Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.
Ontario is reporting 2,202 new cases today, the eighth straight day of cases over 2,00. The seven-day average of daily cases across the province has decreased by 10 to 2,266.
In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 12 new cases to report and 18 additional cases resolved, decreasing the number of active cases across the region by 5 to 104.
Most of today’s new cases are in Toronto (636), Peel (504), York (218), Windsor-Essex (172), and Waterloo (101).
There are double-digit increases in Hamilton (95), Middlesex-London (93), Durham (86), Halton (48), Simcoe Muskoka (46), Niagara (41), Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (34), Southwestern Public Health (23), Ottawa (19), Lambton (15), and Huron Perth (14), with smaller increases in Haldimand-Norfolk (8), Eastern Ontario Health Unit (6), Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington (6), and Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit (6).
The remaining 14 health units are reporting 5 or fewer new cases, with 4 health units (most in northern Ontario) reporting no new cases at all.
Of today’s cases, 52% are among people under 40 years of age, with the highest number of cases (833) among people ages 20 to 39 followed by 633 cases among people ages 40 to 59. With 1,900 more cases resolved since yesterday, the percentage of resolved cases remains unchanged at 85.3%. The average positivity rate across Ontario has increased by 0.3% to 5.0%, meaning that 50 out of every 1,000 tests performed were positive for COVID-19 on December 21.
Ontario is reporting 21 new COVID-19 deaths today, including 11 deaths in long-term care facilities. Hospitalizations have increased by 90 to 1,005, with 8 more patients with COVID-19 in ICUs and 20 more patients on ventilators.
A total of 45,265 tests were completed yesterday, with the backlog of tests under investigation increasing by 8,766 to 47,872.
Due to the winter break and the remote learning period during the provincial shutdown, there will be no Ontario school data to report between December 22 and January 8. There are 46 new cases in licensed child care settings, an increase of 26 from yesterday, with 24 cases among children and 22 cases among staff. This represents the total number of cases reported from Friday afternoon to Monday afternoon.
In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 12 new cases to report, including 6 in Peterborough, 3 in Hastings Prince Edward, 2 in Northumberland, and 1 in Kawartha Lakes. There are no new cases in Haliburton.
An outbreak at Golden Plough Lodge in Cobourg was declared on December 21 after an employee tested positive for COVID-19.
An additional 18 cases have been resolved, including 6 in Northumberland, 5 in Peterborough, 5 in Hastings Prince Edward, and 2 in Kawartha Lakes.
There has been 1 new ICU hospitalization in Hastings Prince Edward and 1 new hospitalization in Peterborough.
None of the cases reported today in licensed child care settings are in the greater Kawarthas region.
There are currently 104 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, a decrease of 5 from yesterday, including 44 in Northumberland, 29 in Hastings Prince Edward (12 in Quinte West, 4 in Belleville, 9 in Prince Edward County, 2 in Tyendinaga & Deseronto, and 3 in Central Hastings), 27 in Peterborough, and 4 in Kawartha Lakes. There are no active cases in Haliburton.
Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 280 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (248 resolved with 5 deaths), 223 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (200 resolved with 33 deaths), 211 in Northumberland County (166 resolved with 1 death), 27 in Haliburton County (27 resolved with no deaths), and 256 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (222 resolved with 5 deaths). The most recent death was reported in Peterborough on November 23.
Province-wide, there have been 160,255 confirmed cases, an increase of 2,202 from yesterday, with 136,767 cases resolved (85.3% of all cases), an increase of 1,900 from yesterday. There have been 4,188 deaths, an increase of 21 from yesterday, with 2,592 deaths in long-term care homes, an increase of 11 from yesterday. The number of hospitalizations has increased by 90 to 1,005, with 8 more patients with COVID-19 in ICUs and 20 more patients on ventilators. A total of 7,471,302 tests have been completed, an increase of 45,265 from yesterday, with 47,872 tests under investigation, an increase of 8,766 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: 280 (increase of 6)
Active cases: 27 (increase of 1)
Close contacts: 110 (increase of 5)
Deaths: 5 (no change)
Resolved: 248 (increase of 5)
Hospitalizations (total to date): 13 (increase of 1)*
Total tests completed: Over 38,500 (increase of 50)
Institutional outbreaks: Fairhaven in Peterborough (no change)
*On December 22, the health unit is reporting a new hospitalization. As of December 18, Peterborough Regional Health Centre reports 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: 461, including 223 in Kawartha Lakes, 211 in Northumberland, 27 in Haliburton (increase of 3, including 1 in Kawartha Lakes and 2 in Northumberland)
Active cases: 48, including 4 in Kawartha Lakes and 44 in Northumberland (decrease of 5 in Northumberland)
Probable cases: 0 (no change)
High-risk contacts: 369, including 32 in Kawartha Lakes, 198 in Northumberland, and 5 in Haliburton (net increase of 25)*
Hospitalizations (total to date): 18, including 11 in Kawartha Lakes, 6 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton (no change)
Deaths: 33 (no change)
Resolved: 393, including 200 in Kawartha Lakes, 166 in Northumberland, 27 in Haliburton (increase of 8, including 2 in Kawartha Lakes and 6 in Northumberland)
Institutional outbreaks: Extendicare Kawartha Lakes in Lindsay, Case Manor Care Community in Bobcaygeon, Golden Plough Lodge in Cobourg (increase of 1)**
*This total includes 134 high-risk contacts directly followed up through the Public Health Ontario contact tracing process that are missing the contacts’ county.
**An outbreak at Golden Plough Lodge in Cobourg was declared on December 21 after an employee tested positive for COVID-19.
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: 256 (increase of 3)
Active cases: 29 (decrease of 1)
Deaths: 5 (no change)
Currently hospitalized: 3 (increase of 1)
Currently hospitalized and in ICU: 1 (increase of 1)
Currently hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator (total to date): 0 (no change)
Resolved: 222 (increase of 5)
Swabs completed: 15,867 (no change)
Institutional outbreaks: Seasons Dufferin Centre in Quinte West (no change)
Province of Ontario
Confirmed positive: 160,255 (increase of 2,202)
Resolved: 136,767 (increase of 1,900, 85.3% of all cases)
Hospitalized: 1,005 (increase of 90)
Hospitalized and in ICU: 273 (increase of 8)
Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 172 (increase of 20)
Deaths: 4,188 (increase of 21)
Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 2,592 (increase of 11)
Total tests completed: 7,471,302 (increase of 45,265)
Tests under investigation: 47,872 (increase of 8,766)
For more information about COVID-19 in Ontario, visit covid-19.ontario.ca.
