Ontario's new COVID-19 cases surge to highest level in more than three months

TORONTO -- The number of new COVID-19 cases in Ontario has spiked to levels unseen since the beginning of June.

Health officials reported 425 new infections of the novel coronavirus on Monday, the highest number since June 2 when 446 new cases were logged.

The province also added two more deaths and 178 resolved cases in the last 24-hour period.

Monday’s report brings the total number of lab-confirmed infections in the province to 47,274, including 2,829 deaths and 41,146 recoveries.

Of the new cases added Monday, more than half (217) were reported in people between the ages of 20 and 39. That age group represents the most of Ontario’s lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases at 15,746.

Another 94 cases were recorded in people between the ages of 40 and 59, while 68 new infections were reported in people 19 years of age and younger.

Thirty-six cases were added in people between the ages of 60 and 79 and eight new cases were documented in people 80 years of age and older.

On Saturday, Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced new social gathering restrictions across the province as COVID-19 cases continue to climb in recent days.

The new limits cap gathering sizes at 10 people indoors and 25 people outdoors for at least the next 28 days. Previously, gathering limits were 50 people indoors and 100 people outdoors.

Where are Ontario's new COVID-19 cases?

Most of the new reported cases are in Toronto, Peel Region and Ottawa.

Those three “hotspot” regions were subject to the Ontario government's new social gathering restrictions a day earlier than the rest of the province due to their high high daily case counts.

Of the 425 new cases logged Monday, 175 were reported in Toronto, 84 were reported in Peel Region and 60 were reported in Ottawa.

Another 13 cases were reported in Waterloo and 12 cases were reported in Halton.

There are currently 65 patients in an Ontario hospital with COVID-19, though approximately 35 hospitals did not submit patient data over the weekend.

Of those 65 patients, 22 are being treated in an intensive care unit. Twelve of those patients are breathing with the assistance of a ventilator. 

Update on COVID-19 testing

Over the last 24-hour period the province completed 31,753 tests for COVID-19.

The province has processed more than 3.5 million tests for the disease since the start of the pandemic.

There are 32,489 tests currently under investigation.