Ontario reports just under 160 new COVID-19 cases, 10 more deaths
Ontario health officials are reporting just under 160 new cases of COVID-19, which marks the eighth straight day of daily case numbers below the 200 mark.
The province confirmed 159 new cases of the novel coronavirus on Friday, which comes after 143 new infections on Thursday, 154 new infections on Wednesday and 146 new infections on Tuesday.
Ontario’s rolling seven-day average now stands at 151, down from 192 at this point last week.
With 28,126 tests processed in the past 24 hours, the Ministry of Health says the positivity rate in the province stands at 0.6 per cent.
The province recorded 10 new deaths related to the disease, bringing the total death tally in the province to 9,285.
There are at least 204 patients in intensive care in Ontario hospitals and 123 are breathing with the assistance of a ventilator.
The province deemed 189 more cases of the disease to be resolved as of Friday, bringing Ontario’s number of recovered patients up to 537,176.
Friday’s report brings the total number of lab-confirmed cases in Ontario to 547,864, including deaths and recoveries.
WHERE ARE THE COVID-19 CASES IN ONTARIO
In the Greater Toronto Area, officials reported 23 cases in Toronto, 12 new cases in Peel Region, eight new cases in Durham Region, seven new cases in Halton Region and no new cases in York Region.
Officials also reported 34 new cases in Grey Bruce Health Unit and 25 new cases in Waterloo. All other regions outside of the GTA reported fewer than 10 new cases of the disease.
The province entered Step 3 of its reopening plan on Friday, nearly five days ahead of schedule, allowing indoor dining to resume and gyms to open for the first time in months.
VARIANTS OF CONCERN IN ONTARIO UPDATE
The province detected several more cases of variants of concern on Friday. Officials are analyzing cases on an ongoing basis to detect mutations and variants of concerns.
The province confirmed an additional 19 new cases of B.1.1.7 on Friday. The total case count for the strain now stands at 144,781.
Officials identified no new cases of the B.1.351 variant and so the total case count in the province remained at 1,465.
In addition, the province also added one new case of the P.1 variant, which brings its total number of cases to 4,950.
As for the Delta variant, also known as the B.1.617 variant, officials reported 14 new cases of the strain, which brings the total number in the province to 3,150.
MORE THAN 7.5M PEOPLE FULLY VACCINATED IN ONTARIO
The province reports that 7,578,116 people in Ontario have received both doses of a COVID-19 vaccine and are now considered fully vaccinated against the disease.
In the last 24-hour period, officials said 168,616 doses of the vaccine were administered to Ontario residents.
Just over 17.8 million vaccine doses have been administered in the province since the rollout began last year.
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
Quebec man who threatened Trudeau, Legault online sentenced to 20 months in jail
A Quebec man who pleaded guilty to threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier François Legault has been sentenced to 20 months in jail.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
Two killed after collision with truck on Hwy. 417 near Limoges, Ont.
Ontario Provincial Police say two people were killed after a car and a transport truck collided in the westbound lanes of Highway 417 near Limoges, Ont. on Tuesday afternoon.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Premier Legault reiterates that McGill pro-Palestinian camp must be dismantled
Quebec Premier François Legault reiterated that the pro-Palestinian encampment at McGill University must be dismantled while police remain 'on the lookout for new developments.'
Houston braces for flooding to worsen in wake of storms
High waters flooded neighborhoods around Houston on Saturday following heavy rains that have already resulted in crews rescuing hundreds of people from homes, rooftops and roads engulfed in murky water.