Ontario reports fewer than 500 COVID-19 cases for 2nd straight day

Ontario is reporting 495 new COVID-19 cases and eight additional deaths on Wednesday.

Health Minister Christine Elliott says 380 cases are in individuals who are not fully vaccinated or have an unknown vaccination status and 115 are in fully vaccinated individuals.

There are now 172 people in the ICU due to COVID-19 and 123 on ventilators. Among the ICU patients, 164 are not fully vaccinated of have an unknown vaccination status.

There were 36,404 tests completed in the last 24-hour period for a test positivity of 1.7 per cent.

There were another 38,297 vaccine doses administered in the last 24-hour period and 86.1 per cent of Ontarians 12 and older have received at least one dose while 80.7 per cent are now fully vaccinated.

It marks the second straight day and third time this month the province has seen fewer than 500 daily cases – the province reported 466 new cases on Tuesday and 463 new cases one week ago.

The rolling seven-day average increases slightly to 610 but is still down from 692 one week ago.

The province is reporting another 170 school-related cases among students and staff. As of Wednesday, nearly 17 per cent of schools in the province have at least one COVID-19 case.

Ontario’s Science Advisory Table’s latest COVID-19 modelling shows that hospitalizations and ICU occupancy are remaining stable.

The group says there’s uncertainty in their predictions because it’s too early to see the impact of in-person schooling and work resuming, and of people possibly spending more time indoors during cold weather.

The advisory table says high vaccination rates and continued public health measures remain integral in control over case growth.