Ontario reports another 153 cases of COVID-19, seven more deaths

TORONTO -

Ontario is reporting 153 more cases of COVID-19 as the province logs seven additional deaths linked to the disease.

Wednesday's report brings the total number of lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases in Ontario to 547,562, including 9,265 deaths and 536,819 recoveries.

The province added 146 new infections on Tuesday and 114 on Monday, which marked the lowest number of cases reported in a single day since Sept. 1.

Labs across the province processed 29,085 COVID-19 swabs in the previous day yielding a positivity rate of 0.6 per cent, according to the Ministry of Health.

The rolling seven-day average for the number of cases reported stands at 164. A week ago that number was 204.

There has been a consistent discrepancy in the hospital patient data reported by the province in recent weeks.

As such, health officials say there are 174 patients in hospital with COVID-19 and 180 are being treated in intensive care. Of those 180 patients, 116 are breathing with the assistance of a ventilator. 

Where are the new COVID-19 cases?

The province says that most of the cases reported Wednesday were found in Toronto (28), Waterloo (23), and Grey Bruce (20).

Case counts in the double digits were also reported in Peel Region (19), Middlesex-London (12), and Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (10).

Most of the province's other 34 public health units reported fewer than five new cases and several others logged zero new cases.

Ontario is set to enter Step 3 of its reopening plan on Friday, which will once again allow for indoor dining, as well as the use of gyms and movie theatres, with capacity limits in place.

On Tuesday, Ontario's Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kieran Moore said that he expects a rise in COVID-19 cases starting in September when the cooler weather arrives and residents head indoors.

"Last summer, we had the same type of lull," Moore said. "Ontarians are taking great advantage of the outdoors, but as soon as we come back [to] the indoors, normally, all respiratory viruses start to come back, especially around the third week of September."

READ MORE: Ontario's top doctor 'absolutely' expects rise in COVID-19 cases in September

Moore went on to say that the province is already preparing to respond to a potential surge. 

305 new cases of Delta variant reported in Ontario

Another 305 instances of the Delta variant were confirmed in Ontario in the last 24-hour period, according to health officials.

This brings the total number of B.1.617.2 infections in the province to 3,057.

As well, 74 cases of the Gamma variant P.1 were confirmed, which brings the total case number to 4,933.

Labs found 16 more instances of the Beta variant B.1.351 for a total of 4,933 cases.

Ten confirmed cases of the Alpha variant B.1.1.7 were also reported, bringing the case total to 144,755.

Update on COVID-19 vaccinations

The province said it administered 179,197 COVID-19 vaccines on Tuesday.

More than 17.4M doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in Ontario since the rollout began.

That number includes 7,283,528 people who have received both a first and second shot and are considered to be fully vaccinated.