Today, Ontario recorded 75 net new deaths connected to COVID-19, as the province’s virus-related hospitalizations and overall positivity rate continue to fall.
According to the most recent data from the Ministry of Health, there are 2,797 COVID-19 patients undergoing treatment in hospitals, with 541 in the intensive care unit. This is down from 3,645 and 599 seven days earlier, respectively.
The province says 56 per cent of those patients were admitted for COVID-19 while 44 per cent were admitted for other reasons but tested positive for the virus. Officials say 83 per cent of COVID positive patients in the ICU were admitted for the disease while 17 per cent were admitted for other reasons.
Of the 75 deaths added to the province’s death toll today, 74 occurred in the past month and one occurred more than a month ago. The province says 18 of the deaths logged today involved residents of long-term care homes. There are now 322 ongoing COVID-19 outbreaks at long-term care homes in the province, down from 384 one week ago.
Another 4,098 cases of COVID-19 were confirmed by provincial labs over the past 24 hours but that is likely not an accurate indication of the true burden of infection in Ontario due to the limitations on testing.
With 28493 tests processed over the past 24 hours, officials are reporting a provincewide positivity rate of 13.2 per cent, down from 14.1 per cent last week.
Of the new cases confirmed today, 626 involved those who have not been vaccinated, 172 involved people who have been partially vaccinated, 2,921 involved those who have received at least two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, and 379 involved people with unknown vaccination status.
It’s probably too early to tell how the province’s reopening has affected transmission in the neighborhood. After a lengthy closure to avoid the spread of the more infectious Omicron variety, restaurants, pubs, gyms, and movie theaters reopened at 50% capacity on Monday.
Source_ The Canadian Press
