Ontario reports 927 new COVID-19 cases; 1st vaccine doses jump as children get shots
CBC
Ontario reported 927 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday — the most on a single day in the province in nearly 10 weeks — as the number of schools closed due outbreaks of the illness reached a new high for the current academic year.
Today's case count is a roughly 17 per cent jump over the same time last week, when Ontario logged 793 infections.
The seven-day average of daily cases is up to 711.
Dr. Kieran Moore, Ontario's chief medical officer of health, said on Thursday that he expects cases to continue rising into the new year, and that the province accounted for increases in its latest reopening plan.
The number of COVID patients requiring critical care has held relatively steady. As of yesterday evening, there were 140 people being treated for COVID-related illnesses in ICUs. That's up from 128 last Thursday.
The Ministry of Health also reported the deaths of six more people with COVID-19, pushing the official toll to 9,991.
Here are some other key pandemic indicators and figures from the ministry's daily provincial update:
New school-related cases: 141, including 132 students and eight staff. There are currently 17 schools closed due to COVID-19, up from nine last Friday — an 88 per cent increase. There are 178 concurrent outbreaks of COVID in schools, about 93 per cent of which are in elementary schools.
Tests in the previous 24 hours: 33,901, with a three per cent positivity rate.
Active cases: 5,807, the most since Sept. 27.
Vaccinations: 19,820 doses were administered by public health units on Thursday. Of those, 12,228 were first doses, the most first shots on a single day since Oct. 9. The jump is due to the campaign to vaccinate children aged five to 11 beginning in earnest.
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