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
Air quality advisories issued in 5 provinces, 1 territory
Air quality advisories are in effect across Western Canada as smoky conditions plague some areas, according to the latest forecasts. Here's where.
'Oh my God, you're my brother': Man in his 70s discovers 6 unknown siblings
After receiving a DNA kit one Christmas from his son-in-law, Hugh McCormick soon discovered that he had six unknown siblings, with whom he shared the same birth parents.
No refund for travellers who cancelled flight already scrapped by airline: regulator
Four years on, the controversy over whether airlines owed refunds to passengers after cancelling hundreds of thousands of flights during the pandemic continues to simmer, aggravated by a sluggish, opaque complaints process.
Just how bad are ultraprocessed foods? Here are 5 things to know
Many foods fall under the category of ultraprocessed foods, depending on their exact ingredients. This type of food has been studied a lot lately, and the results aren’t great.
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
Rates of cancer declining in Canada, but more work needed to save lives: projections
A new study projecting declining rates of cancer cases and deaths in Canada demonstrates the success of prevention and early detection programs, but also highlights areas where more work is needed to save and prolong lives, researchers say.
DEVELOPING Trump trial arrives at a pivotal moment: Star witness Michael Cohen is poised to take the stand
The star prosecution witness in Donald Trump's hush money trial is set to take the stand Monday with testimony that could help shape the outcome of the first criminal case against an American president.
India's mammoth election is more than halfway done as millions begin voting in fourth round
Millions of Indians across 96 constituencies began casting their ballots on Monday as the country's gigantic, six-week-long election edges past its halfway mark. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking a third straight term with an eye on winning a supermajority in Parliament.
Ottawa pizzeria places among top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world at international competition
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.