Today, Ontario reported 70 more COVID-19 deaths, with over 3,600 patients hospitalized with the virus, a significant decline in hospitalizations from the previous day in the fifth wave of the pandemic.
According to the Ministry of Health, there are currently 3,645 individuals hospitalized in Ontario with the virus, compared to 4,016 yesterday and 4,061 a week ago.
According to Health Minister Christine Elliott, 56% of the most recent hospital patients were admitted because of the virus, while 44% were admitted for other reasons but tested positive for COVID-19.
Of those hospitalized, 599 are in ICU, up from 594 a week ago, and 366 are breathing with the help of a ventilator.
Although ICU capacity is up week-over-week, today marks the third straight day of declines in the number of COVID-19 ICU patients.
Eighty-two per cent of the latest ICU patients were admitted to hospital for COVID-19 and 18 per cent were admitted for other reasons but have tested positive for the virus, according to Elliott.
The 70 deaths reported today occurred in the past 19 days, the ministry says.
Ontario’s virus-related death toll now stands at 11,230.
Among the dead, over 10,200 of the individuals were over 60 years old and 938 were under 59 years old, including 10 who were 19 and under.
Ontario’s virus-related death toll now stands at 11,230.
Provincial labs processed more than 33,500 tests in the past 24 hours, producing a positivity rate of 14.1 per cent, compared to 15.9 per cent a week ago, the ministry says.
Another 5,852 coronavirus cases were logged in the province today, but that is likely a significant undercount due to testing restrictions.
Among the latest cases, 4,004 of the individuals are fully vaccinated, 960 are unvaccinated, 236 are partially vaccinated and 652 have an unknown vaccination status, according to the ministry.
COVID-19 outbreaks at long-term care homes appear to be slowly declining. There are currently 384 active outbreaks at homes across the province, compared to 420 a week ago.
So far, 88 per cent of eligible Ontarians aged five years and older have received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, 83 per cent have received two doses and 44 per cent have received three doses.
To date there have been 1,016,099 lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases and 950,795 recoveries in Ontario since the pandemic began over two years ago.
On Monday, the province is set to lift some public health restrictions as key indicators, such as wastewater signals, are showing signs of waning transmission of the Omicron variant across the province.
Select indoor settings, including indoor dining, gyms and cinemas, are set to reopen at 50 per cent capacity after being shuttered on Jan. 5 in an effort to reduce virus spread.
CTV News Toronto learned today that moviegoers will be allowed to eat concession snacks in cinemas when they reopen, an act that was previously restricted earlier in the fifth wave.
This afternoon, Ontario’s chief medical officer of health Dr. Kieran Moore is set to announce granular details about what is and isn’t allowed when restrictions lift on Monday.
Source_ globalnews.ca
