Public Health Ontario has reported 2,432 new cases of COVID-19 today (Dec. 17).
The province reported 23 deaths in today's update including one person between 40 and 59 years old, five people between 60 and 79 years old, and 17 people over the age of 80. Of the deaths reported today, 13 were residents at a long-term care home.
Since yesterday's report, 91 people have been hospitalized with COVID-19 and 42 COVID patients have been admitted to intensive care units
The latest update provided by the province's public health agency also reported the following:
- 2,009 new recoveries
- 919 people are currently hospitalized with COVID-19 in Ontario, down from 932 yesterday
- There are 263 COVID patients in intensive care units (up from 256 yesterday) and 172 COVID patients on ventilators (up from 157 yesterday)
- Of the 2,432 cases reported today, 528 are from Peel, 780 are from Toronto, 148 are from York Region, and 46 are from Simcoe-Muskoka
- 170 new school-related cases reported, there have been 7,016 school-related cases reported in Ontario to date
- There are 22 schools currently closed because of COVID-19 cases. All schools in the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit, which are currently closed for in-person learning
- 17,484 current active cases in Ontario, which is up from 17,084 yesterday
- Provincial public health labs have processed 58,174 tests since yesterday's report, which resulted in a four per cent positivity rate. The province's goal is to keep the per cent positivity rate below three per cent.
- Ontario's public health labs have processed more than seven million COVID-19 tests since the start of the pandemic
- There is a backlog of 78,361 tests awaiting processing
Public Health Ontario has confirmed 148,967 cases of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic, and reported 127,425 recoveries and 4,058 deaths.
The cumulative average incidence rate in the province is 1,002.2 cases per 100,000 people in Ontario. The weekly incidence rate in Ontario is 89.8 cases per 100,000 people from Dec. 7 to Dec. 13, which is up from 86.8 cases per 100,000 people from Dec. 1 to Dec. 7.
Yesterday the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit reported 52 new cases of COVID-19 in the region and the death Clearview woman who was over the age of 80 years old.
The growth rate of infections in the region is 1.8 per cent based on cases confirmed between Dec. 6 to 12. If that growth rate continues, health unit projections indicate the region could see as many as 60 cases per day for the week of Jan. 3-9.
There are more than 400 active, lab-confirmed cases in the Simcoe-Muskoka region and 16 people from Simcoe County are hospitalized.
There have been 2,670 cases confirmed in just Simcoe County, with 2,214 of those now recovered and 55 deaths.
