Ontario verified 16 net new COVID-19 deaths as ICU occupancy continued to fall, on Tuesday.
Thirteen of the deaths occurred during the last month, while three occurred more than a month ago, according to the Ministry of Health.
Long-term care facility residents accounted for four of the deaths.
The ministry has yet to reveal the breakdown of fatality types.
There have been a total of 12,272 virus-related deaths reported in Ontario since March 2020.
There are currently 688 people hospitalized with the virus across Ontario, a slight day-over-day increase from 602 on Monday, but down from 779 a week ago.
Nearly half of these patients were admitted to the hospital for COVID-19 and 51 per cent were admitted for other reasons but have tested positive for the virus, according to Health Minister Christine Elliott.
Of those hospitalized patients, 220 are in intensive care, down from 228 yesterday and from 246 seven days ago.
Elliott says 77 per cent of ICU patients were admitted for COVID-19 and 23 per cent were admitted for other reasons but have tested positive for the virus.
Ontario labs processed 9,698 tests in the past 24 hours, producing a positivity rate of 13 per cent, up from 11.2 per cent a week ago, according to the ministry.
Today’s positivity rate is the highest observed in a month.
However, the number of tests processed yesterday is down compared to the 11,128 tests conducted a week ago and from the 13,000-plus tests processed two weeks ago.
Meanwhile, the province reported 1,076 lab-confirmed coronavirus cases and 1,593 resolved cases today.
The ministry says the case rates by vaccination status are currently unavailable due to technical difficulties.
So far, 89 per cent of Ontarians aged five years and older have received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, 86 per cent have received two doses and 50 per cent have received three doses.
To date, there have been 1,127,532 coronavirus cases and 1,099,782 recoveries in Ontario since Jan. 2020.
Source_ The Canadian Press
