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
What to know about avian influenza in dairy cows and the risk to humans
Why is H5N1, or bird flu, a concern, how does it spread, and is there a vaccine? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
New Norad commander calls Canada's defence policy update 'very encouraging'
American troops will be spending more time training in the Far North, the new commander of Norad says, a strategy that fits 'hand-in-glove' with Canada's renewed focus on Arctic defence.
$70M Lotto Max winners kept prize a secret from family for 2 months
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Are Canadians getting sick from expired food?
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
Documents reveal Ottawa's efforts to get Loblaw, Walmart on board with grocery code
It was evident to the federal government as early as last fall that Loblaw and Walmart might be holdouts to the grocery code of conduct, jeopardizing the project's success.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
Improve balance and build core strength with this exercise
When it comes to cardiovascular fitness, you may tend to focus on activities that move you forward, such as walking, running and cycling.