Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.
Today, on the same day the Ontario government announced new public health measures to contain the spread of COVID-19 variants, the province is reporting another record increase of 4,812 new cases, with the seven-day average of daily cases increasing by 84 to a new record high of 4,292. Toronto is reporting a record 1,469 cases, with 9 other health units reporting triple-digit increases.
There are now 30,175 cases of the B.1.1.7 UK variant in Ontario, an increase of 2,897 from yesterday, with 4 more cases of the B.1.351 South Africa variant, and 11 more cases of the P.1 Brazilian variant. The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 has reached another record high at 1,955, as has the number of patients in ICUs at 701 and the number of patients on ventilators at 480.
In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 57 new cases to report and an additional 69 cases resolved, with the number of active cases decreasing by 16 to 448. There has been 1 new COVID-related death in Kawartha Lakes. See below for detailed numbers from each regional health unit.
Most of today’s new cases are in Toronto (1,469), Peel (851), York (491), Ottawa (366), Durham (268), Hamilton (204), Niagara (192), Halton (175), Middlesex-London (123), and Simcoe Muskoka (101).
There are double-digit increases today in Windsor-Essex (74), Waterloo (61), Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (60) Eastern Ontario (56), Brant (50), Haldimand-Norfolk (44), Southwestern (30), Peterborough (28), Grey Bruce (24), Porcupine (23), Sudbury (20), Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington (15), Hastings Prince Edward (13), Leeds, Grenville & Lanark (13), Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge (13), and Lambton (12), with smaller increases in Renfrew (8), Northwestern (7), Algoma (7), and Thunder Bay (6).
The remaining 4 health units are reporting 5 or fewer new cases, with all health units reporting at least 1 case.
Of today’s new cases, 57% are among people 39 and younger, with the highest number of cases (1,890) among people ages 20-39 followed by 1,376 cases among people ages 40-59 and 831 cases among people 19 and under.
With 3,151 more cases resolved since yesterday, the percentage of resolved cases has decreased by 0.3% to 88.3%. The average positivity rate across Ontario has increased by 0.3% to 8.3%, meaning that 83 out of every 1,000 tests performed were positive for COVID-19 on April 15.
Ontario is reporting 25 new COVID-19 deaths today, including 1 new death in a long-term care home. Ontario has averaged 22 new daily deaths over the past week, an increase of 1 from yesterday.
The number of hospitalizations has increased by 23 to 1,955, with the number of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs increasing by 42 to 701, and the number of patients with COVID-19 on ventilators increasing by 38 to 480.
A total of 64,304 tests were completed yesterday, with the backlog of tests under investigation decreasing by 867 to 38,815.
A total of 3,644,038 doses of vaccine have now been administered, a record increase of 115,634 from yesterday, with 341,933 people fully vaccinated with both doses of vaccine, an increase of 2,442.
The number of fully vaccinated people represents 2.32% of Ontario’s population, an increase of 0.02% from yesterday, with fully and partially vaccinated people representing 24.73% of the population, an increase of 0.78% from yesterday. An estimated 70-90% of the population must be immunized to achieve herd immunity.
In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 57 new cases to report, including 22 in Northumberland, 15 in Hastings Prince Edward, 12 in Peterborough, 6 in Kawartha Lakes, and 2 in Haliburton.
There has been 1 new COVID-related death in Kawartha Lakes. There is 1 new hospitalization and 1 new ICU admission in Hastings Prince Edward.
An outbreak at Trent Champlain Residence: West Towers in Peterborough was declared on April 16. An outbreak at Grafton Public School in Grafton was declared on April 15. An unidentified community outbreak in Belleville was declared on April 16.
There are 46 new regional cases of variants of concern, including 20 in Hastings Prince Edward, 14 in Peterborough, 8 in Kawartha Lakes, 3 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton.
An additional 69 cases have been resolved, including 28 in Hastings Prince Edward, 24 in Northumberland, 8 in Peterborough, 6 in Kawartha Lakes, and 3 in Haliburton.
Outbreaks at Champlain Annex at Trent University in Peterborough and Thomas A. Stewart Secondary School in Peterborough were declared resolved on April 16. An outbreak at an unidentified child care facility in Belleville was declared resolved on April 16. An outbreak at an unidentified workplace in Peterborough was declared resolved on April 15. An outbreak at an unidentified workplace in Trenton was declared resolved on April 14.
There are currently 448 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, a decrease of 16 from yesterday, including 143 in Peterborough, 134 in Hastings Prince Edward (24 in Quinte West, 68 in Belleville, 6 in Tyendinaga & Deseronto, 18 in Prince Edward County, 12 in Central Hastings, and 6 in North Hastings), 117 in Northumberland, 45 in Kawartha Lakes, and 9 in Haliburton.
Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 1,085 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (930 resolved with 12 deaths), 657 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (569 resolved with 56 deaths), 712 in Northumberland County (583 resolved with 12 deaths), 85 in Haliburton County (75 resolved with 1 death), and 795 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (654 resolved with 7 deaths). The most recent death was reported in Kawartha Lakes on April 16.
The provincial data in this report is pulled from Ontario’s integrated Public Health Information System (iPHIS) at 4 p.m. the previous day, as well as from systems in Toronto, Ottawa, and Middlesex-London at 2 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: 1,085 (increase of 12)*
Total variants of concern cases: 324 (increase of 14)
Active cases: 143 (increase of 4)
Close contacts: 384 (decrease of 37)
Deaths: 12 (no change)
Resolved: 930 (increase of 8)
Hospitalizations (total to date): 36 (no change)**
Total tests completed: Over 48,150 (increase of 50)
Outbreaks: Empress Gardens retirement home in Peterborough, Unidentified workplace #4 in Peterborough County, Unidentified congregate living facility #3 in Peterborough, Unidentified workplace #5 in Peterborough, Unidentified workplace #6 in Peterborough, Trent Champlain Residence: West Towers in Peterborough (net decrease of 2)***
Vaccine doses administered: 39,772 (increase of 5,160 as of April 15)
*The health unit is reporting 18 new cases in the last 24 hours, with 1 case added to a previous day increasing the total case count by 19.
**As of April 16, Peterborough Regional Health Centre is reporting 21 patients currently hospitalized with COVID-19 (an increase of 4) and a total of 45 patients transferred from other areas as a result of a provincial directive (increase of 4).
***An outbreak at Trent Champlain Residence: West Towers in Peterborough was declared on April 16. An outbreak at an unidentified workplace (#3) in Peterborough was declared resolved on April 15. Outbreaks at Champlain Annex at Trent University in Peterborough and Thomas A. Stewart Secondary School in Peterborough were declared resolved on April 16.
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: 1,454, including 657 in Kawartha Lakes, 712 in Northumberland, and 85 in Haliburton (increase of 30, including 6 in Kawartha Lakes, 22 in Northumberland, and 2 in Haliburton)*
Cases with N501Y mutation: 215, including 75 in Kawartha Lakes, 134 in Northumberland, and 6 in Haliburton (increase of 12, including 8 in Kawartha Lakes, 3 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton)**
Active cases: 171, including 45 in Kawartha Lakes, 117 in Northumberland, and 9 in Haliburton (decrease of 6, including 1 in Kawartha Lakes, 2 in Northumberland, and 3 in Haliburton)
Probable cases: 0 (decrease of 1 in Kawartha Lakes)
High-risk contacts: Not available***
Hospitalizations (total to date): 55, including 32 in Kawartha Lakes, 20 in Northumberland, and 3 in Haliburton (no change)****
Deaths (including among probable cases): 69, including 56 in Kawartha Lakes, 12 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton (increase of 1 in Kawartha Lakes)
Resolved: 1,227, including 569 in Kawartha Lakes, 583 in Northumberland, and 75 in Haliburton (increase of 33, including 6 in Kawartha Lakes, 24 in Northumberland, and 3 in Haliburton)
Tests completed: 171,316 (no change)
Vaccine doses administered: 38,415 (increase of 8,007 as of April 12)
Number of people fully vaccinated: 3,047 (increase of 58 as of April 12)
Outbreaks: St. Mary Catholic Secondary School in Cobourg, Timber House Resort in Brighton, Swiss Chalet in Cobourg, Christian Horizons in Port Hope, Cobourg Collegiate Institute in Cobourg, Fenelon Court long-term care home in Fenelon Falls, North Hope Central Public School in Campbellcroft, Grafton Public School in Grafton (increase of 1)*****
*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.
***As of April 14, the health unit is no longer reporting high-risk contacts due to a “process change of not collecting high risk information”.
****As of April 16, Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay reports 5 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 (no change).
*****An outbreak at Grafton Public School in Grafton was declared on April 15.
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: 795 (increase of 15)
Confirmed variants of concern cases: 207 (increase of 20)
Active cases: 134 (decrease of 14)
Deaths: 7 (no change)
Currently hospitalized: 14 (increase of 1)
Currently hospitalized and in ICU: 6 (increase of 1)
Currently hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator (total to date): 1 (no change)
Resolved: 654 (increase of 28)
Tests completed: 120,698 (increase of 12)
Vaccine doses administered: 48,431 (increase of 1,853)
Number of people fully vaccinated: 3,271 (increase of 10)
Outbreaks: Unidentified workplace in Belleville, Tri-board Bus #499 in Belleville, Unidentified congregate living facility in Belleville, Unidentified community outbreak in Belleville (net decrease of 1)*
*An outbreak at an unidentified child care facility in Belleville was declared resolved on April 16. An outbreak at an unidentified workplace in Trenton was declared resolved on April 14. An unidentified community outbreak in Belleville was declared on April 16.
Province of Ontario
Confirmed positive: 408,383 (increase of 4,812)
COVID-19 variants of concern (VOC) cases: 30,175 of B.1.1.7 UK variant (increase of 2,897); 99 of B.1.351 South Africa variant (increase of 4); 202 of P.1 Brazilian variant (increase of 11)*
VOC R(t): 1.23 (last updated April 2)**
7-day average of daily new cases: 4,292 (increase of 84)
Positivity rate: 8.2% (increase of 0.2%)
Resolved: 360,742 (increase of 3,151), 88.3% of all cases (decrease of 0.3%)
Hospitalizations: 1,955 (increase of 23)
Hospitalizations in ICU: 701 (increase of 42)
Hospitalizations in ICU on ventilator: 480 (increase of 38)
Deaths: 7,664 (increase of 25)
7-day average of daily new deaths: 22 (increase of 1)
Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 3,909 (increase of 1)
Total tests completed: 13,422,529 (increase of 64,304)
Tests under investigation: 38,815 (decrease of 867)
Vaccination doses administered: 3,644,038 (increase of 115,634), 24.73% of Ontario’s population (increase of 0.78%)***
People fully vaccinated (two doses): 341,933 (increase of 2,442), 2.32% of Ontario’s population (increase of 0.02%)***
*On April 8, the government changed the way it reports cases of the B.1.1.7 UK variant. Previously they were reported only when genetic sequencing confirmed they were of the B.1.1.7 lineage. Since genetic sequencing completed to date has determined 95% of specimens screening positive for the N501Y mutation have been found to be the B.1.1.7 UK variant, specimens with the N501Y mutation are now reported as cases of the B.1.1.7 UK variant.
**R(t) is a virus’s effective reproduction number, which is the average number of new infections caused by a single infected individual at a specific time (t) in a partially immunized population. To successfully eliminate a disease from a population, R(t) needs to be less than 1.
***An estimated 70-90% of the population must be immunized to achieve herd immunity.
For more information about COVID-19 in Ontario, visit covid-19.ontario.ca.
