Ontario reported 732 new COVID-19 cases on Friday. The previous single-day high was reported on Monday when 700 cases were logged. The surge seems to support modelling by health officials who predict Ontario could be facing counts of 1,000 cases a day by mid-month
Ontario recorded three new COVID-19-related fatalities on Friday. But the province also added an additional 74 deaths, which Health Minister Christine Elliott said are due to a number of fatalities in the spring and summer that were not reported. 575, or 78 percent,of the new cases were from Toronto, GTA and Ottawa
Fifty-eight per cent of Friday’s cases are in people under the age of 40. Ontario completed more than 40,000 tests in the previous 24-hour period, which makes Friday’s positivity rate just over 1.8 per cent.
The testing backlog continues to grow with more than 90,500 tests still under investigation, which is a record.
There are currently 167 patients in Ontario hospitals with COVID-19. Of those 167 patients, 38 are being treated in an intensive care unit, 21 of which are breathing with the assistance of a ventilator.
Meanwhile multiple sources say Premier Doug Ford’s cabinet is actively considering new regional restrictions and province-wide measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 that would affect some restaurants, bars, banquets halls and gyms. The government is also reported to be considering a mandatory masking policy that would make it a province-wide requirement to wear a face covering in workspaces or indoor settings where physical distancing cannot be maintained.
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