Ontario Public Health is reporting 606 new cases of COVID-19 today, which is the first time the daily case increase has reached 600.
The province is also continuing to process higher numbers of tests, with today’s report stating there were 8,743 tests processed in one day. That number has been as high as 9,400 in a single day. The province is also reporting another 31 deaths.
There have now been 11,184 cases confirmed by labs in Ontario since the pandemic began, and 5,515 (49.3 per cent) of those people have now recovered. Of the total cases, 584 people (5.2 per cent) have died. One person under 40 has died, 31 people between 40 and 59 have died, 165 people between the ages of 60 and 79 have died and 387 people over the age of 80 have died.
There are now 802 people hospitalized with COVID-19, and 247 of those are in intensive care units. There are 193 COVID-19 patients on ventilators.
Ontario Public Health is now reporting 114 outbreaks at long term care homes, and 249 long-term care home residents have now died as a result of COVID-19.
There are now 1,249 cases (11.2 per cent) associated with travel, 1,960 (17.5) considered close-contact transmission, and 3,316 (29.6 per cent) attributed to community spread. Transmission information for the remaining 4,659 cases (41.7 per cent) is pending.
Premier Doug Ford is expected to announce updated projections of the virus’ spread through the province, and those will likely influence the decisions surrounding control measures for the next weeks and months.
The Porcupine Health Unit, which covers Timmins and the surrounding area, continues to have the highest rate of confirmed cases per 100,000 population among other health units in Northern Ontario.
According to today's report, which includes data from Jan. 15 to April 19, the number of cases at other Northern Ontario health units, as well as the rate of confirmed cases per 100,000 population are:
• Algoma Public Health - 12 cases, rate of 10.5 per 100,000 population
• North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit - 13 cases, rate of 10 per 100,000 population
• Porcupine Health Unit - 49, rate of 58.7 per 100,000 population (a 50th case has been reported in Timmins)
• Public Health Sudbury and Districts - 42 cases, rate of 21.1 per 100,000 population
• Timiskaming Health Unit - 11 cases, rate of 33.7 per 100,000
• Thunder Bay District Health Unit - 47 cases, rate of 31.3 per 100,000 population
• Northwestern Health Unit - 12 cases, rate of 13.7 per 100,000 population
In Northeastern Ontario, there are currently 127 confirmed cases, and the rate is 22.7 per 100,000 population. In Northwestern Ontario, there are 59 cases and a rate of 24.8. The provincial rate per 100,000 population is 75.2.
