Ontario reports just under 300 new COVID-19 cases, 6 more deaths
Ontario is reporting just under 300 new COVID-19 cases along with six additional deaths related to the disease.
Health officials logged 296 new infections on Thursday, marking a jump from the 255 COVID-19 cases on Wednesday.
This is the fourth day in a row in which the daily COVID-19 case count in Ontario has been below the 300 mark.
The seven-day rolling average of daily COVID-19 cases now stands at about 305, a significant decrease from the week before when the average was 410.
With just over 29,500 COVID-19 tests processed in the last 24-hour period, the Ministry of Health says the province’s positivity rate has declined to about 1.1 per cent.
The last time the positivity rate was this low was on Sept. 25.
According to the Ontario Hospital Association, the number of patients in intensive care with COVID-19 related critical illness has now dipped below 300, with 299 patients.
Of the cases reported on Thursday, 95 cases were in the Waterloo Region.
According to the province’s epidemiology report, there are 35 cases in Toronto, 20 in Peel Region, 19 in Hamilton, 17 in Ottawa, 16 in Durham Region and 14 in York Region.
This marks Toronto’s lowest single-day case count since Sept. 3.
All other public health units are reporting fewer than 10 new COVID-19 cases.
The total number of lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases in Ontario now stands at 543,315, including deaths and recoveries.
The new cases come as the government announces Ontario is moving to Step 2 of its economic reopening plan two days early. This means that as of June 30, small gatherings of up to five people will now be allowed indoors and personal care services will be permitted to resume.
The province was originally scheduled to move into this stage on July 2.
More than 3.5 million people in Ontario have received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine and are considered fully immunized.
In the last 24-hour period, the province has administered 225,188 doses of vaccine.
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 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.
Grandparent scam suspects had ties to Italian organized crime, Ontario police allege
A group of suspects that allegedly defrauded seniors across Ontario and other parts of Canada using a so-called emergency grandparent scam appear to have ties to 'Italian traditional organized crime,' according to an investigator involved in the OPP-led probe.
Motion to allow keffiyehs at Ontario legislature fails
A motion to reverse a ban on the keffiyeh within Queen’s Park failed to receive unanimous consent Thursday just moments after Ontario Premier Doug Ford reiterated his view that prohibiting the garment in the House is divisive.
Trend Line Anger, pessimism towards federal government reach six-year high: Nanos survey
Most Canadians in March reported feeling angry or pessimistic towards the federal government than at any point in the last six years, according to a survey by Nanos Research.
Allman Brothers Band co-founder and legendary guitarist Dickey Betts dies at 80
Guitar legend Dickey Betts, who co-founded the Allman Brothers Band and wrote their biggest hit, 'Ramblin' Man,' has died. He was 80.
Taylor Swift's new album allegedly 'leaked' on social media and it's causing a frenzy
A Google Drive link allegedly containing 17 tracks that are purportedly from Swift's eagerly awaited "The Tortured Poets Department" album has been making the rounds on the internet in the past day and people are equal parts mad, sad and happy about it.
'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.
Lack of detention space could force CBSA to release detainees, internal memo warns
The Canada Border Services Agency is scrambling to find space to hold high-risk detainees that are set to be transferred from provincial jails in June.
What does it mean to be 'house poor' and how can you avoid it?
The journey to home ownership can be exciting, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew warns about the trappings of becoming 'house poor' -- where an overwhelming portion of your income is devoured by housing costs. Liew offers some practical strategies to maintain better financial health while owning a home.