Ontario reports fewest number of ventilated COVID-19 patients in 20 months
Ontario reported 10 net new COVID-19 deaths on Thursday, as the number of patients breathing with the help of a ventilator fell to its lowest point since the month the province first instituted a mask mandate.
The Ministry of Health said seven of the deaths occurred in the past 30 days and three others occurred prior to that period.
One death involved a resident of long-term care.
There have been 49 deaths in the past seven days, 342 in the past 30 days and 13,314 overall.
Hospitals reported 549 admitted patients testing positive for COVID-19, up 27 from Wednesday but down 121 from this point last week.
Of those, 118 were in intensive care, up four from Wednesday but down one from this point last week.
Forty-four patients were breathing with the help of a ventilator, the lowest overall population of vented COVID-19 patients seen in the province since Oct. 19, 2020.
On Wednesday, Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kieran Moore said the mask mandate for public transit property and hospitals would expire on June 11.
Ontario first instituted a mask mandate in indoor public spaces on Oct. 2, 2020.
A variety of hospitals said they would continue to require masks beyond that date.
UHN infectious disease specialist Dr. Isaac Bogoch said the public should understand that there may be a future re-introduction of mask rules if conditions worsen, particularly this fall.
“There’s going to be peaks and valleys of COVID-19, we’re expecting to see a rise in cases in the fall and in the winter, and you might expect recommendations to change at that time when other settings might ask people to put masks back on,” he told CP24.
Ontario’s positive trend is continuing, the Science Advisory Table says, citing wastewater surveillance data showing declining viral signal in all regions of the province.
Of the 907 cases confirmed Thursday through PCR testing, 87 involved unvaccinated or partially vaccinated people, 141 involved people with two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, 541 involved people with three or more doses and the vaccination status of 138 others was not known.
Provincial labs processed 9,777 test specimens in the previous 24-hour period, generating a positivity rate of 6.6 per cent.
Average weekly positivity has fallen from 8.3 per cent last week to 7.1 per cent this week.
The Ministry of Health says 13,556 COVID-19 vaccine doses were administered on Wednesday.
Of those, 807 were first doses, 985 were second doses, 1,608 were third doses and 10,156 were fourth doses.
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.
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
BREAKING Iran fires air defence batteries in provinces as sound of explosions heard near Isfahan
Iran fired air defence batteries early Friday morning after reports of explosions near the city of Isfahan, the state-run IRNA news agency reported.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
Nearly half of China's major cities are sinking, researchers say
Nearly half of China's major cities are suffering 'moderate to severe' levels of subsidence, putting millions at risk of flooding especially as sea levels rise.
Prince Harry formally confirms he is now a U.S. resident
Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.
Judge says 'no evidence fully supports' murder case against Umar Zameer as jury starts deliberations
The judge presiding over the trial of a man accused of fatally running over a Toronto police officer is telling jurors the possible verdicts they may reach based on the evidence in the case.
Health Canada to change sperm donor screening rules for men who have sex with men
Health Canada will change its longstanding policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned. The federal health agency has adopted a revised directive removing the ban on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, effective May 8.
Colin Jost names one celebrity who is great at hosting 'Saturday Night Live'
Colin Jost, who co-anchors Saturday Night Live's 'Weekend Update,' revealed who he thinks is one of the best hosts on the show.
Sports columnist apologizes for 'oafish' comments directed at Caitlin Clark. The controversy isn't over
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball's highest scorer Caitlin Clark's first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.
'Shopaholic' author Sophie Kinsella reveals brain cancer diagnosis
Sophie Kinsella, the best-selling author behind the 'Shopaholic' book series, has revealed that she is receiving treatment for brain cancer.