Ontario reports 591 new COVID-19 cases, 7 more deaths
CBC
Ontario reported 591 new cases of COVID-19 and seven more deaths linked to the illness on Wednesday, while the number of active infections provincewide fell for a second straight day.
Today's case count is a roughly 14.5 per cent increase over the same time last week. The seven-day average of daily cases climbed to 686, about 17 per cent higher than where it stood last Wednesday.
Ontario's COVID-19 Science Advisory Table estimates that as of Nov. 20, new daily infections in the province were doubling about every five weeks.
While cases are still on the rise in a majority of Ontario's 34 public health units, the burden on intensive care units has continued to hold more or less steady. As of yesterday evening, there were 137 patients being treated for COVID-related illnesses in ICUs, a slight uptick from last Tuesday but will within the general range reported in the last several months.
The additional deaths reported today pushed the official toll to 9,981.
Meanwhile, here are some other key pandemic indicators and figures from the Ministry of Health's daily provincial update:
Tests in the previous 24 hours: 30,092, with a 2.5 per cent positivity rate.
Active cases: 5,407, down 80 from Monday.
Vaccinations: 12,706 doses were administered by public health units on Tuesday. About 86 per cent of Ontarians aged 12 and older have had two shots. Vaccinations for children aged five to 11 are expected to begin in earnest Thursday, though some received their first dose as early as yesterday.