by the province on Tuesday were found in Toronto (163), York Region (84), and Simcoe Muskoka (68).
Other areas that reported relatively high COVID-19 case numbers include Sudbury (58), Windsor-Essex (51), Hamilton (50), Peel Region (48), and Ottawa (48).
Meanwhile, Ontario schools reported 178 new cases. Those infections include 162 students and 16 staff members.
Of the province’s 4,844 schools, 810 have at least one confirmed cases of COVID-19 and six schools are closed.
UPDATE ON VACCINATIONS IN ONTARIO
Health Minister Christine Elliott said that 90.1 per cent of Ontarians have one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 87.4 per cent have two doses and are considered to be fully vaccinated.
Throughout the province’s vaccination campaign, 24,076,464 needles have gone into arms across Ontario, 60,631 of which were administered yesterday.
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. Health experts have said the number of COVID-19 infections identified in fully vaccinated individuals will naturally increase as more people get both of their shots.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Fluid in eye cells can 'boil' if you watch the eclipse without protection: expert
Millions of people in parts of Eastern and Atlantic Canada will be able to see the rare solar eclipse happening on April 8. But they should only look up if they have proper eye protection, experts say.
He didn't trust police but sought their help anyway. Two days later, he was dead
Jameek Lowery was among more than 330 Black people who died after police stopped them with tactics that aren’t supposed to be deadly, like physical restraint and use of stun guns, The Associated Press found.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Being harassed at work? What to consider when deciding what to do next
If you've been the victim of workplace harassment, it can be difficult to feel you're not alone - and even more difficult to know where to go with a complaint.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Half of Canadians support TikTok ban, with U.S. concerns 'trickling' north: poll
A new poll indicates 51 per cent of Canadians support banning the social media app TikTok, after a U.S. bill aiming to do just that passed in the House of Representatives.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
More unauthorized products for skin, sexual enhancement, recalled: Here are the recalls of this week
Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency recalled various items this week, including torches, beef biltong and unauthorized products related to skin care and sexual enhancement.