Ontario's top doctor speaks as COVID-19 hospitalizations drop below 2,000

Ontario is reporting 1,897 hospitalizations of people with COVID-19, marking the first time that number has dipped below 2,000 since early January, as the Omicron wave ramped up.

Health Minister Christine Elliott said Thursday that 56 per cent of those people were admitted to the hospital specifically for COVID-19 treatment, and 44 per cent were admitted for other reasons but have tested positive for the virus.

The number of people in ICU with COVID-19 also dipped slightly, dropping from 449 to 445. Elliott said 76 per cent of patients were admitted to intensive care specifically for the virus, while the rest were admitted for other reasons and tested positive.

The province is also reporting 44 new deaths. Ontario administered 47,423 vaccine doses yesterday, for a total of 31,153,087. Among eligible Ontarians age five and up, 89.26 per cent have received a first dose of vaccine, while 84.64 per cent have received a second. As well, 55.62 per cent of people 18 and up have received a third shot.

There were 17 resident deaths at long-term care homes, more than 40 per cent of which were reporting virus outbreaks.

Ontario isn't reporting data on COVID-19 cases in schools, but four schools were closed for operational reasons and 161 reported absences of 30 per cent or higher yesterday.

At a news conference Thursday afternoon, Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kieran Moore said he is "pleased to report" that public health indicators in the province are showing an improvement.

"We can now see that the Omicron peak is behind us," Moore said.

Moore's weekly news conference comes a day after Elliott said Ontario will keep its mask mandate and vaccine certificate system in place.

Elliott said Ontario won't follow the lead of other provinces that have already begun lifting proof-of-vaccination rules and intend to end masking rules soon.

She didn't say when those policies would end, but said the province expects mask rules will remain in place for "some time."

Moore's news conference also comes after the province began making rapid test kits available for free at grocery stores, pharmacies and other sites.

Elliott said expanding access to the tests is part of Ontario's plan to roll back COVID-19 restrictions in stages.

Ontario's expert science advisers say rapid antigen tests don't detect COVID-19 infections with the Omicron variant as reliably as they did with the Delta strain, but changing the way the tests are performed can boost their sensitivity.