Ontario reports jump in new COVID-19 infections but case numbers remain below 200
COVID-19 infections in Ontario jumped Thursday but the total number of cases reported remains under 200.
Health officials logged 185 new cases and seven additional deaths linked to the disease in the last 24 hours.
A day earlier, the province logged 135 new cases of the novel coronavirus.
Ontario’s daily COVID-19 cases count has remained below 200 for two weeks straight.
Labs processed 19,599 tests on Wednesday which produced a positivity rate of 0.9 per cent, according to the Ministry of Health.
Since the pandemic began, the province has seen 548,794 lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19. That number includes 9,307 deaths and 538,124 recoveries.
The seven-day average for the number of cases reported is 155. Last Thursday, that number was 154.
Where are the new COVID-19 cases?
Most of the cases reported by the province Thursday were found in Grey Bruce (22), Toronto (18), and Hamilton (17).
Other areas with case counts in the double digits include Waterloo (13), Peel Region (13), York Region (11), Durham Region (11), Halton Region (10), and Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (10).
Ontario is currently operating in Step 3 of its reopening plan. The province will remain in this stage for at least 21 days from July 16 before the vast majority of public health restrictions are lifted.
Another 234 cases of COVID-19 variants of concern reported
Labs confirmed 234 more cases of COVID-19 variants of concern in Ontario on Thursday.
At least 99 of those cases are of the Alpha variant B.1.1.7. The strain’s case total sits at 145,021.
Sixty-nine cases were of the Gamma variant P.1. There are 5,096 confirmed cases in Ontario.
Sixty-one cases of the Delta variant B.1.617.2 were also reported. The total number of Delta variant infections is now 3,754.
Officials also confirmed five other cases of the Beta variant B.1.351, bringing the case total to 1,479.
Update on COVID-19 vaccinations
Over the province’s eight-month vaccination campaign, 18,604,169 needles have gone into arms across Ontario.
That number includes 8,272,485 residents who have received both doses and are considered to be fully vaccinated.
The province say that 125,166 shots were administered on Wednesday.
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 Alice Munro, Nobel literature winner revered as short story master, dead at 92
Nobel laureate Alice Munro, the Canadian literary giant who became one of the world’s most esteemed contemporary authors and one of history's most honored short story writers, has died at age 92.
Latest updates on air quality alerts, and when the smoke may reach Ontario and Quebec
Wildfires have led Environment Canada to issue air quality advisories for parts of B.C., Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories, as forecasters warn the smoke could drift farther east.
Are these Canada's best restaurants? Annual top 100 list revealed
The annual list of Canada's top restaurants in the country was just released and here are the places that made the 2024 cut.
Attack on prison van in France kills 2 officers, inmate escapes
Armed assailants killed two French prison officers and seriously wounded three others in an attack on a convoy in Normandy on Tuesday and an inmate escaped, officials said.
Steal a car, lose your driver's licence for 10 years under new Ontario proposal
Repeat car thieves may face lengthy licence bans under proposed changes to Ontario’s Highway Traffic Act.
B.C. brings in law on name changes on day that child killer's new identity revealed
The BC NDP have tabled legislation aimed at stopping people who have committed certain heinous acts from changing their names.
Significant police presence as Israeli flag flies at Ottawa City Hall
The Israeli flag is flying at Ottawa City Hall today to mark the country's national day, with plans to hold a private ceremony to mark Israel's Independence Day. There is a significant police presence at City Hall, including security barriers outside the main doors.
Hot history: Tree rings show that last northern summer was the warmest since year 1
The broiling summer of 2023 was the hottest in the Northern Hemisphere in more than 2,000 years, a new study found.
What to pack during an emergency
Knowing what to have at home, or take with you for an evacuation, can be useful and even life-saving.