Ontario records another spike in new COVID-19 cases

Dr. Sharkawy urges more restrictions as cases rise Infectious diseases specialist Dr. Abdu Sharkawy discusses new measures governments should take to curb the spread of COVID-19.

TORONTO — Ontario health officials have reported another spike in the number of new COVID-19 cases.

The province recorded 460 new cases of the novel coronavirus Sunday morning, the fourth straight day that daily case numbers have been above 400.

Sunday’s report marks the highest number of new cases reported in Ontario since May 8. when 477 new cases were confirmed. The rise represents a 1.8 per cent increase over yesterday's total.

More than 64 per cent of all confirmed cases were reported by public health units in the Greater Toronto Area.

And as the number of new cases appear to be trending upward in recent days, the number of daily tests for COVID-19 has remained well below the provincial capacity.

According to the Ministry of Health, the province performed 11,383 in the last 24 hour period, well below government’s goal to complete tests 16,000 daily. The province has previously said that it has the capacity to conduct at least 20,000 tests a day.

Premier Doug Ford has expressed frustration with these relatively low test numbers and said his government would release a "detailed testing strategy" for COVID-19 in Ontario next week while encouraging more people to get tested.

"Let me reassure you, even if you or your family do not have symptoms, if you feel you need a test, you will be able to get a test," Ford said at a Sunday morning news conference.

There are 3,216 tests currently under investigation.

Right now, there are 25,500 lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ontario, including 19,477 resolved cases  (76.4). 25 more COVID-19-related deaths were reported in the last 24 hours alone, bringing the provincial death toll to 2,073.

Sunday’s epidemiologic summary shows that 1,443 deaths were in people 80 years of age or older. Another 539 deaths were in people between the ages of 60 and 79.

At least 1,300 of the deceased were residents in a long-term care home, representing 62.7 per cent of all deaths recorded in the province.

There have been 83 deaths reported in people between the ages of 40 and 59. Eight deceased patients were between the ages of 20 and 39. There have been no deaths reported in people 19 years of age and younger, though there are 820 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in that age group.

There are currently 878 patients in hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 148 are being treated in an intensive care unit, 104 of which are on a ventilator.

Quick facts on all confirmed COVID-19 cases in Ontario:

With files from the Canadian Press.