Today, Ontario reports over 16,000 new COVID-19 cases and 16 more virus-related deaths, bringing the total number of COVID-19 patients in intensive care to 220.
Officials are reporting 16,714 new cases today, down from a high of 18,445 confirmed illnesses on Saturday but much higher than the 9,826 cases reported last Sunday. Due to testing constraints, daily case counts are an underestimate of the total number of cases in Ontario, according to Public Health Ontario.
Previously, all members of the public were eligible for free PCR testing, but the province said last week that those tests will now be reserved exclusively for high-risk persons who are symptomatic or at risk of severe disease from the new coronavirus.
The province did not release the number of tests processed over the past 24 hours.
The rolling seven-day average of new infections is now 13,480, up from 6,746 last week.
Public Health Ontario confirmed 16 more virus-related deaths today, bringing Ontario’s COVID-19 death toll to 10,223.
According to Ontario Health Minister Christine Elliott, there are currently 224 COVID-19 patients receiving treatment in Ontario ICUs, up from 168 seven days ago.
Elliott noted that at least 1,117 people are hospitalized with COVID-19 but added that not all hospitals report data over the weekend. This is up significantly from seven days ago when the province reported that 373 COVID-19 patients were receiving treatment in hospital.
She added 124,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccination were given out on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, bringing the total number of injections given out across the province to 27,333,175 so far. More than 90% of Ontario citizens aged 12 and up have got one dose, with a further 88 percent receiving two doses. Elliott did not say how many booster doses have been given out so far in the province.
Toronto (3,736), Peel Region (2,182), York Region (1,388), and Ottawa (3,736) are the Public Health Units with the most new cases today (1,082).
There are now at least 195 COVID-19 outbreaks in long-term care homes across the province, up from 27 in the previous 24 hours.
Source_ globalnews.ca
