Ontario reports more than 2,100 new COVID-19 cases as province-wide lockdown looms

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TORONTO — Ontario is reporting more than 2,100 new COVID-19 cases and an additional 17 deaths as a wide-scale lockdown approaches in the province.

Health officials logged 2,123 new infections on Monday, bringing the provincial total to 158,053. The 17 additional deaths bring the total number of COVID-19-related fatalities since the beginning of the pandemic to 4,167.

The new cases on Monday is a drop from the 2,316 cases reported on Sunday. The province's seven-day average for number of cases recorded is now 2,276.

Ontario processed 54,505 tests in the previous 24-hour period, bringing Monday's test positivity rate to nearly 4 per cent.

There are 611 new cases in Toronto, 480 in Peel Region, 192 in York Region and 138 in Windsor-Essex.

According to the province, there are at least 915 patients infected with COVID-19 in Ontario hospitals. Of those patients, 265 are in the intensive care unit and 152 of those 265 patients are breathing with the assistance of a ventilator.

Monday's case count brings the total number of lab-confirmed infections in Ontario to 155,930, including deaths and recoveries.

There are 611 new cases in Toronto, 480 in Peel Region, 192 in York Region and 138 in Windsor-Essex.

The new infections come as the Ontario government announced a province-wide lockdown beginning on Dec. 26.

The lockdown will last for 28 days in the southern portions of the province and 14 days in the northern parts.