Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.
Ontario is reporting 2,357 new cases today — the fifth straight day of cases over 2,000, increasing the seven-day average of daily cases by 70 to 2,159.
In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 20 new cases to report and 26 additional cases resolved, with the number of active cases across the region decreasing by 6 to 102.
Most of today’s new cases are in Toronto (665), Peel (448), York (174), Windsor-Essex (170), Hamilton (118), Niagara (118), and Durham (104).
There are double-digit increases in Middlesex-London (93), Waterloo (83), Halton (72), Simcoe Muskoka (67), Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (43), Ottawa (40), Southwestern Public Health (28), Brant (22), Lambton (19), Thunder Bay (16), Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington (13), and Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit (10), with smaller increases in Huron Perth (8), Leeds, Grenville & Lanark (7), Haldimand-Norfolk (7), Eastern Ontario Health Unit (6), Chatham-Kent (6), and Grey Bruce (6).
The remaining 9 health units are reporting 5 or fewer new cases, with 3 health units reporting no new cases at all.
Of today’s cases, 51% are among people under 40 years of age, with the highest number of cases (853) among people ages 20 to 39 followed by 696 cases among people ages 40 to 59. With 1,865 more cases resolved since yesterday, the percentage of resolved cases has decreased by 0.1% to 85.5%. The average positivity rate across Ontario is unavailable on weekends.
Ontario is reporting 27 new COVID-19 deaths today, including 9 in long-term care facilities. Hospitalizations have increased by 18 to 895, with 5 fewer patients with COVID-19 in ICUs and 22 fewer patients on ventilators.
A total of 67,207 tests were completed yesterday, with the backlog of tests under investigation decreasing by 3,088 to 78,147.
In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 20 new cases to report, including 10 in Northumberland, 7 in Hastings Prince Edward, and 3 in Peterborough. There are no new cases in Kawartha Lakes or Haliburton.
An additional 26 cases have been resolved, including 15 in Northumberland, 6 in Hastings Prince Edward, and 5 in Kawartha Lakes.
There are currently 102 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, a decrease of 6 from yesterday, including 36 in Hastings Prince Edward (13 in Quinte West, 10 in Belleville, 7 in Prince Edward County, 3 in Tyendinaga & Deseronto, 3 in Central Hastings), 40 in Northumberland, 24 in Peterborough, and 2 in Kawartha Lakes. There are no active cases in Haliburton.
Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 267 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (238 resolved with 5 deaths), 219 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (198 resolved with 32 deaths), 193 in Northumberland County (152 resolved with 1 death), 27 in Haliburton County (27 resolved with no deaths), and 245 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (204 resolved with 5 deaths). The most recent death was reported in Peterborough on November 23.
Province-wide, there have been 153,614 confirmed cases, an increase of 2,357 from yesterday, with 131,282 cases resolved (85.5% of all cases), an increase of 1,865 from yesterday. There have been 4,125 deaths, an increase of 27 from yesterday, with 2,546 deaths in long-term care homes, an increase of 9 from yesterday. The number of hospitalizations has increased by 18 to 895, with 5 fewer patients with COVID-19 in ICUs and 22 fewer patients on ventilators. A total of 7,302,120 tests have been completed, an increase of 67,207 from yesterday, with 78,147 tests under investigation, a decrease of 3,088 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: 267 (increase of 3)
Active cases: 24 (increase of 3)
Close contacts: 66 (decrease of 2)
Deaths: 5 (no change)
Resolved: 238 (no change)
Hospitalizations (total to date): 12 (no change)*
Total tests completed: Over 38,300 (increase of 100)
Institutional outbreaks: Fairhaven in Peterborough (no change)
*Peterborough Regional Health Centre reports that, as of December 18, there is currently 1 patient with COVID-19 on an inpatient unit.
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 Saturday, excluding statutory holidays.
Confirmed positive: 439, including 219 in Kawartha Lakes, 193 in Northumberland, 27 in Haliburton (increase of 10 in Northumberland)
Active cases: 42, including 7 in Kawartha Lakes and 40 in Northumberland (decrease of 10, including 5 in Kawartha Lakes and 5 in Northumberland)
Probable cases: 0 (no change)
High-risk contacts: 311, including 24 in Kawartha Lakes, 165 in Northumberland, and 5 in Haliburton (net decrease of 6)*
Hospitalizations (total to date): 18, including 11 in Kawartha Lakes, 6 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton (no change)
Deaths: 33 (no change)
Resolved: 377, including 198 in Kawartha Lakes, 152 in Northumberland, 27 in Haliburton (increase of 20, including 5 in Kawartha Lakes and 15 in Northumberland)
Institutional outbreaks: Extendicare Kawartha Lakes in Lindsay, Case Manor Care Community in Bobcaygeon (no change)
*This total includes 117 high-risk contacts directly followed up through the Public Health Ontario contact tracing process that are missing the contacts’ county.
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 daily reports, excluding statutory holidays.
Confirmed positive: 245 (increase of 7)
Active cases: 36 (increase of 1)
Deaths: 5 (no change)
Currently hospitalized: 2 (decrease of 1)
Currently hospitalized and in ICU: 0 (decrease of 1)
Currently hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator (total to date): 0 (no change)
Resolved: 204 (increase of 6)
Swabs completed: 15,867 (no change)
Institutional outbreaks: Seasons Dufferin Centre in Quinte West (no change)
Province of Ontario
Confirmed positive: 153,614 (increase of 2,357)
Resolved: 131,282 (increase of 1,865, 85.5% of all cases)
Hospitalized: 895 (increase of 18)
Hospitalized and in ICU: 256 (decrease of 5)
Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 146 (decrease of 22)
Deaths: 4,125 (increase of 27)
Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 2,546 (increase of 9)
Total tests completed: 7,302,120 (increase of 67,207)
Tests under investigation: 78,147 (decrease of 3,088)
For more information about COVID-19 in Ontario, visit covid-19.ontario.ca.
