TORONTO -- Ontario is reporting a significant dip in the number of new COVID-19 cases after six days of infection numbers over the 700 mark.
Provincial health officials logged 658 new infections of the novel coronavirus on Sunday, a hefty drop from the 805 cases reported just a day earlier.
The last time the province reported a case count below 700 was on Oct. 11, when the province confirmed 648 new infections.
The total number of lab-confirmed infections in the province is now 64,371, including deaths and recoveries.
Health officials reported on Sunday that five more people have died due to COVID-19, including one resident of a long-term care home. The province’s death toll is now 3,046.
On Saturday, the province stated that 10 people died due to the disease, and on Friday, the province confirmed that nine people died. Five of those patients on both days were also residents of long-term care homes.
There were 685 more cases considered to be resolved by officials on Sunday. The province now has a total of 55,371 recovered patients.
There are 247 people being treated for COVID-19 in Ontario hospitals. Of those patients, 71 are in the intensive care unit and 43 are breathing with the assistance of a ventilator.
Where are the new cases of COVID-19 in Ontario?
Most of the new infections continue to be found in Ontario’s four COVID-19 hotspots.
Of the new cases reported on Sunday, 197 were in Toronto, 155 were in Peel Region, 94 were in York Region and 66 were in Ottawa.
These four hotspots have been pulled back to a modified version of Stage 2 of the province’s reopening plan. Indoor dining, gyms, casinos and cinemas have all been ordered to close in these areas for at least 28 days.
Other regions of the province also reported an increase in cases on Sunday. Durham Region reported 45 new cases, Halton Region reported 29 new cases and Simcoe Muskoka reported 18 new cases.
On Sunday, Health Minister Christine Elliott said more than 40,850 tests were conducted in the last-recorded 24-hour period.
There are 23,609 tests that current remain under investigation in the province.
