Ontario reports fewer than 300 new COVID-19 cases, spike in deaths while citing data cleanup
COVID-19 case numbers in Ontario remained below the 300 mark for the second consecutive day Tuesday as the province reported a spike in deaths related to the disease while citing a data cleanup.
The 296 new infections mark a slight increase over Monday’s total when the province logged 270 cases. At least 80 of the cases reported today are from 2020, the Ministry of Health said in an email.
Sixty COVID-19-related deaths were reported in the last 24-hour period, which would mark the highest single-day death toll since Feb. 4.
However, the Ministry of Health also said that 54 of the fatalities being reported today are from previous months.
Tuesday’s report brings Ontario’s COVID-19 case total to 542,764. Including 9,082 deaths and 530,434 recoveries.
Labs across Ontario processed 16,784 tests for COVID-19 since yesterday, which the province says yielded a positivity rate of 1.6 per cent.
The seven-day rolling average for the number of cases reported in Ontario sits at 334. Last week, that number was 478.
There are currently 334 people in hospital with COVID-19. Of those hospitalized, 314 are being treated in intensive care and 202 are on a ventilator.
Where are the new COVID-19 cases?
Most of the cases reported by the province on Tuesday were found in Toronto (123), including 80 previously unreported cases from 2020, Waterloo (61), and York Region (37).
There were 20 cases reported in Peel Region and 11 cases in both Hamilton and Ottawa.
Ontario is currently in Step 1 of its reopening plan, which allows for patio dining, outdoor gatherings of up to 10 people, and limited non-essential retail shopping.
The province will enter Step 2 of the plan on July 2 at the earliest, which further relaxes public health restrictions and allows for personal care services and indoor gatherings of up to five people.
Another 209 cases of variants of concern recorded
In the last 24 hours, labs confirmed 209 additional cases of COVID-19 variants of concern.
Health officials found 178 more cases of the Alpha variant known as B.1.1.7, pushing the case total to 142,393.
Twenty-nine instances of the Delta variant B.1.617.2 were found. There are 916 confirmed cases of that strain of novel coronavirus in Ontario.
Two other cases of the Gamma variant P.1 were found, which brings the case total to 4,256.
No additional cases of the Beta variant B.1.351 were logged over night. The case total remains at 1,154.
More than 3.1 million fully vaccinated
Since the start of Ontario’s COVID-19 vaccination campaign, more than 3.1 million people have received both a first and second shot and are considered to be fully vaccinated.
In total, 12,869,310 needles have gone into arms over the last seven months, with nearly 200,000 doses administered on Monday alone.
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
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
CFL suspends Argos QB Chad Kelly at least nine games following investigation
The CFL suspended Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly for at least nine regular-season games Tuesday following its investigation into a lawsuit filed by a former strength-and-conditioning coach against both the player and club.