Ontario reports week-over-week uptick in COVID hospitalizations for first time since May
Ontario is reporting a week-over week uptick in COVID-19 hospitalizations for the first time since May.
The latest data from the Ministry of Health suggests that there are now 585 people in Ontario hospitals testing positive for the virus, up from 486 at this time last week.
It is just one of several public health indicators that appear to be headed in the wrong direction after a sustained decline in viral activity through most of the spring.
The positivity rate on PCR tests was also up over the last week, with the seven-day average going from 7.64 on June 23 to 9.82 as of today.
Meanwhile, the seven-day average for new cases detected through PCR testing was up 34 per cent week-over-week to 916.
Experts, however, caution that the true number of infections is likely up to 10 times the PCR number due to limited eligibility for testing.
Speaking with CP24.com on Thursday, the head of Ontario’s science table Dr. Fahad Razak said that we are starting to see “see some signals that there is a rise in transmission” taking place but he said it is “not a strong signal, yet.”
The new data release on Thursday comes as the more infectious BA.5 subvariant continues to make up an increasingly large proportion of cases, with some suggesting it will account for nearly 70 per cent of cases by Canada Day.
The National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) is also calling for a wider rollout of booster doses in the fall in anticipation of another wave, something that Premier Doug Ford seemed to indicate a willingness to consider during a press conference on Thursday.
“We were talking to (Chief Medical Officer of Health) Dr. Moore about that yesterday and you will hear further about our rollout in the next little while,” he said.
There were another 43 deaths added to the province’s COVID-19 tally over the last week. The total now stands at 13,421.
Intensive care occupancy for COVID patients remains mostly unchanged from one week ago, declining by one to 95.
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
The Maple Leafs 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.
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.