16 more have been confirmed by the province of Ontario. As the province prepares to abolish mask regulations in most indoor settings on Monday, COVID has resulted in 19 deaths and 185 people in intensive care.
According to the Ministry of Health, 13 of the deaths occurred during the last month, while three occurred more than a month ago.
Long-term care facility residents accounted for six of the deaths.
Since March 2020, there have been 12,329 virus-related deaths in Ontario.
Ontario labs processed nearly 12,200 tests in the past 24 hours, resulting in a positivity rate of 13.3 per cent, compared to 12.1 per cent a week ago, the ministry says.
The province reported 2,078 lab-confirmed coronavirus cases today, but health officials say that is an undercount due to low testing rates.
Among the latest cases, 1,010 have received three doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, 527 have received two doses, 268 are partially vaccinated and 273 have an unknown vaccination status.
There are currently 613 people in Ontario hospitals, a decrease of two from yesterday and down from 722 a week ago, according to the ministry.
The ministry says 56 per cent of patients were admitted to hospital for COVID-19 and 46 per cent were admitted for other reasons but tested positive for the virus.
Of those in hospital, 185 are in intensive care, compared to 232 a week ago.
Seventy-nine per cent of ICU patients were admitted for COVID-19 and 21 per cent were admitted for other reasons but tested positive, the ministry says.
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.
On Monday, mask mandates will be lifted in most indoor settings across the province, including schools.
However, users of public transit and all patients, residents, visitors and staff in hospitals, congregate care settings, jails and the long-term care system must continue wearing masks until at least April 27.
Some school boards had applied to the government for an extension to the mask mandate due to the potential uptick of cases at the end of the month after March Break, but the province has denied these requests.
However, the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board did not ask the government for permission to extend the mask mandate and plans to keep it in effect until April 1.
Source_ cp24.com
