Ontario reports 1,670 new COVID cases Friday

Public Health Ontario has reported 1,670 new cases of COVID-19 today. 

Today's report includes 2,233 new recoveries and 46 new deaths, 14 of whom were residents at long-term care homes.

The deaths reported today include four people between 40 and 59 years old, nine people between the ages of 60 and 79 years old, and 33 people over the age of 80. Public Health Ontario has removed the death of an individual between 20 and 39 from its reporting. 

The province has reported 91 new hospitalizations since yesterday, and 16 new admissions of COVID-19 patients to intensive care units.

The Feb. 5 update provided by the province's public health agency also reported the following data:

• 15,722 active cases, which is down from 16,330 yesterday
• 1,043 people are currently hospitalized with COVID-19 in Ontario, down from 1,101 reported yesterday. 
• There are 325 COVID patients in intensive care units (up from 323 yesterday) and 225 COVID patients on ventilators (down from 241 yesterday).
• The province reported 62,710 tests were processed yesterday resulting in a 2.5 per cent positivity rate.
• Another 41,561 tests are still under investigation and/or being processed. To date, 9.9 million tests have been completed.
• Of the 1,670 new cases reported today, 667 are from Toronto*, 317 cases are from Peel, 125 are from York Region, and 43 are from Simcoe-Muskoka
• There are 225 active outbreaks at long-term care homes, 126 at retirement homes and 74 at hospitals. 
• Of the cases reported today there are 162 people under 19 years old, 663 people between 20 and 39 years old, 512 people between 40 and 59 years old, 259 people between 60 and 79 years old, and 75 cases people over the age of 80. 

*Due to a migration of data to a new system by Toronto Public Health, the province has indicated there could be continued fluctuations in daily case counts due to corrections and updates.

Variant of concern

• The province has reported 155 lab-confirmed cases of the UK variant strain of COVID-19 (B.1.1.7). 
• The province has reported one case of B.1.351 (also known as the South African variant).
• According to Public Health Ontario, there are delays between specimen collection and the testing required to confirm a variant of concern. As such, the reports can change and can differ from past case counts publicly reported.

Vaccine update for Feb. 5:

• There were 7,694 doses of vaccines against COVID-19 administered on Feb 4, up from 6,724 on Feb. 3.
• As of 8 p.m. on Feb. 4, the province reports 362,749 doses of vaccine against COVID-19 have been administered.
• In total, 87,831 people have been fully vaccinated, having received two doses of vaccine, which are to be given a few weeks apart.

Public Health Ontario has confirmed 275,330 cases of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic, and reported 253,170 recoveries and 6,438 deaths, of which 3,697 were individuals living in long-term care homes.

The cumulative average incidence rate in the province is 1,852.3 cases per 100,000 people in Ontario.

The weekly incidence rate in Ontario is 80.9 cases per 100,000 people from Jan. 26 to Feb. 1, which is a decrease of 19.2 per cent compared to Jan. 20 to Jan. 26 when the average weekly incidence rate was 100.1 cases per 100,000 people.

In Northern Ontario, the first confirmed variant was reported yesterday out of the North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit. Public Health Sudbury and Districts also confirmed one case of the UK variant today, along with three potential variant cases. 

A confirmed COVID-19 test from an outbreak at Extendicare Kapuskasing has also screened positive as a potential variant, according to the Porcupine Health Unit.

In Northern Ontario, the breakdown of Public Health Ontario data is:

• Algoma Public Health: 175 cases, rate of 152.9 per 100,000 people. There are 25 known active cases.
• North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit: 193 cases, rate of 148.7 per 100,000 people. The health unit has reported 196 cases. There are seven known active cases.
• Porcupine Health Unit: 289 cases, rate of 346.4 per 100,000 people. There are 76 known active cases. 
• Public Health Sudbury and Districts: 533 cases, rate of 267.8 per 100,000 people. The health unit has reported 525 cases. There are 56 known active cases. 
• Timiskaming Health Unit: 90 cases, rate of 275.3 per 100,000 people. The health unit has reported 91 cases. There is one known active case.
• Northwestern Health Unit: 267 cases, rate of 304.5 per 100,000 people. There are 15 known active cases. 
• Thunder Bay District Health Unit: 1,014 cases, rate of 676.2 per 100,000 people. The health unit has reported 1,029 cases. There are 118 known active cases.

The Ontario government has declared a state of emergency, the second since the start of the pandemic, and a stay-at-home order is in effect until at least Feb. 11, 2021. There are additional measures in place for the shutdown, all of which can be found in this provincial breakdown.