Ontario reports more than 1,000 new COVID-19 cases for second day straight
Ontario is reporting more than 1,000 new COVID-19 cases for the second straight day as the number of infections in the province continues to rise.
Health officials confirmed 1,053 new COVID-19 cases in Ontario today, which is up slight from the 1,031 infections on Friday.
This past week, officials reported 788 new cases on Monday, 687 new cases on Tuesday, 780 new cases on Wednesday and 949 new cases on Thursday.
Saturday's case count is the highest in a single day since May 29, when 1,057 infections were reported.
With 32,268 tests processed in the past 24 hours, the Ministry of Health says the positivity rate in the province stands at about 3.5 per cent.
Ontario's rolling seven-day average of COVID-19 cases now stands at 895, up from 729 at this point last week.
As of Saturday, Ontario had confirmed 12 cases of the Omicron variant in the province. The latest case is in a person from Hamilton who recently returned to the country after a trip to South Africa.
There were eight additional COVID-19-related deaths, pushing the total number of fatalities to 10,024. The Ministry of Health says seven of those deaths occured last month.
Of the cases on Saturday, 499 are in fully vaccinated people, 469 in unvaccinated people, 25 have received one dose and 60 have an unknown vaccination status.
There were 139 new COVID-19 cases in Toronto, 101 new infections in Simcoe-Muskoka, 54 in York Region and Windsor-Essex, 45 in Middlesex-London, 30 in Halton Region and 29 in Durham Region.
There are currently 284 people are hospitalized with COVID-19 in Ontario. Of those, 220 are not fully vaccinated or have an unknown vaccination status and 64 are fully vaccinated, the government says.
There are currently at least 160 people being treated for COVID-19 in Ontario intensive care units.
Health officials have warned for months that cases would increase in the winter months as more people gather indoors.
"Sadly, all modelling would predict this would slowly, steadily rise and increase over the coming months, including January and February," Chief Medical Officer of Heath Dr. Kieran Moore said in November.
He asked people to remain cautious until the weather warms up in the spring and more people become eligible for third vaccine doses to protect against COVID-19.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
Humboldt Broncos bus crash survivor qualifies Canada for Paralympics in rowing event
Former Humboldt Broncos goaltender and bus crash survivor Jacob Wassermann has qualified Canada for a rowing event for the 2024 Paralympic games in Paris.
Baby boom amongst nurses leads to maternity ward closure in Listowel, Ont.
The emergency room at Listowel’s hospital is open today, but come summer, their obstetrics unit will be temporarily closing its delivery rooms.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
Krispy Kreme doughnuts coming to McDonald's in U.S., but not Canada
Canadians will be missing out on a sweet new partnership between McDonald's and Krispy Kreme, which will see doughnuts available at McDonald's locations across the U.S. by the end of 2026.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Quebec judge orders bus driver to stand trial for 2023 daycare crash deaths
A judge has ordered a Quebec man to stand trial on charges of first-degree murder in the deaths of two children killed when a bus rammed into a Montreal-area daycare last year.