Here’s an update on COVID-19 cases in Ontario as well as in the greater Kawarthas region.
Ontario is reporting 4,094 new cases today, with more than 1,000 cases in Toronto and in Peel (for the second day in a row) and 7 other health units reporting triple-digit increases. The seven-day average of daily cases has decreased by 39 to 4,094.
Public Health Ontario has confirmed 36 cases of the B.1.617 variant, first identified in India, have been detected in the province.
“I am extremely concerned about the threat of this latest variant,” said Premier Doug Ford in a statement on Saturday, pleading with the federal government to prohibit all non-essential travel to Canada immediately. “The images we are seeing from other parts of the world right now are heartbreaking. These deadly new variants are causing devastation in India and other countries. We can’t let that happen here.”
There are also 2,955 more cases of the B.1.1.7 UK variant, 16 more cases of the B.1.351 South Africa variant, and 32 more cases of the P.1 Brazilian variant.
Hospitalizations have decreased slightly for the second day in a row, but ICU admissions and patients on ventilators have increased to new record highs. More than 4.5 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine have now been administered in Ontario, with 30% of the population now having received at least one dose; an estimated 70-90% of the population must be immunized to achieve herd immunity.
In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 35 new cases to report and an additional 33 cases resolved, with the number of active cases increasing by 2 to 279.
Most of the new cases reported today are in Toronto (1,191), Peel (1,014), York (406), Niagara (226), Durham (199), Ottawa (158), Hamilton (133), Waterloo (111), and Halton (109).
There are double-digit increases reported today in Middlesex-London (96), Simcoe Muskoka (86), Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (78), Windsor-Essex (45), Eastern Ontario (32), Brant (32), Haldimand-Norfolk (21), Southwestern (16), Porcupine (15), Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge (14), Grey Bruce (14), Leeds, Grenville & Lanark (12), and Lambton (12), with smaller increases in Northwestern (9), Thunder Bay (9), Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington (9), Peterborough (8), Huron Perth (7), Hastings Prince Edward (6).
The remaining 6 health units are reporting 5 or fewer new cases, with all of them reporting at least 1 case.
Of today’s new cases, 56% are among people 39 and younger, with the highest number of cases (1,594) among people ages 20-39 followed by 1,198 cases among people ages 40-59 and 707 cases among people 19 and under.
With 4,332 more cases resolved since yesterday, the percentage of resolved cases has increased by 0.1% to at 88.8% — the fifth day in a row of an increase in resolved cases. The average positivity rate across Ontario has decreased by 1.0% to 7.8%, meaning that 78 out of every 1,000 tests performed were positive for COVID-19 on April 23.
Ontario is reporting 24 new COVID-19 deaths today, with no new deaths in long-term care homes. Ontario has averaged 27 new daily deaths over the past week, a decrease of 1 from yesterday.
The number of hospitalizations has decreased by 10 to 2,277, but the number of patients with COVID-19 in ICUs has increased by 15 to 833 and the number of patients with COVID-19 on ventilators has increased by 7 to 600.
A total of 52,160 tests were completed yesterday, with the backlog of tests under investigation increasing by 570 to 31,933.
A total of 4,527,368 doses of vaccine have now been administered, an increase of 126,694 from yesterday, with 358,776 people fully vaccinated with both doses of vaccine, an increase of 3,568 from yesterday.
The number of fully vaccinated people represents 2.44% of Ontario’s population, an increase of 0.03% from yesterday, with fully and partially vaccinated people representing 30.73% of the population, an increase of 0.86% from yesterday. An estimated 70-90% of the population must be immunized to achieve herd immunity.
In the greater Kawarthas region, there are 35 new cases to report, including 18 in Hastings Prince Edward, 10 in Peterborough, 4 in Kawartha Lakes, and 3 in Northumberland. There are no new cases in Haliburton.
A workplace outbreak at Summersweet Custom Design & Build Inc. in Haliburton was declared on April 23.
There are 4 new hospitalizations and 1 new ICU admission in Hastings Prince Edward, and 1 new hospitalization in Northumberland.
There are 17 new regional cases of variants of concern, including 6 in Kawartha Lakes, 6 in Northumberland, 4 in Peterborough, and 1 in Hastings Prince Edward.
An additional 33 cases have been resolved, including 12 in Hastings Prince Edward, 10 in Northumberland, 9 in Peterborough, and 2 in Kawartha Lakes. Outbreaks at an unidentified workplace in Peterborough, St. Mary Catholic Secondary School in Cobourg, Cobourg Collegiate Institute in Cobourg, North Hope Central Public School in Campbellcroft, and St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Secondary School in Lindsay have been declared resolved.
There are currently 279 active cases in the greater Kawarthas region, an increase of 2 from yesterday, including 96 in Peterborough, 86 in Hastings Prince Edward (15 in Quinte West, 41 in Belleville, 3 in Tyendinaga & Deseronto, 6 in Prince Edward County, 17 in Central Hastings, and 4 in North Hastings), 55 in Northumberland, 35 in Kawartha Lakes, and 7 in Haliburton.
Since the pandemic began in the greater Kawarthas region, there have been 1,165 confirmed positive cases in the Peterborough area (1,056 resolved with 13 deaths), 691 in the City of Kawartha Lakes (613 resolved with 56 deaths), 785 in Northumberland County (717 resolved with 13 deaths), 95 in Haliburton County (87 resolved with 1 death), and 866 in Hastings and Prince Edward counties (771 resolved with 8 deaths). The two most recent deaths were reported in Northumberland and in Peterborough on April 20.
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: 1,165 (increase of 12)*
Total variants of concern cases: 400 (increase of 4)
Active cases: 96 (increase of 3)
Close contacts: 251 (decrease of 44)
Deaths: 13 (no change)
Resolved: 1,056 (increase of 9)
Hospitalizations (total to date): 47 (no change)**
ICU admissions (total to date): 8 (no change)
Total tests completed: Over 49,000 (increase of 250)
Outbreaks: Empress Gardens retirement home in Peterborough, Unidentified congregate living facility #3 in Peterborough, Unidentified workplace #5 in Peterborough, Trent Champlain Residence: West Towers in Peterborough (decrease of 1)***
Vaccine doses administered: 43,602 (increase of 2,454 as of April 22)
Number of people fully vaccinated: 2,481 (increase of 54 as of April 22)
*The health unit is reporting 10 new cases in the last 24 hours. The total case count has increased by 2 because 2 cases have been added from previous days.
**As of April 23, Peterborough Regional Health Centre is reporting 13 patients currently hospitalized with COVID-19 (no change) and a total of 55 patients transferred from other areas as a result of a provincial directive (no change).
***An outbreak at unidentified workplace #6 in Peterborough was declared resolved on April 24.
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: 1,571, including 691 in Kawartha Lakes, 786 in Northumberland, and 95 in Haliburton (increase of 7, including 4 in Kawartha Lakes and 3 in Northumberland)*
Cases with N501Y mutation: 330, including 102 in Kawartha Lakes, 214 in Northumberland, and 14 in Haliburton (increase of 12, including 6 in Kawartha Lakes and 6 in Northumberland)**
Active cases: 97, including 35 in Kawartha Lakes, 55 in Northumberland, and 7 in Haliburton (net decrease of 5)
Probable cases: 5, including 2 in Kawartha Lakes, 2 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton (increase of 1 in Haliburton)
Hospitalizations (total to date): 57, including 33 in Kawartha Lakes, 21 in Northumberland, and 3 in Haliburton (increase of 1 in Northumberland)***
Deaths (including among probable cases): 70, including 56 in Kawartha Lakes, 13 in Northumberland, and 1 in Haliburton (no change)
Resolved: 1,417, including 613 in Kawartha Lakes, 717 in Northumberland, and 87 in Haliburton (increase of 12, including 2 in Kawartha Lakes and 10 in Northumberland)
Tests completed: 177,317 (increase of 565)
Vaccine doses administered: 51,711 (increase of 13,296 as of April 19)
Number of people fully vaccinated: 3,408 (increase of 361 as of April 19)
Outbreaks: Fenelon Court long-term care home in Fenelon Falls, Grafton Public School in Grafton, Grafton Post Office in Grafton, Mariposa Elementary School in Oakwood, Summersweet Custom Design & Build Inc. in Haliburton (net decrease of 3)*****
*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 23, Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay reports 9 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 (increase of 2).
****A workplace outbreak at Summersweet Custom Design & Build Inc. in Haliburton was declared on April 23. Outbreaks at St. Mary Catholic Secondary School in Cobourg, Cobourg Collegiate Institute in Cobourg, North Hope Central Public School in Campbellcroft, and St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Secondary School in Lindsay have been resolved.
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: 866 (increase of 18)
Confirmed variants of concern cases: 261 (increase of 1)
Active cases: 86 (increase of 4)
Deaths: 8 (no change)
Currently hospitalized: 17 (increase of 4)
Currently hospitalized and in ICU: 6 (increase of 1)
Currently hospitalized and in ICU on ventilator: 2 (no change)
Resolved: 771 (increase of 12)
Tests completed: 124,878 (no change)
Vaccine doses administered: 62,258 (increase of 1,112)
Number of people fully vaccinated: 3,867 (increase of 2)
Outbreaks: Unidentified congregate living facility in Belleville, Unidentified community outbreak in Belleville, Unidentified workplace in Prince Edward County (no change)
Province of Ontario
Confirmed positive: 441,404 (increase of 4,094)
COVID-19 variants of concern (VOC) cases: 49,860 of B.1.1.7 UK variant (increase of 2,955); 150 of B.1.351 South Africa variant (increase of 16); 267 of P.1 Brazilian variant (increase of 43)**
7-day average of daily new cases: 4,094 (decrease of 38)
Positivity rate: 7.8% (decrease of 1.0%)
Resolved: 392,044 (increase of 4,332), 88.8% of all cases (increase of 0.1%)
Hospitalizations: 2,277 (decrease of 10)
Hospitalizations in ICU: 833 (increase of 15)
Hospitalizations in ICU on ventilator: 600 (increase of 7)
Deaths: 7,887 (increase of 24)
7-day average of daily new deaths: 27 (decrease of 1)
Deaths of residents in long-term care homes: 3,913 (no change)
Total tests completed: 13,831,115 (increase of 52,160)
Tests under investigation: 31,933 (increase of 570)
Vaccination doses administered: 4,527,368 (increase of 126,694), 30.73% of Ontario’s population (increase of 0.86%)**
People fully vaccinated (two doses): 358,776 (increase of 3,568), 2.44% of Ontario’s population (increase of 0.03%)**
*While Ontario’s daily update is not yet reporting this information, Public Health Ontario has confirmed 36 cases of the B.1.617 variant, a so-called “double mutation” variant first identified in India, have been detected in Ontario.
**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.
