Ontario reports 391 new cases of COVID-19, 33 more deaths

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TORONTO — Ontario health officials have confirmed 391 new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, including 33 more deaths.

This marks the highest number of cases reported in a single day since May 9.

The number of lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 reported daily by health officials has fluctuated most of the week, with the lowest number of cases confirmed on May 10 with 294 new patients. On Thursday officials reported what would have been the lowest number of daily cases in six weeks, but later said a glitch in the system that resulted in 87 missed patients.

Earlier this week Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health said that while officials have seen a decrease in cases, it wouldn’t surprise him if the numbers increased again.

“It seems to do that,” Dr. David Williams said. “It comes down and then goes up by a bit but each time it doesn't go up by as much as the week before. It just keeps downward trending."

The increase in cases comes days before a number of businesses are set to reopen as part of the province’s first stage of the COVID-19 recovery plan. Included in the list of businesses slated to reopen, with physical distancing and proper safety frameworks in place, are golf courses, marinas, retail stores that have a separate street-front entrance, libraries and independent health-care clinics.

Saturday’s new patients bring the province’s total number of lab-confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus to 22,313, including 1,858 deaths and 17,020 recoveries.

According to the epidemiological summary, eight of the deceased patients are between the ages of 20 and 39, 77 are between the ages of 40 and 59 and 465 are between the ages of 60 and 79.

Seniors continue to be the hardest-hit age group. There have been 1,308 deaths in patients over the age of 79.

There have been no deaths in patients under the age of 20.

According to data submitted through the integrated Public Health Information System (iPHIS), at least 835 long-term care residents have died during the pandemic.

There has been an ongoing discrepancy between the data submitted by public health agencies through iPHIS and the information obtained by the Ministry of Long-Term Care. The ministry is reporting 1,365 deaths in the Ontario facilities and 186 outbreaks.

Data from iPHIS is reporting 264 outbreaks at long-term care homes in the province.

Of the more than 22,000 COVID-19 lab-confirmed cases reported in Ontario, health officials say about 12.7 per cent have been hospitalized at some point.

There are 975 patients currently in the hospital as a result of the disease, including 180 in the intensive care unit (ICU). Of those in the ICU, 135 are on a ventilator.

The province says that more than 3,700 health-care workers have contracted COVID-19.

COVID-19 testing in Ontario

More than 528,000 COVID-19 tests have been conducted across the province to date.

There have been 17,768 tests conducted in the last-recorded 24-hour period.

As of Saturday, more than 10,500 test samples remain under investigation in Ontario.

Quick facts on all Ontario COVID-19 patients:

• 42.2 per cent of all patients in the province are male and 57.1 per cent are female.

• 2.8 per cent of all patients are 19 years of age or younger.

• 24 per cent of all patients are between the ages of 20 and 39.

• 30.9 per cent of all patients are between the ages of 40 and 59.

• 21.2 per cent of all patients are between the ages of 60 and 79.

• 21.3 per cent of all patients are 80 years of age or older.

• Public health units in the Greater Toronto Area account for 62.8 per cent of all cases.

• 6.7 per cent of all patients had travelled history prior to becoming ill.

• 23.5 per cent of all patients had contact with a previously confirmed case.

• 35.9 per cent of all patients had community exposure.

• 35 per cent of cases are pending in terms of contract tracing