Ontario continues to report reduced COVID-19 hospitalizations and ICU admissions, 14 additional deaths

Hospitalizations and intensive care admissions related to COVID-19 continued to drop Saturday to a low Ontario has not seen since early January.

Health officials logged 1,191 COVID-19 hospitalizations – the lowest number of admissions since early January.

Of those hospitalizations, 50 per cent were admitted with COVID-19 and 50 per cent were admitted for other reasons but tested positive for the virus while in hospital.

In the ICU, 329 people with COVID-19 are seeking care – the lowest number of admissions since Jan. 6 when there were 319.

Ontario Minister of Health Christine Elliott said that of the 329 patients in ICU with COVID-19, 79 per cent were admitted for COVID-19 and 21 per cent were admitted for other reasons but have now tested positive for the virus.

On Saturday, Ontario health officials reported 14 net deaths related to COVID-19, in addition to four deaths from more than a month ago.

Meanwhile, Ontario is reporting 2,244 new COVID-19 cases, but health officials have warned that number is a significant underestimate due to restricted testing.

With 14,174 tests processed in the last 24 hours, Ontario is reporting a test positivity rate of 11.8 per cent.

The majority of infections were identified in the Greater Toronto Area. Officials are reporting 366 new cases in Toronto, 122 new cases in York Region, 97 new cases in Peel Region and 101 new cases in Durham Region.

The only other municipalities with more than 100 new COVID-19 cases were Niagara Region with 101 new infections, Ottawa with 174 and Simcoe-Muskoka with 129.

Due to the upcoming long weekend, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Health said COVID-19 numbers will not be posted on Monday. Instead, that data will be available the following day.

On Thursday, the province lifted all capacity limits in more indoor settings that require proof of vaccination, including restaurants, gyms and cinemas.

On March 1, the province is set to scrap the vaccine certificate system as part of its reopening plan.