Ontario reports more than 4,200 COVID-19 cases, 32 additional deaths

The province reports a test positivity rate of 7.9 per cent, down significantly from 10 a day ago and a record rate of 10.5 two days ago.

By Michael Ranger

Ontario is reporting 4,212 new COVID-19 cases and 32 additional deaths on Wednesday.

The province reports a test positivity rate of 7.9 percent, down significantly from 10 a day ago and a record rate of 10.5 two days ago.

There were 51,877 tests completed in the last 24 hour period, up from more than 40,000 tests completed a day ago. Testing numbers are typically down earlier in the week on Monday and Tuesday.

Locally, there are 1,249 new cases in Toronto, 771 in Peel, 386 in York Region, 276 in Hamilton, and 214 in Durham.

The province reported 3,469 cases and 22 deaths on Tuesday.

The rolling seven-day average of cases increases slightly to 4,327. That number is up more than 300 cases from one week ago.

There are now 2,335 people hospitalized in the province due to COVID-19 with 790 in the ICU. It marks another record for ICU patients but it is the first time in 10 days that hospitalizations have decreased.

An ICU doctor at Toronto’s Michael Garron Hospital says the rate of COVID-19 deaths among younger Canadians has increased dramatically in recent months.

Dr. Michael Warner says younger daycare workers, ride-share drivers, factory workers, and their families are dying.

Warner says between September 1st of last year and the end of February, one patient under 50-years-old in intensive care died of COVID-19 every five days.

He says in the first 48 days of the third wave, which began March 1st, the rate has jumped to one in just 1.78 days.

There were 136,695 vaccine doses administered in the last 24 hour period. It marks a single-day record for vaccine doses administered.

As of 8:00 p.m. Tuesday, 4,131,882 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered.

Dr. Isaac Bogoch says the increase from the typical 100,000 doses can be attributed to more AstraZeneca being administered.

“(The) Current rate is reasonable based on supply and can hopefully rise to 150,000 a day when larger shipments of Pfizer arrive,” said Bogoch on Twitter.

Ontario and Shoppers Drug Mart announced on Tuesday that the company’s pharmacies will start offering 24-7 COVID-19 vaccinations for people over the age of 40.

Twenty locations, including 16 in the hot spot communities of Toronto, Peel Region, and York Region, will start offering the AstraZeneca shot as soon as Wednesday.

According to the latest provincial numbers, there are 2,119 additional cases of the B.1.1.7 variant.

There are now 41,395 cumulative cases of the B.1.1.7 variant, 212 cases of the P.1 variant, and 108 cases of the B.1.351 variant.

The City of Toronto and Peel Region both announced sweeping new measures to help battle the third wave of COVID-19 in essential workplaces.

Both regions issued Section 22 orders that will force any business with five or more cases of the virus in the last 14 days to temporarily shut down.

Health Minister Christine Elliott signaled Tuesday that the Ford government could be ready to relent and introduce paid sick days, with some reports suggesting an announcement could come as early as Wednesday.

“It was clear yesterday (Monday) with the (federal) budget that it was not going to be improved by the federal government and so we are considering our alternatives now to deal with those gaps,” said Elliott.

Opposition parties are calling on the government to legislate a minimum of 10 paid days of emergency leave for employees.

Premier Doug Ford is self-isolating after a staff member he was in close contact with tested positive for COVID-19. Ford has since tested negative.

A statement from the premier’s office says the staff member was tested Tuesday after learning they had been at risk of exposure.

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