Ontario reports highest number of COVID-19 cases in nearly two months with 711 infections
Ontario is reporting the highest number of new COVID-19 cases in nearly two months with more than 700 infections.
Health officials reported 711 new COVID-19 cases in Ontario on Thursday, which is the highest daily case count since Sept. 24 when 724 infections were added.
The rolling seven-day average in Ontario now stands at 597, which is up from 532 this time last week.
Of the 711 new cases on Thursday, 322 are in people who are unvaccinated and 314 are in people fully immunized. There are 47 people with an unknown vaccine status and 28 who are partially vaccinated.
Health experts have previously said the number of COVID-19 infections identified in fully vaccinated individuals will naturally increase as more people get both of their shots. Vaccination helps reduce the risk of severe symptoms related to COVID-19 as well as hospitalization.
Ontario also reported five additional COVID-19-related deaths, pushing the total number of fatalities since the start of the pandemic to 9,955.
With 34,347 tests processed in the past 24 hours, the Ministry of Health says the positivity rate in the province stands at about 2 per cent.
Today's report brings the total number of lab-confirmed cases in Ontario to 609,429, including deaths and recoveries.
According to the province, there are at least 278 people are in hospital due to COVID-19 and 129 of those people are in intensive care.
Meanwhile, 575 people have recovered from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours.
Last week, Ontario announced it is pausing the next step of the reopening plan because of an increase in cases.
On Nov. 15, capacity limits were supposed to be lifted in remaining high-risk settings where proof of vaccination is required.
That step has been delayed at least 28 days.
On Thursday, 129 COVID-19 infections were found in schools across Ontario. Of the infections found in schools, 114 were recorded in studnts, 14 were in staff and one in a unidentified individual.
There are 589 schools with at least one confirmed case and five facilities are currently closed as a result.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.