Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.
Today, Ontario is reporting 1,210 new COVID-19 cases, with the average number of daily cases over the past seven days now standing at 1,370.
During a media conference on Thursday (November 19) announcing COVID-19 workplace education and enforcement campaigns, Ontario Premier Doug Ford said more stringent public health measures would be introduced in the province on Friday (November 20).
“These measures will have to be tough in the hardest-hit areas,” Ford said. “We’re seeing concerning trends — our hospital ICUs are in jeopardy, our long-term care homes are at risk. We have some difficult but necessary decisions to make.”
The government is expected to move more public health unit regions into more restrictive levels in the province’s colour-coded system. This could include Peel, Toronto, and York being moved into the most restrictive “lockdown” level. It is also possible that some health units, such as Peterborough in the greater Kawarthas region, may be moved from the green “prevent” level into the yellow “protect” level.
Most of today’s new cases are in Peel (361), Toronto (346), and York (143), with smaller increases in Durham (57), Ottawa (37), Hamilton (37), Halton (35), Waterloo (28), Simcoe Muskoka (27), Windsor-Essex (24), Niagara (21), Middlesex-London (19), Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (11), Grey Bruce (10), Eastern Ontario Health Unit (8), Thunder Bay (7), Huron Perth (7), and Brant County (6).
The remaining 16 health units are reporting 5 or fewer new cases, with 4 health units reporting no new cases at all.
Of today’s cases, 53% are among people under 40 years of age, with the highest number of cases (446) among people ages 20 to 39 followed by 353 cases among people ages 40 to 59. With 1,376 more cases resolved since yesterday, the percentage of resolved cases has increased by 0.3% to 83.8%. The average positivity rate across Ontario has decreased by 0.4% to 4.1%, meaning that 41 out of every 1,000 tests performed were positive for COVID-19 on November 18.
A total of 29 new deaths were reported today, including 15 in long-term care facilities. While hospitalizations have decreased by 9 to 526, the number of patients with COVID-19 admitted to ICUs has jumped by 19 to 146 — approaching the threshold of 150 that Ontario public health officials say will require surgeries and other medical procedures to be cancelled to accommodate COVID-19 patients. The number of patients on ventilators has also jumped by 10 to 88.
A total of 41,838 tests were completed yesterday, and the backlog of tests under investigation has increased by 7,822 to 44,493.
There are 91 new cases in Ontario schools, an decrease of 18 from yesterday, with 75 student cases, 16 staff cases, and no cases among unidentified individuals. There are 10 cases in licensed child care settings, a decrease of 15 from yesterday, with 6 cases among children and 5 cases among staff.
In the greater Kawartha region, there are 8 new cases to report today, including 5 new cases in Hastings and Prince Edward counties, with 1 new hospitalization, and 3 new cases in Peterborough. An additional case has been resolved in Peterborough.
There are no new cases to report in Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland, or Haliburton.
An additional case has been resolved in Northumberland. The outbreak at Northumberland Hills Hospital is over as of November 19. The outbreak was declared on November 13 after two symptomatic staff tested positive for COVID-19. Additional investigation has revealed information that the exposure site may have been outside of the hospital setting and there has been no further COVID-19 transmission has been identified among staff and patients.
None of the reported new cases in Ontario schools and child care settings are in the greater Kawarthas region.
There are currently 51 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, including 25 in Peterborough, 17 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties, 5 in Northumberland, 3 in Kawartha Lakes, and 1 in Haliburton.
Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 185 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (156 resolved with 4 deaths), 191 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (169 resolved with 32 deaths), 61 in Northumberland County (55 resolved with 1 death), 23 in Haliburton County (22 resolved with no deaths), and 100 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (78 resolved with 5 deaths). The most recent death was reported in Peterborough on November 12.
Province-wide, Ontario will exceed 100,000 total confirmed cases tomorrow, with today’s increase of 1,210 raising the total number of confirmed cases to 99,372. Of these cases, 83,301 are resolved (83.8% of all cases), an increase of 1,376 from yesterday. There have been 3,443 deaths, an increase of 28 from yesterday, with 2,189 deaths in long-term care homes, an increase of 13 from yesterday. The number of hospitalizations has decreased by 6 to 526, with 19 additional patients with COVID-19 in ICUs, and 10 additional patients on ventilators. A total of 5,779,019 tests have been completed, an increase of 41,838 from yesterday, with 44,493 tests under investigation, an increase of 7,822 from yesterday.
The provincial data in this report is pulled from Ontario’s integrated Public Health Information System (iPHIS) at 4 p.m. the previous day. Data from local health units is more current and is usually reflected in the provincial data the following day.
Peterborough Public Health
Peterborough Public Health’s service area is the City and County of Peterborough and the Hiawatha and Curve Lake First Nations.
The health unit provides daily reports, including on weekends.
Confirmed positive: 185 (increase of 3)
Active cases: 25 (increase of 1)
Close contacts: 49 (increase of 9)
Deaths: 4 (no change)
Resolved: 156 (increase of 2)
Hospitalizations (total to date): 10 (no change)
Total tests completed: Over 35,800 (increase of 50)
Institutional outbreaks: Fairhaven (no change)
Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit
The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit’s service area is the City of Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland County, and Haliburton County.
The health unit provides reports from Monday to Friday, excluding statutory holidays.
Confirmed positive: 275, including 191 in Kawartha Lakes, 61 in Northumberland, 23 in Haliburton (no change)
Active cases: 9, including 3 in Kawartha Lakes, 5 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton (decrease of 1, in Northumberland)
Probable cases: 0 (no change)
High-risk contacts: 28, including 17 in Kawartha Lakes and 11 in Northumberland (net decrease of 1)
Hospitalizations (total to date): 16, including 11 in Kawartha Lakes, 4 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton (no change)
Deaths: 33 (no change)
Resolved: 246, including 169 in Kawartha Lakes, 55 in Northumberland, 22 in Haliburton (increase of 1, in Northumberland)
Institutional outbreaks: Northumberland Hills Hospital in Cobourg (no change)*
*The outbreak at Northumberland Hills Hospital is over as of November 19. The outbreak was declared on November 13 after two symptomatic staff tested positive for COVID-19. Additional investigation has revealed information that the exposure site may have been outside of the hospital setting and there has been no further COVID-19 transmission has been identified among staff and patients.
Hastings Prince Edward Public Health
Hastings Prince Edward Public Health’s service area is Hastings County (including Bancroft) and Prince Edward County.
The health unit provides reports from Monday to Friday, excluding statutory holidays.
Confirmed positive: 100 (increase of 5)
Active cases: 17 (increase of 5)
Deaths: 5 (no change)
Hospitalized (total to date): 8 (increase of 1)
Hospitalized and in ICU (total to date): 2 (no change)
Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator (total to date): 2 (no change)
Resolved: 78 (no change)
Total swabs completed: 7,079 (increase of 557)
Institutional outbreaks: None (no change)
Province of Ontario
Confirmed positive: 99,372 (increase of 1,210)
Resolved: 83,301 (increase of 1,376, 83.8% of all cases)
Hospitalized: 526 (decrease of 9)
Hospitalized and in ICU: 146 (increase of 19)
Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 88 (increase of 10)
Deaths: 3,443 (increase of 28)
Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 2,189 (increase of 15)
Total tests completed: 5,779,019 (increase of 41,838)
Tests under investigation: 44,493 (increase of 7,822)
For more information about COVID-19 in Ontario, visit covid-19.ontario.ca.
