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Ontario reports 625 new coronavirus cases as province continues on upward trend

Click to play video: 'Ontario doctors weigh in on how to get through second coronavirus wave'
Ontario doctors weigh in on how to get through second coronavirus wave
WATCH ABOVE: Ontario doctors weigh in on how to get through second coronavirus wave. Shallima Maharaj reports – Sep 29, 2020

Ontario is reporting 625 new cases of the novel coronavirus on Wednesday, bringing the provincial total to 51,710.

According to Wednesday’s provincial report, 288 new cases were recorded in Toronto, 97 in Peel Region, 64 in Ottawa, 41 in York Region, 22 in Halton Region and 25 in Durham Region.

All other public health units in Ontario reported 15 or fewer cases.

Latest modelling numbers released by health officials Wednesday indicate the province could see upwards of 1,000 cases a day in October.

The province reported its highest single-day increase in cases on Monday at 700 new infections, Tuesday saw 554 new cases.

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Ontario Health Minister Christine Elliott said nearly 35,800 tests were processed in the last 24 hours. A total of 3,923,465 tests have been completed since the pandemic began. There is currently a backlog of 67,126 tests that need results.

Around 1.7 per cent of Wednesday’s processed tests were positive for coronavirus.

Elliott also said 62 per cent of the cases are people under the age of 40.

Here is a breakdown of the total cases in Ontario by gender and age:

  • 24,596 people are male — an increase of 321 cases.
  • 26,742 people are female — an increase of 302 cases.
  • 4,259 people are 19 and under — an increase of 94 cases.
  • 17,876 people are 20 to 39 — an increase of 294 cases.
  • 14,801 people are 40 to 59 — an increase of 169 cases.
  • 8,466 people are 60 to 79 — an increase of 56 cases.
  • 6,301 people are 80 and over — an increase of 13 cases.
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The province notes that not all cases have a reported age or gender.

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The province also notes that the number of cases publicly reported each day may not align with case counts reported by the local public health unit on a given day. Local public health units report when they were first notified of a case, which can be updated and changed as information becomes available.

Meanwhile, 43,907 Ontarians have recovered from COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, which is 85 per cent of known cases. Resolved cases increased by 457 from the previous day.

The death toll in the province has risen to 2,848 as four more death were reported. The deaths increased by two in the 60 to 79 age group and by two in the 80 and over age group. Deaths have remained in single digits over the last three months.

All hospitalizations continue to surge in recent weeks. Ontario has 150 people hospitalized due to COVID-19 (up by 13 from the previous day), with 35 patients in an intensive care unit (up by five) and 17 patients in ICUs on a ventilator (up by one).

The newly reported numbers for Wednesday’s report are valid as of 2 p.m. Tuesday for Toronto, Ottawa and Middlesex-London public health units, and 4 p.m. Tuesday for the rest of the province.

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Ontario child care centres and schools

Meanwhile, government figures show there have been a total of 342 school-related COVID-19 cases in Ontario — 188 among students and 48 among staff (106 individuals were not identified). This is an increase of 52 more cases from the previous day.

The COVID-19 cases are currently from 282 out of 4,828 schools in the province.

Affected schools with active cases are in Toronto, Oakville, Burlington, Halton Hills, Pickering, Ajax, Whitby, Oshawa, Mississauga, Brampton, Caledon, Orangeville, Aurora, Milton, Brant, Waterloo, Cambridge, Kitchener, Guelph, Brantford, Bradford West Gwillimbury, Welland, Ancaster, Shelburne, St. Catharines, Hamilton, Niagara Falls, Barrie, Orillia, King, Huntsville, Smith Falls, New Tecumseth, Woodbridge, Vaughan, Markham, Whitchurch-Stouffville, Richmond Hill, London, Windsor, St. Thomas, Woolwich, Whitewater Region, Peterborough, Scugog, Clarence-Rockland, Russell, North Grenville, Ottawa, Kingsville, Thunder Bay, Red Lake and Pembroke.

Three schools in Ontario are currently closed as a result of positive cases, the government indicated.

There have been a total of 136 confirmed cases within child care centres and homes — an increase of 10 more since the previous day.

Numbers for cases in schools and child care centres is updated weekdays only, at 10:30 a.m.

Ontario long-term care homes

According to the Ministry of Long-Term Care, there have been 1,867 deaths reported among residents and patients in long-term care homes across Ontario, which is an increase of one death from the previous day. There are 46 current outbreaks in homes, no change from the day prior. Eight health-care workers and staff in long-term care homes have died.

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The ministry also indicated there are currently 90 active cases among long-term care residents and 130 active cases among staff.

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