Ontario reports 887 new COVID-19 cases as ICU admissions climb to highest level in 2 months
CBC
Ontario reported another 887 cases of COVID-19 on Monday, as the number of patients being treated for COVID-related illnesses in the province's intensive care units crept up to its highest point in more than two months.
As of Sunday evening, there were 168 people in critical care due to the illness, according to the Ministry of Health's latest update. That's the most on a given day since Sept. 30, when 171 COVID patients were in ICUs.
The seven-day average of total COVID-related admissions to intensive care stands at 154, according to Critical Care Services Ontario. Some 44 more adults with the illness have been admitted to intensive care over the last three days.
Today's case count is a nearly 13 per cent jump over the same time last week. The seven-day average of daily cases climbed to 940, about a 20 per cent increase over last Monday.
The Ministry of Health also reported the deaths of three more people with COVID-19, pushing the official toll to 10,027.
Dr. Kieran Moore, Ontario's chief medical officer of health, has unexpectedly scheduled a news conference for 1:30 p.m. Tuesday. That is in addition to his weekly briefing on Thursdays. An email from the ministry provided no details about why the extra appearance was scheduled.
Meanwhile, here are some other key pandemic indicators and figures from the ministry's daily provincial update:
Total confirmed cases of the omicron variant: 13
Newly reported school-related cases: 178, including 162 students and 16 staff. There are currently 230 active outbreaks of COVID-19 tied to schools in the province, according to Public Health Ontario, with 212 of those in elementary schools. The pandemic high for elementary school-related outbreaks came on April 14, when there were 214.
Tests completed in the previous 24 hours: 25,981, with a 3.5 per cent positivity rate.
Active cases: 8,439.
Vaccinations: 39,472 doses were administered by public health units on Sunday. About 21 per cent of the 1,078,527 eligible children aged five to 11 in the province have now had a first shot. Nearly 81 per cent of all eligible Ontarians have had two doses.
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