Ontario reports over 500 new COVID-19 cases for second day straight
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
BREAKING Israel attacks Iran, Reuters sources say; drones reported over Isfahan
Israel has attacked Iran, three people familiar with the matter told Reuters, as Iranian state media reported early on Friday that its forces had destroyed drones, days after Iran launched a retaliatory drone strike on Israel.
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.
Nearly half of China's major cities are sinking, researchers say
Nearly half of China's major cities are suffering 'moderate to severe' levels of subsidence, putting millions at risk of flooding especially as sea levels rise.
Prince Harry formally confirms he is now a U.S. resident
Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.
Judge says 'no evidence fully supports' murder case against Umar Zameer as jury starts deliberations
The judge presiding over the trial of a man accused of fatally running over a Toronto police officer is telling jurors the possible verdicts they may reach based on the evidence in the case.
Health Canada to change sperm donor screening rules for men who have sex with men
Health Canada will change its longstanding policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned. The federal health agency has adopted a revised directive removing the ban on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, effective May 8.
Colin Jost names one celebrity who is great at hosting 'Saturday Night Live'
Colin Jost, who co-anchors Saturday Night Live's 'Weekend Update,' revealed who he thinks is one of the best hosts on the show.
Sports columnist apologizes for 'oafish' comments directed at Caitlin Clark. The controversy isn't over
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball's highest scorer Caitlin Clark's first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.
'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.