Ontario records slight uptick in COVID-19 cases with 160 new infections

In this June 26, 2020, file photo Healthcare professional Kenzie Anderson grabs a test tube for a sample at United Memorial Medical Center COVID-19 testing site in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File)

TORONTO — Ontario recorded another 160 new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, a slight uptick from the day before where the province marked the lowest number of infections in 13 weeks.

The new patients bring the total number of lab-confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in Ontario to 33,476—a 0.5 per cent increase from the previous 24-hour period where 111 new infections were reported.

“As a result, our positivity rate remains at all-time lows,” Ontario Health Minister Christine Elliott said on social media. “With 178 more resolved, we continue to see a persistent decline in the number of active cases in the province.”

This is the fourth day in a row where the number of daily reported COVID-19 cases fell below 200.

According to Saturday’s epidemiological report, the majority of the new COVID-19 cases—72 of the 160 infections—were in people between the ages of 20 and 39.

Those between the ages of 40 and 59 appear to have been the next age group to be hardest hit with 45 new patients.

While the number of deaths remains highest among seniors, in the last 24 hours only seven COVID-19 cases were reported in those over the age of 79.

The number of patients hospitalized as a result of the disease has declined slightly. Two hundred and fifty-two people are currently in the hospital with COVID-19, with 53 patients in the intensive care unit (ICU).

Of those in the ICU, 35 are breathing with a ventilator.

There were eight more deaths related to COVID-19 reported by heath officials, bringing the COVID-19-related death toll to 2,652.

Where are the new COVID-19 cases in Ontario?

The majority of the new cases were reported in Toronto and Peel Region, who confirmed 56 and 35 cases respectively.

The two regions were among the last to move to Stage 2 of Ontario’s reopening plan as a result of the disproportional number of novel coronavirus infections being reported daily.

About half of Ontario’s 34 public health units reported no cases of the disease in the last 24 hours, with most others reporting five or less patients.

COVID-19 testing in Ontario

In the last 24 hours, 33,492 COVID-19 tests were conducted, marking a new record for the province.

In total, health officials have conducted more than 1.3 million COVID-19 tests since the pandemic was declared.

There are 33,756 test samples still under investigation.