Ontario reports another drop in new COVID-19 cases with 574 infections logged
For the fourth day in a row, Ontario is seeing a decrease in the number of new COVID-19 cases reported.
On Tuesday, health officials logged 574 infections after logging 610 cases a day earlier. Over the weekend, Ontario reported 715 and 821 infections on Sunday and Saturday, respectively.
Of the cases reported today, 434 were found in individuals who are not fully vaccinated or have an unknown vaccination status and 140 are in fully vaccinated individuals.
Right now, there are 330 people hospitalized with COVID-19, including 303 patients who are not fully vaccinated or have an unknown vaccination status and 27 are fully vaccinated.
As well, of the 179 people in ICU with COVID-19, at least 170 are not fully vaccinated or have an unknown vaccination status and nine are fully vaccinated.
This brings the seven-day average for the number of cases reported to 710, which represents a drop from the 716 seen a week earlier.
With 23,631 tests processed in the last 24 hours, Ontario’s COVID-19 positivity rate is 2.4 per cent, according to the Ministry of Health.
Eight more deaths related to COVID-19 were also included in Tuesday’s report, pushing the province’s death toll to 9,663.
The total number of lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ontario stands at 580,768, including deaths and 564,927 recoveries.
In less than 24 hours, the province’s vaccine certificate program will go in effect, meaning people will need to show proof of vaccination before engaging in non-essential activities like eating indoors at a restaurant, watching a movie at a theatre, or working out at a gym.
Proof of vaccination won’t be required to access essential services like medical care, grocery stores, and basic medical supplies. Moreover, you won't need to show a vaccination certificate when accessing salons and barbershops, places of worship, and retail shopping.
READ MORE: This is where you need and don't need proof of vaccination in Ontario
Where are the new COVID-19 cases?
The province reported the highest COVID-19 case numbers Tuesday in Toronto (104), Peel Region (80), and Ottawa (58).
Other regions with case numbers in the double digits include York Region (44), Niagara Region (39), Windsor-Essex (34), and Halton Region (31).
At least 293 cases of COVID-19 were documented in schools across Ontario Tuesday. Those cases include 265 infections in students and 22 in staff members. The remaining six cases were not identified by the province.
There are 4,844 schools in Ontario and 593 (12.24 per cent) have a reported case of the disease. Only one school is closed as a result.
Nearly 200 cases of Delta variant confirmed
In the last 24 hours, Ontario labs confirmed 189 additional cases of the COVID-19 variant B.1.617.2.
Since the province began tracking variants of concern in February, 16,944 cases of the Delta variant have been confirmed through genomic sequencing.
No new cases of the Alpha, Beta, or Gamma variant were reported by health officials Tuesday.
Update on COVID-19 vaccinations
Health Minister Christine Elliott says that nearly 85.2 per cent of eligible Ontarians have received at least one shot of a COVID-19 vaccine and 79.2 per cent have two doses and are considered to be fully vaccinated.
In total, 21,434,434 needles have gone into arms across Ontario, including 30,072 shots administered on Monday.
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.
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.