Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.
Today, Ontario is reporting 1,258 new cases, the highest single day increase since February 13 when 1,300 cases were reported. The seven-day average of daily cases has increased by 15 to 1,114.
Ontario is reporting 28 new cases of the B.1.1.7 UK variant, for a total of 477, as well as 3 new cases of the B.1.351 South Africa variant, for a total of 14.
In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 22 new cases to report with an additional 8 cases resolved, with the number of active cases across the region increasing by 11 to 91.
Most of today’s new cases are in Toronto (362), Peel (274), and York (104).
There are double-digit increases in Waterloo (69), Hamilton (64), Ottawa (52), Thunder Bay (42), Durham (42), Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (35), Halton (32), Windsor-Essex (31), Simcoe Muskoka (25), Niagara (19), Brant (17), Eastern Ontario (11), Renfrew (10), and Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge (10), with smaller increases in Southwestern (9) and Lambton (6).
The remaining 15 health units are reporting 5 or fewer new cases, with only 1 health unit (Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington) reporting no new cases at all.
Of today’s new cases, 56% are among people 39 and younger, with the highest number of cases (477) among people ages 20-39, followed by 355 cases among people ages 40-59.
With 1,007 more cases resolved since yesterday, the percentage of resolved cases has decreased by 0.1% at 94.2%. The average positivity rate across Ontario has increased by 0.3% from yesterday to 2.3%, meaning that 23 out of every 1,000 tests performed were positive for COVID-19 on February 25.
Ontario is reporting 28 new COVID-19 deaths today, with no new deaths in long-term care homes. Ontario has averaged 18 new daily deaths over the past week, a decrease of 2 from yesterday.
Hospitalizations have decreased by 4 from yesterday to 683, with the number of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs increasing by 1 to 284, and the number of patients with COVID-19 on ventilators increasing by 11 to 193.
A total of 64,049 tests were completed yesterday, with the backlog of tests under investigation decreasing by 5,137 to 35,502.
A total of 643,765 doses of vaccine have now been administered, an increase of 21,805 from yesterday, with 258,014 people fully vaccinated with both doses of vaccine, an increase of 2,565 from yesterday, representing 1.75% of Ontario’s population. An estimated 70-90% of the population must be immunized to achieve herd immunity.
There are 101 new cases in Ontario schools, an increase of 18 from yesterday, including 89 student cases and 12 staff cases. There are 29 new cases in licensed child care settings in Ontario, an increase of 4 from yesterday, with 20 cases among children and 9 cases among staff.
In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 22 new cases to report, including 9 in Peterborough (a net increase of 7 new cases, as two previously reported cases have been removed from the total case count), 5 in Kawartha Lakes, 5 in Northumberland, and 3 in Hastings Prince Edward. There are no new cases to report in Haliburton.
An outbreak at Empress Gardens retirement home in Peterborough was declared on February 26.
An additional 8 cases have been resolved, including 3 in Northumberland, 2 in Kawartha Lakes, 2 in Hastings Prince Edward, and 1 in Peterborough.
There are currently 91 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, an increase of 11 from yesterday, including 37 in Peterborough, 23 in Northumberland, 16 in Hastings Prince Edward (2 in Quinte West, 6 in Belleville, 5 in Tyendinaga & Deseronto, 2 in Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory, 1 in Central Hastings), and 15 in Kawartha Lakes. There are no active cases in Haliburton.
Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 628 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (582 resolved with 9 deaths), 537 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (480 resolved with 55 deaths), 441 in Northumberland County (407 resolved with 11 deaths), 51 in Haliburton County (51 resolved with no deaths), and 409 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (387 resolved with 6 deaths). The most recent 2 deaths were reported in Kawartha Lakes on February 23.
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.
Confirmed positive: 628 (increase of 7)*
Variants of concern cases: 1 (no change)
Active cases: 37 (increase of 6)
Close contacts: 152 (increase of 13)
Deaths: 9 (no change)
Resolved: 582 (increase of 1)
Hospitalizations (total to date): 24 (no change)**
Total tests completed: Over 43,300 (no change)
Outbreaks: Buckhorn Day Care and Nursery School, Empress Gardens retirement home (increase of 1)***
Variants of concern cases: 1 (no change)
Vaccine doses administered: 1,136 (no change)
*A total of 9 new cases have been reported, with 2 previously reported cases removed from the total, resulting in a net increase of 7 cases.
**As of February 26, Peterborough Regional Health Centre is reporting fewer than 5 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 (no change) and 17 patients transferred from other areas as a result of a provincial directive (no change).
***An outbreak at Empress Gardens retirement home in Peterborough was declared on February 26.
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 Sundays and statutory holidays.
Confirmed positive: 1,029, including 537 in Kawartha Lakes, 441 in Northumberland, and 51 in Haliburton (increase of 10, including 5 in Kawartha Lakes and 5 in Northumberland)*
Cases with N501Y mutation: 12, including 2 in Kawartha Lakes and 10 in Northumberland**
Active cases: 38, including 15 in Kawartha Lakes and 23 in Northumberland (increase of 4, including 2 in Kawartha Lakes and 2 in Northumberland)
Probable cases: 1 in Northumberland (no net change)
High-risk contacts: 98, including 53 in Kawartha Lakes and 42 in Northumberland (net decrease of 41)***
Hospitalizations (total to date): 44, including 27 in Kawartha Lakes, 15 in Northumberland, and 2 in Haliburton (no change)****
Deaths (including among probable cases): 66, including 55 in Kawartha Lakes and 11 in Northumberland (no change)
Resolved: 938, including 480 in Kawartha Lakes, 407 in Northumberland, 51 in Haliburton (increase of 5, including 2 in Kawartha Lakes and 3 in Northumberland)
Tests completed: 142,338 (increase of 756)
Outbreaks: Caressant Care McLaughlin Road long-term care home in Lindsay, Regency long-term care home in Port Hope, Warkworth Place in Warkworth (no change)
*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.
**The N501Y mutation has been identified in variants of concern including the B.1.1.7 UK variant, the B.1.351 South Africa variant, and the P.1 Brazilian variant.
***This total includes an additional 3 high-risk contacts directly followed up through the Public Health Ontario contact tracing process that are missing the contacts’ county.
****As of February 26, Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay reports 1 patient hospitalized with COVID-19 (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 daily reports, including on weekends, excluding statutory holidays.
Confirmed positive: 409 (increase of 3)
Active cases: 16 (increase of 1)
Deaths: 6 (no change)
Currently hospitalized: 0 (no change)
Currently hospitalized and in ICU: 0 (no change)
Currently hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator (total to date): 0 (no change)
Resolved: 387 (increase of 2)
Tests completed: 60,867 (increase of 1)
Vaccines administered: 2,186 (increase of 160)
Outbreaks: Unidentified workplace in Central Hastings (no change)
Province of Ontario
Confirmed positive: 298,569 (increase of 1,258)
7-day average of daily new cases: 1,114 (increase of 15)
Resolved: 281,331 (increase of 1,007, 94.2% of all cases)
Positivity rate: 2.3% (increase of 0.3%)
Hospitalizations: 683 (decrease of 4)
Hospitalizations in ICU: 284 (increase of 1)
Hospitalizations in ICU on ventilator: 193 (increase of 11)
Deaths: 6,944 (increase of 28)
7-day average of daily new deaths: 18 (decrease of 2)
Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 3,864 (no change)
Total tests completed: 10,936,552 (increase of 64,049)
Tests under investigation: 35,502 (decrease of 5,137)
Vaccination doses administered: 643,765 (increase of 21,805)
People fully vaccinated (two doses): 258,014 (increase of 2,565), 1.75% of Ontario’s population (est. 70-90% required for herd immunity)
Total COVID-19 variant cases: 477 of B.1.1.7 UK variant (increase of 28); 14 of B.1.351 South Africa variant (increase of 3); 2 of P.1 Brazilian variant (no change)
For more information about COVID-19 in Ontario, visit covid-19.ontario.ca.
