Ontario's COVID-19 case count surpasses 7,000, province confirms 21 more deaths

TORONTO -- Ontario health officials are reporting 401 more cases of COVID-19 in the province Sunday morning, which brings the provincial total number of people infected to over 7,000. 

Health officials also reported 21 more deaths related to the virus, and announced the provincial death toll now stands at 274. 

The total number of COVID-19 cases in Ontario, including resolved and deceased cases, stands at 7,049. Health officials reported Sunday that the number of resolved cases climbed up to 3,121.

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In Sunday's epidemiological summary, health officials listed one patient who died as being between the age of 20 and 39. The summary also said that 16 patients who died were between the ages of 40 and 59, 84 patients who died were between the ages of 60 and 79 and 173 patients who died were 80 years of age or older.

To date, the province said 103,165 people have been tested for the virus across Ontario.

Currently, 738 patients remain in hospitals across Ontario and of those patients, 261 of them are receiving treatment in an intensive care unit. Of those 257 patients, 196 of them remain on ventilators to assist with breathing.

Health officials also stated that 777 of all Ontario patients with COVID-19 are health care workers.

'Positive trend' continues

Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. David Williams mentioned at a news conference Saturday that the number of COVID-19 cases may continue to fall as the province heads into Sunday.

Williams said that 550 new COVID-19 cases were reported on Wednesday, 483 new cases were reported on Thursday, 478 new cases were reported on Friday and 411 new cases were reported Saturday.

“I certainly think this is a positive trend and direction,” Williams told reporters. “I’m looking at that optimistically. We are certainly bending the curve, whether we’ve actually flattened it is another question.”

Quick facts on all COVID-19 patients in Ontario:

• 12.9 per cent of all patients have been hospitalized at one point.
• 86 outbreaks have been reported in long-term care homes in the province.
• 44.8 per cent of all patients in the province are male and 54.6 per cent are female.
• 34.1 per cent of all patients are between the ages of 40 and 59.
• 24.7 per cent of all patients are between the ages of 20 and 39.
• 24.3 per cent of all patients are between the ages of 60 and 79.
• 14.6 per cent of all patients are 80 years of age or older.
• 2.4 per cent of all patients are 19 year of age or younger.
• There are currently 1,619 people under investigation for the virus.
• Public health units in the Greater Toronto Area account for 53.5 per cent of all cases in the province.
• 15.8 per cent of all patients had travelled in the 14 days prior to becoming ill.
• 16.5 per cent of all patients had contact with a previously confirmed case.
• 21.5 per cent of all patients had community exposure.
• 46.2 per cent of all patients had exposure information listed as pending.
• There have been 115 deaths connected to long-term care homes.