Ontario logs more than 700 new COVID-19 cases for third straight day

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TORONTO — Ontario is reporting more than 700 new COVID-19 cases for the third day in a row.

Health officials confirmed 728 new infections on Saturday as well as five more deaths related to the disease.

The new cases represent a slight decrease from the 793 infections logged Friday. Ontario reported 711 COVID-19 cases on Thursday, 512 on Wednesday and 481 on Tuesday.

The seven-day average of daily infections continues to rise. As of Saturday, the average stands at about 635, up from 563 the previous week.

With a little over 31,100 COVID-19 tests that were processed in the last 24 hours, the Ministry of Health says the province's positivity rate is about 2.3 per cent.

Of the new cases reported Saturday, 370 were found in people who were not vaccinated against the virus. Seventeen were in people who were partially vaccinated and 287 were in people who were fully vaccinated.

Fifty-four individuals with COVID-19 have an unknown vaccination status.

Health experts have said the number of COVID-19 infections identified in fully vaccinated individuals will naturally increase as more people get both of their shots.

There are 283 people being treated for COVID-19 in Ontario hospitals. According to Health Minister Christine Elliott, 215 patients are not fully vaccinated or have an unknown vaccination status.

There is no data available for intensive care patients due to a technical issue.

The total number of lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ontario now stands at 610,950, including 9,964 deaths and 595,669 recoveries.

WHERE ARE THE COVID-19 CASES?

The majority of public health units are reporting fewer than 30 infections.

According to the province's epidemiology report, there are 89 cases of COVID-19 in Toronto, 45 in Peel Region and 31 in York Region.

Other municipalities reporting more than 30 cases include Sudbury and Districts (60), Simcoe-Muskoka (64), Waterloo (49), Windsor Essex (41), Ottawa (39) and Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox and Addington (34).

Of the 728 infections logged Saturday, 186 are in children under the age of 12.

Health Canada officially approved a smaller dosage of Pfizer’s vaccine for kids between the ages of five and 11 on Friday.

Seventy-two cases were also found in teens between the ages of 12 and 19, while 196 infections were found in people between the ages of 20 and 39.

The province also logged 179 COVID-19 cases in people between the ages of 40 and 59, with 102 infections in seniors over the age of 60.

More than 11.1 million people, or about 85 per cent of the eligible population, have received both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.