COVID hospitalizations surpass 1,600 in Ontario; 28 more deaths

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Hospitalizations related to COVID-19 in Ontario has surpassed the 1,600 threshold for the first time since mid-February as the province reports an additional 28 deaths related to the disease.

According to provincial data, there are at least 1,662 people in Ontario hospitals with the novel coronavirus as of Wednesday. This includes at least 203 in intensive care.

Of those hospitalized, about 45 per cent are being treated specifically for COVID-19 while the remaining patients tested positive after being admitted for other ailments.

That percentage is much larger in the ICU, with about 59 per cent of patients being treated for the novel coronavirus.

The province is also logging an additional 28 deaths related to COVID-19. Officials say these deaths occurred in the last month, bringing Ontario’s cumulative pandemic death tally to 12,661.

Five of the deaths reported Wednesday were residents of long-term care, the province said.

There are 1,073 new lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ontario as of Wednesday; however, officials have said this is a significant underestimation due to testing restrictions.

With just over 21,900 COVID-19 tests processed in the last 24-hour period, the Ministry of Health says the province’s positivity rate is about 16.8 per cent.

On Tuesday, Health Minister Christine Elliott confirmed that the province's top doctor is considering extending the mask mandate set to drop in Ontario at the end of the month.

“I know that that is something that Dr. Moore has been studying,” Elliott told reporters in Toronto at an unrelated news conference.

“He’s indicated that he is thinking that that might be necessary. However, we haven’t seen a formal recommendation as yet from Dr. (Kieran) Moore.”