TORONTO – New decline in infections in Ontario which today recorded 481 Covid-19 infections (and 1 death) against 552 on Monday, 666 on Sunday, 661 on Saturday and 598 on Friday. After the surge of the weekend, therefore, cases return to decline even if attention remains high, especially on the front of hospitalizations that are increasing in a worrying way. But let’s go in order.
Despite today’s drop in infections, the seven-day moving average of new cases has gradually increased over the past two weeks and reached 579 today (it was 492 a week ago). Ontario labs processed nearly 19,000 tests in the past 24 hours, producing a positive rate of 2.5%, down from 3.1% a week ago.
Of the latest cases, 236 concern unvaccinated individuals, 18 partially vaccinated, 189 fully vaccinated and 38 with an unknown vaccination status.
As for the territorial distribution, 56 new infections were recorded in the Greater Toronto Area in Toronto, 31 in the Peel region, 23 in York, 17 in Durham and 12 in Halton. Elsewhere in the province, 41 cases have been reported in Ottawa, 33 in Simcoe Muskoka and 29 in Sudbury and surrounding districts.
What is worrying, we said, is the escalation of hospitalizations: now there are 301 people with the virus hospitalized in hospitals throughout the province, with a significant increase compared to 138 on Monday: today’s is therefore the highest number of patients hospitalized by last September 30 when 315 people were in Ontario hospitals. Of the 301 hospitalized, 139 are in intensive care units and 82 are breathing with the help of a ventilator. 120 ICU patients are not fully vaccinated or have an unknown vaccination status and only 19 of them are fully vaccinated.
And speaking of vaccines, currently 88% of eligible Ontarians (children under 12 cannot yet get vaccinated) have received only one dose of the vaccine and 85% have received two and are considered fully vaccinated.
Another 651 people recovered from the virus today: 4,814 active (known) cases remain throughout the province.
Today there was also a death: now the death toll linked to the virus since the beginning of the pandemic in the province is 9,938.
In total, in Ontario there have been 608,206 laboratory confirmed coronavirus cases and 593,454 recoveries so far.
