Ontario reports fewer than 400 people in ICU with COVID-19 for the first time in weeks
Ontario health officials are reporting a significant drop in the number of people with COVID-19 in hospital and intensive care units on Monday.
The province said 1,369 people are currently in hospital with COVID-19, which is down from the 1,540 reported Sunday. The number of people in ICU also fell from 402 to 394.
The total number of patients in Ontario ICUs with COVID-19 hasn’t fallen below 400 since early January.
The province also reported that eight more people have died due to COVID-19 over the past 30 days.
Officials said there have been a total 12,101 COVID-19-related deaths in the province since the start of the pandemic.
The province reported 1,765 new cases of COVID-19 Monday, but health officials have warned that number is an underestimate due to testing limitations and backlogs.
With 9,962 tests processed in the past 24 hours, the Ministry of Health says the province's positivity rate is about 13 per cent.
In the Greater Toronto Area, officials reported 335 new cases in Toronto, 134 new cases in Peel Region, 117 new cases in York Region, 80 new cases in Durham Region and 44 new cases in Halton Region.
Officials also reported 139 new cases in Ottawa. All other regions reported fewer than 100 new cases on Monday.
The province said that, of the 1,765 new cases reported today, 1,237 involve people who are fully vaccinated with at least two doses, 282 involve people who are unvaccinated, 83 involve people who are partially vaccinated and 163 involve people who have an unknown vaccination status.
Acknowledging population size, the Ontario Science Table noted in their latest data report on Sunday, people who are fully vaccinated with at least two doses are 61.7 per cent less likely to contract COVID-19 compared to those who are unvaccinated.
The science table also said people who are fully vaccinated with at least two doses are 83.9 per cent less likely to end up in hospital and 90.6 per cent less likely to end up in ICU compared to people who are unvaccinated.
The province deemed 2,619 more cases of the disease to be resolved as of Monday, bringing Ontario's number of recovered patients up to 1,036,214.
Today's report brings the total number of lab-confirmed cases in Ontario to 1,074,485.
The province reported 37 resident cases and 16 staff cases in long-term care settings across Ontario. Officials stated that at least 184 long-term care homes are currently dealing with an outbreak.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Nearly half of Canadians have no plans to mark National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
A new survey found that 48 per cent of Canadians say they won’t be taking any specific action to recognize National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
'Stories of resilience and survival': Indigenous-led tourism is one way to support communities in Canada
A growing number of businesses popping up across Canada are offering unique experiences that invite tourists to dive into the history, language and culture of Indigenous communities.
What do Indigenous Peoples across Canada really need and want?
The federal Liberal government has made a lot of promises to Indigenous Peoples. But do those promises line up with what communities on the ground really want and need, or reflect their diversity?
Canada’s greenhouse gas emission up 2.3 per cent from last year due to oil and gas production, cold winter: report
New data from the Canadian Climate Institute shows that emissions from the oil and gas industry and buildings continued to climb in the previous year, undercutting Canada's overall emissions reduction progress.
Here's how a U.S. government shutdown could impact Canadians
Economists warn both Canada's economy and individual Canadians could suffer from impacts of a U.S. government shutdown, and that those impacts will deepen and broaden the longer it lasts.
Toronto family shocked they have to rip out $20K synthetic grass putting green
A Scarborough family said they were shocked to get a notice from the City of Toronto that the artificial grass in their backyard, including a putting green, will have to be ripped out.
Walking just this much more per day can lower your blood pressure: study
A new study finds walking an additional 3,000 steps per day can significantly reduce high blood pressure in older adults with hypertension.
India's foreign minister says Canada has 'climate of violence' for Indian diplomats
Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said on Friday there was a 'climate of violence' and an 'atmosphere of intimidation' against Indian diplomats in Canada, where the presence of Sikh separatist groups has frustrated New Delhi.
Defence minister insists $1B spending reduction is not a budget cut
The country's top soldier and outside experts say that finding almost $1 billion in savings in the Department of National Defence budget will affect the Armed Forces' capabilities, although the defence minister insisted Friday the budget is not being cut.