Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.
Ontario reported 2,159 new cases on December 24 and 2,142 new cases on December 25. The seven-day average of daily cases across the province is now 2,257, a decrease of 49 since December 23.
Today, Ontario’s associate chief medical officer of health Dr. Barbara Yaffe announced the first two confirmed cases in Ontario of the COVID-19 variant first identified in the U.K. This variant has now been detected in multiple countries beyond the U.K., including Denmark, Belgium, Australia, and the Netherlands.
Jaffe states that, with inbound international travel, it is not unexpected to have identified the new variant in Ontario. However, the two confirmed cases are a couple from Durham with no known travel history, exposure, or high-risk contacts. Both individuals have been informed and are now in self-isolation as per public health protocols.
Modelling and epidemiological studies suggest that the COVID-19 variant first identified in the U.K. can spread easier and faster, but there is no evidence that it is more likely to cause severe illness. There is no evidence to suggest that vaccines will be any less effective against the new variant.
In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 40 new cases to report and 11 additional cases resolved, with the number of active cases across the region increasing by 27 to 121.
The following details are for December 25 only. A summary for December 24 is available below.
Most of the new cases reported for December 25 are in Toronto (541), Peel (344), York (262), Hamilton (136), and Windsor-Essex (131).
There are double-digit increases in Halton (93), Niagara (93), Ottawa (74), Durham (67), Waterloo (67), Simcoe Muskoka (52), Middlesex-London (50), Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (44), Huron Perth (28), Southwestern Public Health (24), Lambton (20), Eastern Ontario Health Unit (18), Brant (17), Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington (13), Haldimand-Norfolk (12), and Chatham-Kent (10), with with smaller increases in North Bay Parry Sound (8), Peterborough (8), and Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit (6).
The remaining 10 health units are reporting 5 or fewer new cases, with 3 health units reporting no new cases at all.
Of today’s cases, 53% are among people 40 years of age and older, with the highest number of cases (738) among people ages 20 to 39 followed by 633 cases among people ages 40 to 59. With 1,913 more cases resolved since yesterday, the percentage of resolved cases has increased by 0.1% to 85.7%. The average positivity rate across Ontario is not available on weekends.
Ontario is reporting 38 new COVID-19 deaths today, including 17 deaths in long-term care facilities. Hospitalizations have decreased by 243 to 755, but this total does not include data from more than 10% of hospitals. There are 7 more patients with COVID-19 in ICUs and 31 fewer patients on ventilators.
Testing data for December 24 and 25 is currently unavailable.
In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 40 new cases to report, including 23 in Peterborough, 9 in Kawartha Lakes, 7 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton. A report for Hastings Prince Edward is not available on December 26.
An additional 11 cases have been resolved, including 7 in Northumberland, 6 in Peterborough, and 1 in Kawartha Lakes.
There is 1 new hospitalization to report in Kawartha Lakes.
There are currently 121 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, an increase of 27 from December 24, including 46 in Peterborough, 36 in Northumberland, 20 in Hastings Prince Edward (6 in Quinte West, 6 in Belleville, 5 in Prince Edward County, 2 in Tyendinaga & Deseronto, and 1 in Central Hastings), 18 in Kawartha Lakes, and 1 in Haliburton.
Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 313 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (262 resolved with 5 deaths), 239 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (202 resolved with 33 deaths), 223 in Northumberland County (185 resolved with 1 death), 28 in Haliburton County (27 resolved with no deaths), and 260 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (225 resolved with 5 deaths). The most recent death was reported in Peterborough on November 23.
Province-wide, there have been 169,411 confirmed cases, an increase of 2,142 from yesterday, with 145,173 cases resolved (85.7% of all cases), an increase of 1,913 from yesterday. There have been 4,359 deaths, an increase of 38 from yesterday, with 2,682 deaths in long-term care homes, an increase of 17 from yesterday. The number of hospitalizations has decreased by 243 to 755, but this total does not include data from more than 10% of hospitals. There are 7 more patients with COVID-19 in ICUs and 31 fewer patients on ventilators. Testing data for December 24 and 25 is currently unavailable.
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. These numbers include December 25 and 26.
Confirmed positive: 313 (increase of 23)
Active cases: 46 (increase of 17)
Close contacts: 155 (increase of 27)
Deaths: 5 (no change)
Resolved: 262 (increase of 6)
Hospitalizations (total to date): 13 (no change)*
Total tests completed: Over 38,900 (increase of 300)
Institutional outbreaks: Fairhaven in Peterborough, Riverview Manor in Peterborough, Unidentified congregate living setting (no change)
*As of December 23, Peterborough Regional Health Centre reports 1 patient with COVID-19 on an inpatient unit and 1 patient with COVID-19 in the ICU (transferred from another hospital).
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. These numbers include December 25 and 26.
Confirmed positive: 490, including 239 in Kawartha Lakes, 223 in Northumberland, 28 in Haliburton (increase of 17, including 9 in Kawartha Lakes, 7 in Northumberland, 1 in Haliburton)*
Active cases: 55, including 18 in Kawartha Lakes, 36 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton (increase of 10, including 8 in Kawartha Lakes, 1 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton)
Probable cases: 0 (decrease of 1)
High-risk contacts: 295, including 32 in Kawartha Lakes, 167 in Northumberland, and 2 in Haliburton (net decrease of 29)**
Hospitalizations (total to date): 19, including 12 in Kawartha Lakes, 6 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton (increase of 1 in Kawartha Lakes)
Deaths: 33 (no change)
Resolved: 414, including 202 in Kawartha Lakes, 185 in Northumberland, 27 in Haliburton (increase of 8, including 1 in Kawartha Lakes and in 7 in Northumberland)
Institutional outbreaks: Golden Plough Lodge in Cobourg (decrease of 1)***
*Two previously reported cases have been added to today’s counts but are not considered new cases. One previously reported case for Kawartha Lakes was determined to be a false positive and has been removed from the case count.
**This total includes 94 high-risk contacts directly followed up through the Public Health Ontario contact tracing process that are missing the contacts’ county.
***An outbreak declared at Case Manor Care Community in Bobcaygeon on December 18 is no longer listed on the health unit’s website.
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. The health unit is not providing an update on December 26; these numbers are from December 24.
Confirmed positive: 260 (increase of 2)
Active cases: 20 (decrease of 5)
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: 235 (increase of 7)
Swabs completed: 23,212 (increase of 3)
Institutional outbreaks: None (no change)
Province of Ontario
December 24
Confirmed positive: 167,269 (increase of 2,159)
Resolved: 143,260 (increase of 2,237, 85.6% of all cases)
Hospitalized: 998 (increase of 31)
Hospitalized and in ICU: 280 (increase of 3)
Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 156 (decrease of 20)
Deaths: 4,321 (increase of 43)
Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 2,665 (increase of 22)
Total tests completed: Not available
Tests under investigation: Not available
December 25
Confirmed positive: 169,411 (increase of 2,142)
Resolved: 145,173 (increase of 1,913, 85.7% of all cases)
Hospitalized: 755 (decrease of 243)*
Hospitalized and in ICU: 286 (increase of 7)
Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 187 (decrease of 31)
Deaths: 4,359 (increase of 38)
Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 2,682 (increase of 17)
Total tests completed: Not available
Tests under investigation: Not available
*This total excludes data from more than 10% of hospitals.
COVID-19 tests completed are not available for December 24 and 25.
For more information about COVID-19 in Ontario, visit covid-19.ontario.ca.
