Ontario reports record-breaking 2,472 COVID-19 hospitalizations, 338 ICU admissions
Ontario health officials are reporting another increase on Friday in the number of people with COVID-19 in hospital and intensive care units across the province.
The province reported that the number of people in hospital with COVID-19 rose from 2,279 on Thursday to a record-breaking 2,472 on Friday, while intensive care unit (ICU) admissions jumped from 319 to 338.
Previously, the highest total number of people in hospital with COVID-19 was 2,360 on Apr. 20, 2021.
Health Minister Christine Elliott said the seven-day rolling average of COVID-19 related patients in ICU is 271, a number that has been steadily rising for days now.
The province said that of the 338 people in the ICU with COVID-19, 232 are not fully vaccinated or have an unknown vaccination status and 106 are fully vaccinated.
According to data released by the Ontario Science Table on Thursday, which takes into account population sizes, people who are fully vaccinated with at least two doses are 79.8 per cent less likely to end up in hospital and 93.3 per cent less likely to end up in ICU compared to people who are unvaccinated.
During previous COVID-19 waves, health officials have said that it becomes nearly impossible to provide non-COVID-19-related medical care once there are more than 300 patients in the ICU.
According to health officials, 43 more deaths related to COVID-19 were reported in the last 24 hours. The province noted that 42 of those deaths occurred over the span of the last 10 days, and one death occurred over a month ago.
The province reported 11,899 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, but health officials have warned that number is an underestimate due to testing limitations and backlogs.
With 61,137 tests processed in the past 24 hours, the Ministry of Health says the province's positivity rate is about 26.6 per cent.
Of the 11,899 case reported Friday, 9,515 involve people who are fully vaccinated, 1,543 are people who are unvaccinated, 375 involve people who are partially vaccinated and 466 had an unknown vaccination status.
Acknowledging population size, the science table noted on Thursday, people who are fully vaccinated with at least two doses are 21.1 per cent less likely to contract COVID-19 compared to those who are unvaccinated.
The province deemed 11,946 more cases of the disease to be resolved as of Friday, bringing Ontario's number of recovered patients up to 707,732.
Today's report brings the total number of lab-confirmed cases in Ontario to 853,270, including deaths and recoveries.
WHERE ARE THE NEW COVID-19 CASES IN ONTARIO
In the Greater Toronto Area, officials reported 2,405 new cases in Toronto, 1,745 new cases in Peel Region, 965 new cases in York Region, 742 new cases in Halton Region and 425 new cases in Durham Region.
Officials reported 656 new cases in Ottawa, 564 new cases in Waterloo region, 508 new cases in Simcoe Muskoka and 543 new cases in Windsor-Essex.
All other regions reported fewer than 500 new cases on Friday.
According to the province’s epidemiology report, of the 11,899 new infections reported on Friday, 741 cases were identified in children under the age of 12.
The province also recorded 874 cases in youth between the ages of 12 and 19 and another cases 4,837 in people between the ages of 20 and 39.
As well, officials found 3,511 cases in people between the ages of 40 and 59, 1,380 cases in people between the ages of 60 and 79 and 547 cases in people over the age of 80.
Hospitalizations involving children continue to rise in Ontario, particularly in children under the age of five. Public Health Ontario says that as of Wednesday, there were 43 children between the ages of zero and four hospitalized with COVID-19.
The province reported 191 resident cases and 65 staff cases in long-term care settings across Ontario. It also noted that seven of the 43 deaths reported on Friday were long-term care residents.
Officials stated that at least 312 long-term care homes are currently dealing with an outbreak.
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.
Health experts have said the number of COVID-19 infections identified in fully vaccinated individuals will naturally increase as more people get both of their shots.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.