Nearly 500 COVID patients in Ontario ICUs, province reports 67 deaths Friday

Today the province is reporting about 498 people in Ontario intensive care units because of COVID-19. 

Another 67 people have died after contracting COVID-19, according to the latest update. 

There are 3,535 COVID-positive people currently hospitalized and about 1,980 of them were hospitalized because of COVID. The rest were hospitalized for other reasons but test positive for COVID-19. 

On Jan. 28, Public Health Ontario is reporting 5,337 new COVID cases. Due to testing changes, case counts are underestimated.

Public Health Ontario has confirmed 1,021,436 cases of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic, and reported 958,701 recoveries and 11,298 deaths.

The Jan. 28 updates provided by the province's public health agency and the ministry of health also reported the following data:

Cases

• 7,906 recoveries and 67 deaths since yesterday's report. The deaths reported have all occurred within the last month.
• There are 51,437 active, lab-confirmed cases in Ontario
• Among the new cases confirmed today are 833 unvaccinated people, 181 partially vaccinated people, and 3,806 fully vaccinated people. 517 cases were reported with vaccination status unknown. 
• The seven-day average incidence rate for cases is 34 cases per 100,000 unvaccinated people, 24 cases per 100,000 partially vaccinated people, and 33 cases per 100,000 fully vaccinated people. 
• Lab-confirmed testing is mostly limited to Indigenous people and those who live or work in high-risk congregate care settings or work in them. 

Hospitalizations

• 3,535 people are in hospital testing positive for COVID-19. Of those, 56 per cent (about 1,980 people) were hospitalized because of COVID-19 and the other 44 per cent were admitted for other reasons but tested positive for COVID. 
• There are 607 patients in Ontario ICUs with COVID. Of those, 82 per cent (about 498 patients) were admitted because of COVID-19 and the other 18 per cent were admitted for other reasons but tested positive for COVID.
• There are 387 COVID patients on ventilators.
• Among the patients in the ICU, 210 are unvaccinated, 22 are partially vaccinated, and 231 are fully vaccinated.
• Among those hospitalized but not in the ICU are 682 unvaccinated patients, 161 partially vaccinated patients, and 1,795 fully vaccinated patients. 

Testing

• Provincial labs processed 32,672 tests yesterday resulting in a 14.4 per cent positivity rate. There are 10,671 tests still being processed.

The cumulative average incidence rate in the province is 6,932.5 cases per 100,000 people in Ontario.

Ontario's average seven-day incidence rate from Jan. 18 to Jan. 24 was 262.1 cases per 100,000 people, which decreased 37 per cent over the seven-day period starting on Jan. 12.

For more on the province's breakdown of vaccination status, click here.

Northern Ontario

In the north there are currently 181 people with COVID-19 in hospital, down from 186 yesterday, according to provincial data. There are 33 people in ICU, up from 32 yesterday, and 14 people on ventilators, which is the same as yesterday. The regional data is not broken down to clarify the number of people in hospital for a COVID-related reason and who was admitted to hospital for another reason then tested positive.

In Northern Ontario, the breakdown of Public Health Ontario data for cases and vaccination is:

• Algoma Public Health: The health unit has reported 3,561 cases, 595 known active cases and 19 current hospitalizations. Of the eligible population five years and older, 88 per cent of people have at least one dose of the vaccine and 83 per cent have both doses. Of the population 18 years and older, 57 per cent have a booster.
• North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit: The health unit has reported 2,731 cases, 214 known active cases and three hospitalizations. Of the eligible population five years and older, 86 per cent of people have at least one dose of the vaccine and 80 per cent have both doses. For the eligible population 18 years and older, 55 per cent have a booster.
• Porcupine Health Unit: The health unit has reported 4,149 cases and 495 known active cases. The health unit does not report hospitalizations. At Timmins and District Hospital there are 22 patients with COVID-19, four of whom were admitted for virus-related reasons. Of the eligible population five years and older, 87 per cent of people have at least one dose of the vaccine and 80 per cent have both doses. For the eligible population 18 years and older, 50 per cent have a booster.
• Public Health Sudbury and Districts: The health unit has reported 8,970 cases and 718 known active cases. It is only updating its numbers Monday, Wednesday and Friday. There are 59 COVID-positive patients at Health Sciences North, including seven in ICU. Of the eligible population five years and older, 88 per cent of people have at least one dose of the vaccine and 82 per cent have both doses. For the eligible population 18 years and older, 53 per cent have a booster.
• Timiskaming Health Unit: The health unit has reported 1,005 cases, 94 known active cases, and six hospitalizations, with three people in ICU. Of the eligible population five years and older, 85 per cent of people have at least one dose of the vaccine and 80 per cent have both doses. For the eligible population 18 years and older, 55 per cent have a booster.
• Northwestern Health Unit: The health unit has reported 3,276 cases, 407 known active cases and three hospitalizations. Of the eligible population five years and older, 96 per cent of people have at least one dose of the vaccine and 87 per cent have both doses. For the eligible population 18 years and older, 56 per cent have a booster.
• Thunder Bay District Health Unit: The health unit has reported 6,671 cases, 341 known active cases and 53 hospitalizations, including eight people in ICU. The health unit is only updating data Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Of the eligible population five years and older, 88 per cent of people have at least one dose of the vaccine and 83 per cent have both doses. For the eligible population 18 years and older, 53 per cent have a booster.

The data from Northern Ontario health units is based on what was available at 10:30 a.m. today.