Ontario reports over 500 new COVID-19 cases for second day straight
Ontario reports over 500 new COVID-19 cases for second day straight
TORONTO -
Ontario has logged more than 500 new COVID-19 cases for the second day in a row.
Health officials recorded 574 cases of the novel coronavirus on Friday, as well as four more deaths related to the disease.
The new infections represent a slight decrease from the 590 cases reported on Thursday.
The seven-day rolling average of daily cases in Ontario now stands at about 568, down from 889 the previous week.
The province’s positivity rate now stands at about 2.0 per cent, according to the Ministry of Health, with 28,949 tests processed in the last 24-hour period.
As of Monday, there are 489 people hospitalized with the novel coronavirus. Of those patients, 440 patients are in the ICU.
The total number of COVID-19 cases in Ontario now stands at 538,651, including 8,935 deaths and 523532 recoveries.
On Friday at 12:01 a.m., the province entered Step 1 of its reopening plan.
In Step 1, patios and non-essential retail are allowed to open to in-person service. Outdoor gatherings will also be allowed with an increased 10-person cap.
WHERE ARE THE NEW CASES?
The municipalities with the most new COVID-19 cases include Toronto (109), Peel (84), and Waterloo (79).
Porcupine Public Health Unit, which was held back from entering Step 1 of the provincial reopening due to high positivity rates, is reporting 51 new infections.
VARIANT OF CONCERN UPDATE
According to the province’s epidemiology report, 1,190 cases of the B.1.1.7. variant were identified in lab-positive tests in the previous 24-hours. These new cases bring the total number of B.1.1.7. variants in Ontario to 137,307.
The province also identified an additional case of the P.1. variant, bringing the total identified in Ontario to 4,099.
Ontario is not publicly reporting cases of the B.1.617 variant originally found in India, despite health experts say the easily transmissible variant could be the cause of a fourth wave in the province.
MORE THAN 10.8 MILLION VACCINE DOSES ADMINISTERED
According to the province’s Ministry of Health, Ontario has administered 10,827,420 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine in total.
Of the more than 10 million doses administered, 199,951 of them went into arms on Thursday alone.
“I promised you that as soon as we had sufficient supply, we would ramp up to administer millions of vaccines each month. Thank you to everyone for your help getting us here,” Premier Doug Ford wrote on Twitter Friday to mark the milestone.
Over 1.5 million Ontarians have received both doses and are considered to be fully vaccinated by the Ministry of Health.
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
Author Salman Rushdie on ventilator after he was stabbed on lecture stage in New York
Salman Rushdie, whose novel 'The Satanic Verses' drew death threats from Iran's leader in the 1980s, was stabbed in the neck and abdomen Friday by a man who rushed the stage as the author was about to give a lecture in western New York.
Anne Heche legally dead, remains on life support for donor evaluation
Anne Heche remains on life support and under evaluation for organ donation after a car crash that led to her brain death, a representative for the actor said Friday.
FBI seized 'top secret' documents from Trump home
The FBI recovered documents that were labelled 'top secret' from former U.S. President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, according to court papers released Friday after a federal judge unsealed the warrant that authorized the unprecedented search this week.
Passengers tackle Canadian man after he became violent, tried to open plane doors mid-flight
A plane bound for Toronto has been forced to divert to Iceland after a Canadian man allegedly became violent and tried to open the aircraft door mid-air.
Canadian who sold his possessions, used up his savings to deliver aid in Ukraine makes a plea for help
Canadian Adam Oake is among volunteers delivering aid to civilians in Ukraine, but he says donations are drying up and he's issuing a plea for help.
Canadian universities earned record-high surplus revenues during COVID-19: StatCan
Canadian universities reported record-high surplus revenues in wake of the pandemic as schools took advantage of last year's strong stock market performance.
EXCLUSIVE
EXCLUSIVE | Woman who was stalked by police officer ex-boyfriend says justice system failed her
Despite a police misconduct probe that found a high-ranking B.C. officer had stalked and harassed his ex-girlfriend for years, a criminal investigation into the case did not result in charges.
Canada to test wastewater for polio
Canada plans to start testing wastewater for poliovirus in a number of cities “as soon as possible” following new reports of cases abroad, the Public Health Agency of Canada confirmed on Friday.
Montenegro gunman kills 10 on the street; police kill him
A man went on a shooting rampage in the streets of this western Montenegro city Friday, killing 10 people, including two children, before being shot dead by a passerby, officials said.
Montreal
-
Judge suspends two articles of Quebec's Bill 96 regarding legal translations
A group challenging Quebec's new language law logged a first legal victory against the legislation on Friday, as a judge temporarily suspended a provision requiring English court documents to be translated into French.
-
Perimeter lifted, but operation continues after Montreal East shooting
Streets are reopening in Montreal East, though a major police operation is ongoing following a shooting overnight Thursday into Friday.
-
Montreal stabbing of Orthodox Jewish man may have been work-related conflict: police
A 24-year-old Orthodox Jewish man was stabbed Thursday in Montreal's Saint-Michel neighbourhood. Montreal police (SPVM) said it's possible the stabbing was a work-related conflict, as the victim and suspect are coworkers.
London
-
Missing boater found deceased, Friday
Missing boater, Jack Glaves of Tilsonburg, Ont. has been located deceased in Lake Erie.
-
Border city businesses call on federal government to drop COVID border restrictions
Businesses in border cities are calling on the government to lift COVID-19 border restrictions, including suspending the controversial ArriveCan app.
-
River Road arson charge withdrawn
A man charged with arson in connection with the River Road clubhouse fire has had the charge withdrawn.
Kitchener
-
-
Kitchener man watches as car slams into his house
When Carmelo Mazza went to get his mail on Friday morning, he never imagined on his walk home he would witness a car crash into his home at the exact spot he typically sits.
-
Waterloo region candidates list sparse with registration deadline looming
The deadline for candidate registration is one week away, and still, several ridings in Waterloo region have wards with no candidates named.
Northern Ontario
-
Sault airport traffic slowly recovers from pandemic
While improving, air traffic in the Sault is currently at three-quarters of pre-COVID-19 pandemic numbers.
-
Community celebrates as player brings Memorial Cup home to Noelville
It was standing room only inside the Noelville Community Centre on Friday morning as Memorial Cup winner Philippe Daoust made a triumphant return home to French River.
-
Thank a local farmer during Farmers' Market Week
It's national Farmers' Market Week and few are more thankful for farmers in Timmins than Rock Whissell.
Ottawa
-
Five-kilometre section of Queensway closed until Monday
All eastbound and westbound lanes of Hwy. 417 are closed between Metcalfe Street and Carling/Kirkwood Avenues for the replacement of the Booth Street Bridge. The closure will continue until Monday at 6 a.m.
-
NEW THIS MORNING
NEW THIS MORNING | Thirty-two new OC Transpo drivers start Monday as transit service deals with hundreds of cancelled trips
OC Transpo says 4.5 per cent of all bus trips were cancelled across the city of Ottawa this week as the transit service continued to deal with a shortage of operators.
-
NEW THIS MORNING
NEW THIS MORNING | Ottawa Public Health 'encouraged' with uptake of COVID-19 vaccine for children and babies
Ottawa Public Health says it is encouraged with the uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine for children under 5 in Ottawa, with more than 3,000 children receiving the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Windsor
-
Drew Dilkens to seek third term as Windsor’s mayor
Drew Dilkens will be seeking a third term as mayor of Windsor.
-
Suspect sketch released as police investigate west-end sexual assault
Windsor police have released a composite sketch of a man who allegedly entered a woman’s home and sexually assaulted her before fleeing the scene.
-
Businesses struggling to find and retain qualified workers amid widespread labour shortages
From concrete finishing to heating, cooling and mechanical labour, local businesses say they’re struggling — not just to find qualified workers but retain them as well.
Barrie
-
Family pleads for the return of belongings taken from young daughter's grave
A family is sharing their heartache in the hope of finding lost items taken from the gravesite of their young daughter.
-
Residents at Angus seniors complex wonder why elevator took 2 months to fix
A broken elevator at an Angus seniors complex is finally back up and running, but residents are asking why it took so long to fix.
-
Police identify 26-year-old fatally shot at Toronto funeral
Investigators have released the name of a 26-year-old Barrie man shot to death Thursday afternoon while attending a funeral for another man shot dead in Toronto earlier in the week.
Atlantic
-
Halifax's Meagher Park, used as encampment by homeless, cleared out and fenced off
Halifax police say a city park that has been used as an encampment for homeless people has been cleared out and fenced off.
-
Confirmed case of Monkeypox in New Brunswick
The provincial government’s Department of Health confirmed the case in a news release Friday evening.
-
State of emergency to lift in Newfoundland as forest fire situation improves
Newfoundland and Labrador officials say the state of emergency called last weekend because of raging wildfires in the centre of the province will end on Saturday.
Calgary
-
Calgary police, humane society seize 42 animals in northeast Calgary
Police and the Calgary Humane Society have launched a joint investigation after seizing 42 animals from a northeast Calgary property Friday morning.
-
Small wildfire burning near Banff's east gates
A small wildfire was burning Friday night around 8:30 p.m., according to the national park's Twitter feed.
-
Divisional clash of Lions, Stampeders features quarterback intrigue
Which quarterback will grab the spotlight is a prominent subplot of Saturday's divisional clash between the B.C. Lions and host Calgary Stampeders.
Winnipeg
-
Police, experts sound alarm after another fatal drowning in Manitoba
The number of fatal drownings in Manitoba has police and experts issuing a reminder to Manitobans about how quickly fun in the water can turn tragic.
-
Winnipeg police arrest two women from Ontario in connection to grandparent scam
Winnipeg police have arrested and charged two women from Ontario in connection to grandparent scams in the city.
-
Manitoba beaches good despite algae blooms
Beach conditions are good across Manitoba this week, according to the Province.
Vancouver
-
Union representing 33,000 B.C. government workers issues strike notice
A union representing tens of thousands of government workers handed the B.C. government 72 hours' strike notice Friday afternoon.
-
B.C.'s first dumpling festival bridges cultures through food
On the surface it’s a food festival, but the purpose of the inaugural B.C. Dumpling Festival is to fight racism by bridging cultures through dumplings.
-
High-risk sex offender wanted Canada-wide after leaving halfway house, VPD says
Vancouver police are warning the public that a high-risk sex offender released from prison Friday morning has gone missing from his halfway house in the city.
Edmonton
-
'Communications failure': UCP minister tells reporters to stop asking about essay award
A UCP MLA shook her head in frustration and said "wow" while walking away from a microphone Friday, as the fallout continued over an "abhorrent" essay that her government awarded.
-
Local charities helping families get school supplies seeing 'unprecedented' demand
With the start of a new school year now weeks away, local charities say more people are turning to them to help provide school supplies than ever before.
-
Allegiances shift to Danielle Smith as deadline to register for UCP leadership vote looms
Seven candidates scrambled Friday to sign up last-minute memberships in Alberta's United Conservative Party leadership race while political observers say that without hard data on which contender has a leg up, follow the feet.