Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.
Ontario is reporting 1,707 new COVID-19 cases today, with the average number of daily cases over the past seven days increasing by 100 to 1,670 — the highest it’s ever been — with a spike in the number of hospitalizations, ICU admissions, and cases in schools.
The worsening of the second wave in Ontario comes on the same day Ontario health minister Christine Elliot, along with retired general Rick Hillier, chair of Ontario’s vaccine distribution task force, held a media conference at pharmaceutical distribution company McKesson Canada in Brampton to provide an update on the province’s plan for rolling out COVID-19 vaccines when they become available.
“Collaborating with industry experts in health care and logistics will be key to ensuring we are prepared by December 31 for the first phase of rolling out COVID-19 vaccines, when they are available,” Elliott said. “Under the leadership of General Hillier, the province will be ready to launch Ontario’s COVID-19 immunization program.”
Most of the new cases reported today are in Toronto, which saw another record increase of 727 cases, followed by Peel (373) and York (168).
There are double-digit increases in Durham (72), Waterloo (61), Hamilton (58), Windsor-Essex (47), Halton (47), Simcoe Muskoka (36), Ottawa (34), Niagara (15), Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (13), and Grey Bruce (12), with smaller increases in Huron Perth (8), Brant County (8), Eastern Ontario Health Unit (7), Hastings Prince Edward Public Health (6), and Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit (6). (Note: due to the way cases are reported, there are discrepancies between the Ontario data and the data reported by by local health units.)
The remaining 19 health units are reporting 5 or fewer new cases, with 6 health units reporting no new cases at all.
Of today’s cases, 54% are among people under 40 years of age, with the highest number of cases (666) among people ages 20 to 39 followed by 511 cases among people ages 40 to 59. With 1,373 more cases resolved since yesterday, the percentage of resolved cases has decreased by 0.1% to 84.6%. The average positivity rate across Ontario has increased by 0.5% to 5.1%, meaning that 51 out of every 1,000 tests performed were positive for COVID-19 on November 30.
Ontario is reporting 7 new COVID-19 deaths today, including 6 in long-term care facilities — the lowest number of daily deaths since October 28, when 5 deaths were reported. However, hospitalizations continue to climb, with 27 more people with COVID-19 in hospitals, for a total of 645. The number of patients with COVID-19 admitted to ICUs has jumped by 17 to 185, with 4 more patients on ventilators.
A total of 34,046 tests were completed yesterday, and the backlog of tests under investigation has increased by 6,658 to 34,046.
The number of new cases in Ontario schools has jumped to 299, an increase of 197 from yesterday, with 255 student cases and 46 staff cases. There are 40 new cases in licensed child care settings, an increase of 26 from yesterday, with 21 cases among children and 19 cases among staff.
In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 22 new cases to report, including 9 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (almost all in Belleville), 8 in Northumberland, 4 in Peterborough, and 1 in Kawartha Lakes. There are no new cases to report in Haliburton.
An additional 3 cases have recovered in Peterborough and 2 cases have recovered in Hastings and Prince Edward counties.
None of the reported new cases in Ontario schools and child care settings are in the greater Kawarthas region.
There are currently 95 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, including 39 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (mostly in Belleville), 26 in Northumberland, 22 in Peterborough, 7 in Kawartha Lakes, and 1 in Haliburton.
Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 216 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (189 resolved with 5 deaths), 200 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (174 resolved with 32 deaths), 94 in Northumberland County (67 resolved with 1 death), 27 in Haliburton County (26 resolved with no deaths), and 147 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (103 resolved with 5 deaths). The most recent death was reported in Peterborough on November 23.
Province-wide, there have been 118,199 confirmed cases, an increase of 1,707 from yesterday, with 100,012 cases resolved (84.6% of all cases), an increase of 1,373 from yesterday. There have been 3,663 deaths, an increase of 7 from yesterday, with 2,309 deaths in long-term care homes, an increase of 6 from yesterday. The number of hospitalizations has increased by 27 to 645, with 17 more patients with COVID-19 in ICUs and 4 more patients on ventilators. A total of 6,309,556 tests have been completed, an increase of 34,640 from yesterday, with 34,046 tests under investigation, an increase of 6,658 from yesterday.
The provincial data in this report is pulled from Ontario’s integrated Public Health Information System (iPHIS) at 12 p.m. the previous day. Data from local health units is more current and is usually reflected in the provincial data the following day. There may be discrepancies between the Ontario data reported today (which is from yesterday) and the local health unit data reported today (which is from today).
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: 216 (increase of 4)
Active cases: 22 (increase of 1)
Close contacts: 62 (increase of 4)
Deaths: 5 (no change)
Resolved: 189 (increase of 3)
Hospitalizations (total to date): 10 (no change)*
Total tests completed: Over 36,750 (no change)
Institutional outbreaks: Fairhaven (no change)
*The health unit is no longer reporting the total number of hospitalizations.
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: 321, including 200 in Kawartha Lakes, 94 in Northumberland, 27 in Haliburton (increase of 9, including 1 in Kawartha Lakes and 8 in Northumberland)
Active cases: 34, including 7 in Kawartha Lakes, 26 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton (increase of 9)
Probable cases: 0 (no change)
High-risk contacts: 110, including 15 in Kawartha Lakes, 89 in Northumberland, and 6 in Haliburton (increase of 22)
Hospitalizations (total to date): 16, including 11 in Kawartha Lakes, 4 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton (no change)
Deaths: 33 (no change)
Resolved: 267, including 174 in Kawartha Lakes, 67 in Northumberland, 26 in Haliburton (no change)
Institutional outbreaks: None (no change)
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: 147 (increase of 9)
Active cases: 39 (increase of 7)
Deaths: 5 (no change)
Currently hospitalized: 1 (no change)
Currently hospitalized and in ICU: 1 (no change)
Currently hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator (total to date): 0 (no change)
Resolved: 103 (increase of 2)
New swabs completed: 4,902 (increase of 2,137)
Institutional outbreaks: None (no change)
Province of Ontario
Confirmed positive: 118,199 (increase of 1,707)
Resolved: 100,012 (increase of 1,373, 84.6% of all cases)
Hospitalized: 645 (increase of 27)
Hospitalized and in ICU: 185 (increase of 17)
Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 112 (increase of 4)
Deaths: 3,663 (increase of 7)
Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 2,309 (increase of 6)
Total tests completed: 6,309,556 (increase of 34,640)
Tests under investigation: 34,046 (increase of 6,658)
For more information about COVID-19 in Ontario, visit covid-19.ontario.ca.
