Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.
Today, Ontario is reporting a new record-high number of daily cases today at 3,363, with the seven-day average of daily cases across the province increasing by 219 to 2,655.
Yesterday, Ontario reported 2,476 cases; however, due to a data issue at Toronto Public Health, the total cases for December 31 are under-reported.
In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 88 new cases to report and 17 additional cases resolved, with the number of active cases across the region jumping by 73 to 201.
Most of today’s new cases are in Peel (713), Toronto (700), York (395), Windsor-Essex (226), Hamilton (171), Niagara (166), Halton (152), and Durham (115).
There are double-digit increases in Middlesex-London (94), Ottawa (81), Lambton (70), Simcoe Muskoka (58), Waterloo (58), Eastern Ontario (53), Southwestern (56), Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (55), Haldimand-Norfolk (36), Brant (26), Huron Perth (22), Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge (20), Peterborough (20), Hastings Prince Edward (14), Leeds, Grenville & Lanark (12), and Grey Bruce (11), with smaller increases in Algoma (9), Chatham-Kent (9), and Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington (8).
The remaining 7 health units are reporting 5 or fewer new cases, with only 2 health units reporting no new cases at all.
Of today’s new cases, 51% are among people under the age of 40, with the highest number of cases (1,158) people ages 20-39, followed by 970 cases among people ages 40-59 and 499 cases among people ages 60-79. With 2,054 more cases resolved since yesterday, the percentage of resolved cases has decreased by 0.4% to 85.4%. The average positivity rate across Ontario is unavailable on statutory holidays and weekends.
Ontario is reporting 44 new COVID-19 deaths today, including 14 deaths in long-term care facilities. Hospitalizations have decreased by 257 to 1,003, but this total does not include data from more than 10% of hospitals so is under-reported. With 14 fewer patients with COVID-19 in ICUs reported today, there are now 322 COVID-19 ICU patients in Ontario. With 1 less COVID-19 patient on a ventilator reported today, there are now 220 COVID-19 patients on ventilators.
A total of 61,401 tests were completed yesterday, with the backlog of tests under investigation decreasing by 29,817 to 41,709. A total of 33,191 doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered, with 4,305 administered yesterday.
In the greater Kawarthas region over the past two days, there are 88 new cases to report, including 37 in Peterborough, 21 in Northumberland, 15 in Hastings Prince Edward, 11 in Kawartha Lakes, and 4 in Haliburton.
There is 1 new hospitalization in Kawartha Lakes. An outbreak was declared at Christian Horizons group home in Northumberland on January 1 and in Hope St. Terrace long-term care home in Port Hope on December 31. The outbreak at Golden Plough Lodge in Cobourg has been declared over.
An additional 17 cases have been resolved, including 7 in Peterborough, 4 in Kawartha Lakes, 4 in Northumberland, and 2 in Hastings Prince Edward.
There are currently 201 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, an increase of 73 from December 31, including 100 in Peterborough, 35 in Hastings Prince Edward (15 in Quinte West, 15 in Belleville, 2 in Prince Edward County, 1 in Tyendinaga & Deseronto, and 1 in North Hastings), 33 in Northumberland, 27 in Kawartha Lakes, and 6 in Haliburton.
Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 385 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (280 resolved with 5 deaths), 264 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (218 resolved with 32 deaths), 257 in Northumberland County (222 resolved with 2 deaths), 33 in Haliburton County (28 resolved with no deaths), and 296 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (256 resolved with 5 deaths). The most recent death was reported in Northumberland on December 27.
Province-wide, there have been 187,998 confirmed cases, an increase of 3,363 from yesterday, with 160,526 cases resolved (85.4% of all cases), an increase of 2,054 from yesterday. There have been 4,625 deaths, an increase of 44 from yesterday, with 2,814 deaths in long-term care homes, an increase of 14 from yesterday. The number of hospitalizations has decreased by 257 to 1,003, but this total does not include data from more than 10% of hospitals so is under-reported. With 14 fewer patients with COVID-19 in ICUs reported today, there are now 322 COVID-19 ICU patients in Ontario. With 1 less COVID-19 patient on a ventilator reported today, there are now 220 COVID-19 patients on ventilators. A total of 8,054,029 tests have been completed, an increase of 61,401 from yesterday, with 41,709 tests under investigation, a decrease of 29,817 from yesterday. Yesterday, 4,305 vaccine doses were administered, for a total of 33,191 doses administered.
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, excluding statutory holidays. These numbers are for a two-day period (January 1 and 2).
Confirmed positive: 385 (increase of 37)
Active cases: 100 (increase of 30)
Close contacts: 212 (decrease of 21)
Deaths: 5 (no change)
Resolved: 280 (increase of 7)
Hospitalizations (total to date): 15 (no change)*
Total tests completed: Over 39,400 (increase of 200)
Institutional outbreaks: Riverview Manor in Peterborough, Unidentified congregate living setting (no change)
*As of December 31, Peterborough Regional Health Centre reports a total of 4 patients hospitalized with COVID-19, including 3 patients on an inpatient unit and 1 patient in 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 are for a two-day period (January 1 and 2).
Confirmed positive: 554, including 264 in Kawartha Lakes, 257 in Northumberland, 33 in Haliburton (increase of 36, including 11 in Kawartha Lakes, 21 in Northumberland, and 4 in Haliburton)*
Active cases: 65, including 27 in Kawartha Lakes, 33 in Northumberland, and 6 in Haliburton (increase of 29, including 7 in Kawartha Lakes, 18 in Northumberland, and 4 in Haliburton)
Probable cases: 2 (increase of 2, in Northumberland)
High-risk contacts: 239, including 54 in Kawartha Lakes, 154 in Northumberland, and 3 in Haliburton (net decrease of 27)**
Hospitalizations (total to date): 23, including 15 in Kawartha Lakes, 7 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton (increase of 1 in Kawartha Lakes)
Deaths: 34 (no change)
Resolved: 468, including 218 in Kawartha Lakes, 222 in Northumberland, 28 in Haliburton (increase of 8, including 4 in Kawartha Lakes and 4 in Northumberland)
Institutional outbreaks: Christian Horizons group home in Northumberland, Hope St. Terrace long-term care home in Port Hope (increase of 2)***
*The health unit states that total counts and counts for individual counties may fluctuate from previously reported counts as cases are transferred to or from the health unit based on case investigation details and routine data cleaning.
**This total includes 25 high-risk contacts directly followed up through the Public Health Ontario contact tracing process that are missing the contacts’ county.
***An outbreak was declared at Christian Horizons group home in Northumberland on January 1 and in Hope St. Terrace long-term care home in Port Hope on December 31. The outbreak at Golden Plough Lodge in Cobourg has been declared over.
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. These numbers are for a two-day period (January 1 and 2).
Confirmed positive: 296 (increase of 15)
Active cases: 35 (increase of 13)
Deaths: 5 (no change)
Currently hospitalized: 3 (no change)
Currently hospitalized and in ICU: 0 (no change)
Currently hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator (total to date): 0 (no change)
Resolved: 256 (increase of 2)
Swabs completed: 26,760 (no change)
Institutional outbreaks: None (no change)
Province of Ontario
January 1
Confirmed positive: 187,998 (increase of 3,363)
Resolved: 160,526 (increase of 2,054, 85.4% of all cases)
Positivity rate: 5.7% (for December 31; rate is unavailable on statutory holidays and weekends)
Hospitalized: 1,003 (decrease of 257)*
Hospitalized and in ICU: 322 (decrease of 14)
Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 220 (decrease of 1)
Deaths: 4,625 (increase of 44)
Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 2,814 (increase of 14)
Total tests completed: 8,054,029 (increase of 61,401)
Tests under investigation: 41,709 (decrease of 29,817)
Daily vaccine doses administered: 4,305 (decrease of 1,158)
Total vaccine doses administered: 33,191 (increase of 9,689)
*As more than 10% of hospitals did not submit data for this report, the number of hospitalization is under-reported.
December 31
Confirmed positive: 184,635 (increase of 2,476)*
Resolved: 158,472 (increase of 2,460, 85.8% of all cases)
Positivity rate: 5.7% (for December 31; rate is unavailable on statutory holidays and weekends)
Hospitalized: 1,260 (increase of 25)
Hospitalized and in ICU: 336 (decrease of 1)
Hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 221 (increase of 11)
Deaths: 4,581 (increase of 51)
Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 2,800 (increase of 23)
Total tests completed: 7,992,628 (increase of 70,570)
Tests under investigation: 71,526 (decrease of 757)
*Due to a data issue, cases reported on December 31 for Toronto Public Health are under-reported. This issue also affects overall case counts for Ontario.
For more information about COVID-19 in Ontario, visit covid-19.ontario.ca.
