Ontario reports more than 350 new COVID-19 cases as positivity rate drops
Ontario health officials are reporting more than 350 new cases of COVID-19 as the positivity rate in the province plummets.
The province confirmed 384 new cases of the novel coronavirus on Wednesday. The day before, officials marked the lowest daily total since Sept. 17 with 293 infections.
Ontario’s rolling seven-day average now stands at 474, down from 703 at this point last week.
With 28,076 tests processed in the past 24 hours, the Ministry of Health says the positivity rate in the province dropped from 2.3 per cent on Tuesday to 1.5 per cent on Wednesday.
The last time the province recorded a positivity rate of 1.5 per cent was on Oct. 3, before the peak of the second and third waves.
The province also reported that 12 more people have died due to COVID-19 in the previous 24-hour period, bringing the total number of deaths to 8,986.
There are currently 438 people in hospital due to the disease. At least 377 patients are in intensive care and 242 are breathing with the assistance of a ventilator.
The province deemed 722 more cases of the disease to be resolved as of Wednesday, bringing Ontario’s number of recovered patients up to 527,162.
Wednesday’s report brings the total number of lab-confirmed cases in Ontario to 540,810, including deaths and recoveries.
WHERE ARE THE COVID-19 CASES IN ONTARIO
Many of the new COVID-19 cases reported are concentrated in hot spot regions across the province. Officials reported 60 new cases in Peel Region, 54 new cases in Toronto, 15 new cases in Durham Region and 14 new cases in York Region.
Officials also reported 71 new cases in Waterloo, 23 new cases in Middlesex-London, 21 new cases in Ottawa and 16 new cases in Niagara Region.
The province confirmed an additional 488 new cases of B.1.1.7 (U.K. variant) in Ontario on Tuesday. The total case count for the strain now stands at 141,106.
Officials identified four new cases of B.1.351 (South African variant), and so the total case count in the province rose to 1,141.
In addition, the province added 19 more cases of P.1 (Brazilian variant), which brings its total number of cases to 4,156.
As for the Delta variant, also known as the B.1.617 variant, originally found in India, officials reported 54 new cases of the strain, which brings the total number in the province to 497.
MORE THAN 2.1M PEOPLE FULLY VACCINATED IN ONTARIO
The province reports that 2,198,715 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 202,984 doses of the vaccine were administered to Ontario residents, marking the highest number of shots given in a single day so far in the province.
Just over 11.7 million vaccine doses have been administered in the province since the rollout began earlier this 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
Three dead, two hospitalized, following collision in Fredericton: police
Three people have died and two have been hospitalized after a speeding car struck a tree and landed on another vehicle in Fredericton Sunday morning.
Amid climate change warnings, Canadians lukewarm on electric vehicles
Amid scientists' warnings that nations need to transition away from fossil fuels to limit climate change, Canadians are still lukewarm on electric vehicles, according to a study conducted by Nanos Research for CTV News.
Montreal man on the hook for thousands of dollars after a feature on his Tesla caused an accident
A Montreal man is warning Tesla drivers about using the Smart Summon feature after his vehicle hit another in a parking lot.
Madonna's biggest-ever concert transforms Rio's Copacabana beach into a massive dance floor
Madonna put on a free concert on Copacabana beach Saturday night, turning Rio de Janeiro's vast stretch of sand into an enormous dance floor teeming with a multitude of her fans.
1 person killed and 23 injured in a bus crash in northern Maryland, police say
One person was killed and 23 others were injured when a bus crashed early Sunday on Interstate 95 in northern Maryland, police said.
Nylander defends Leafs' core after playoff exit, Toronto again picks up the pieces
William Nylander stood in a solemn visitors locker room at TD Garden just before midnight. The Maple Leafs had battled back from a 3-1 series deficit against the Boston Bruins with consecutive 2-1 victories - including one that required extra time - in their first-round playoff series to push the club's Original Six rival to the limit before suffering a devastating Game 7 overtime loss. Nylander's message was emphatic.
El Nino weakening doesn't mean cooler temperatures this summer, forecasters say
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
‘Love has no boundaries’: Sask. couple in their 90s and 80s get married
Eighty-two-year-old Susan Neufeldt and 90-year-old Ulrich Richter are no spring chickens, but their love blossomed over the weekend with their wedding at Pine View Manor just outside of Rosthern.
Video shows gaggle of geese stopping traffic on Highway 1 near Vancouver
A mother goose and her goslings caused a bit of a traffic jam on a busy stretch of the Trans-Canada Highway near Vancouver Saturday.